When a restaurant welcomes me with a wine list featuring labels like ‘The Madman’s Inn’ and ‘The Perfect Boyfriend’, I’m intrigued. When they accompany it with a quality Thai-Spanish tapa and Motown, I’m hooked.

La Falda de Lavapiés is just the kind of tongue-in-cheek tavern that the neighborhood needs, offering quirky bites and a one-of-a-kind wine list to the wide variety of patrons that Calle Miguel Servet attracts. I’ve stopped in for a bite a few times since it opened in early October, and each time the menu, which only features about ten dishes, has been edited to include the week’s freshest ingredients. Aside from the ever-evolving menu, they also feature a distinctive menú del día plus daily specials that range from ramen to callos, highlighting the kind of international versatility that is all too often hard to find in Madrid.

On my most recent visit, we were offered secreto ibérico in sweet and sour sauce as our free aperitivo as we browsed the menu. The Thai flavors and fantastic cut of Spanish pork paired nicely with the Delito Garnacha wine we had chosen, and by the time we waved down the waitress to order, our appetites were more than piqued.

We chose four small plates to share between the two of us, testing La Falda’s version of the Spanish classics of jamón croquettes and cured beef, or cecina, and their ability to fuse Castillian products with Asian flair in their pork spring rolls and octopus sandwich.

The cecina was some of the best I’ve tried in Madrid, and I consider myself something of a cured beef expert, ordering it any time I spot it on a menu. While all of the flavors were impeccable, the winner had to be the octopus sandwich with its mixture of Thai herbs and Spanish paprika.

We only stopped ooh-ing and ah-ing over each bite to sing along with the Motown greats that enveloped the room, and reluctantly put our forks down to watch in awe as the couple next to us jumped up to ballroom dance to James Brown’s “It’s a Man’s World.”

La Falda is the perfect example of what makes Lavapiés so special: it puts quality at the forefront and serves its food with a wink, but recognizes that in the end, it’s only a space for the vibrant community to enjoy life, and does everything it can to facilitate that. Go for a drink or go for a date. Go, eat, watch the people and leave content in mind, body and soul.

Info

• Facebook
• Address: Calle Miguel Servet 4 (Metro Lavapies or Embajadores)
• Phone: 911 688 096

 

You’ve made it half-way through the week, what better way to celebrate than with a few tacos and beers? Every Wednesday from 7pm-11pm, La Venganza de Malinche offers a variety of small tacos and Coronitas for only 1€ at their multiple locations in Madrid.

Locations:

Plaza de San Martin, 2
Calle de los Jardines, 5
Plaza Duque de Osuna, 5
Calle Leganes, 5

About the tacos:

The tacos are small, so you have an excuse to try one of each, and without hurting your wallet. You’ll find a little something for everyone: chicken tinga, vegetarian, cochinita, and mole, among others. The tacos are served on warm flour tortillas with accompanying salsas to use at your discretion. The supplementary salsas are not for the faint-of heart, and will certainly spice up your taco, so proceed with caution!

About the place:

The dining area features funky, unpretentious décor, and service is quick and friendly. This, combined with the 1€ price tag, will make it hard to avoid becoming a Wednesday night regular at La Venganza de Malinche!

by Meredith Parmalee

Haven’t found a good Mexican restaurant yet? Check out our post on Madrid’s Best Mexican Restaurants!

Somewhere in the U.S., in a place whose name I do not care to remember, I found myself sleeping in a motel surrounded by gangs, in a room where the sheets hadn’t been washed in a while and you could imagine picking up any sort of illness from the bathroom. A few years later, the story happened again, but this time back in Europe. Since then, every time I travel, I like to check out the best hotels on Trip Advisor and read the comments thoroughly before booking a room.

Here in Madrid, you’ve got plenty of fantastic and affordable hotels to choose from, which is why we’re breaking this list down by neighborhood. So, what do we look for in the perfect hotel? One, its location. Two, extra fun; those that boast rooftop bars, great restaurants or free walking tours. And three, if we’d personally want to stay here and recommend it to our friends and family.

3 Best Places to Stay in Madrid’s Barrio de las Letras (Huertas)

We’re starting this series in Barrio de las Letras, a central neighborhood named after the many famous Spanish writers who once lived here. This vibrant neighborhood offers tons of fun bars and restaurants, and is located close to the city’s main attractions such as Puerta del Sol, Plaza Mayor and Paseo del Prado, along which you’ll find the city’s finest museums. It’s also very accessible by metro, near the city’s main train station, Atocha, and the airport shuttle bus.

Learn more about the neighborhood in our quick guide: Madrid barrio overview 

*All rates are approximate, please check their webs to confirm

1. Room007 & Restaurant Saporem

Room007 is a wonderful hostel with a hidden restaurant in a perfect location; a two-minute walk separates this whimsical and inexpensive hostel from Plaza Santa Ana or Sol, both must-see sites in Madrid. On top of that, it won’t take you longer than 10 minutes to walk to the airport bus.

Whether you’re traveling with your backpack or with a family member, at Room007, you will find a good range of rooms from double rooms to a single bed in a 8-bed shared room. Moreover, the different kinds of people passing through will catch your attention.

As an added bonus, you’ll get the chance to hang out on the rooftop! You will never want to leave. Also, let Adrian, the hostess,  know that you want to enjoy some of the great activities that the place has to offer: Free walking tours, bike tours, parties (3 bars + 1 club), drinking games, tapas experiences, affordable flamenco tablaos and much more!

Hostel rates:

• Bed in shared room from 18€
• Double from 50€

*See special deals on their website.

Contact info:

• Address: Ventura de la Vega, 5 & Hortaleza, 74
• Metro: Sol or Sevilla (Ventura) Chueca (Chueca)
• Facebook
• Web site
• Email: reservas@room007.com

1. Saporem Restaurant 

If that wasn’t enough, Room007 also has an outstanding restaurant downstairs, which you will have discounts on during your stay. Here you can find all kinds of food including burgers, vegetable platters and homemade pizza and pasta dishes. The average price is around 20€/each without the discount.

Menu

• Pasta & Pizza …………9€-11€
• Fish & meat……………8€-12€
• Bottle of wine ………..13€

2. Hostal Persal & Ginger Restaurant 

Hostal Persal is another really good option located just a stone’s throw away from Puerta del Sol. This hostel is also close to La Latina neighborhood, one of the most famous areas in Madrid, well known for its charming streets and gorgeous pintxo bars like Lamiak.

Hostel rates:

• Single room from 40€
• Double from 50€

*Best price guaranteed on their website.

Hostal Persal Contact info:

• Address: Plaza del Ángel, 12
• Metro: Sol or Sevilla
• Facebook
• Web site
• Email: info@hostalpersal.com

2. Ginger Restaurant 

Although it may look like an expensive place, Ginger offers great quality food at an affordable price. Ginger is owned by a restaurant group founded in Barcelona that now has 6 restaurants in Madrid, all of which deserve a try. These restaurants run a chef apprenticeship program and share the same concept: nice ambiance, top quality and inexpensive food. On top of that, the group’s foundation, Andilana, is a large NGO that invests money into helping people reintegrate into society.

Ginger Restaurant Contact info:

• Address: Plaza del Ángel, 12
• Metro: Sol or Sevilla
• Facebook
• Website
• Email: ginger@grupandilana.com
• Tel. +34 91 369 10 59

3. One Shot 23 & Ateneo Restaurant 

One Shot 23 is a modern hotel which boasts a healthy mix of luxury, convenience and affordability. The hotel has another location in Barrio de Salamanca and is set to open more in Spanish cities such as Valencia, Seville and Barcelona. One of the advantages of staying at One Shot 23 is its location — it is very close to the Prado and Thyssen Museum. Although Madrid is a very noisy city, the hotel is situated in a quiet area.

Hotel Rates:

• Single room from 68€
• Double from 72€

Contact Info

• Address: Calle Prado, 23 | One Shot 04 (Barrio Salamanca)
• Metro: Banco de España & Sevilla
• Facebook
• Website
• Email: prado23@oneshothotels.com

3. Ateneo Restaurant 

Ateneo is much more than a restaurant. Since its founding, this institution has been a private cultural center. Today it is situated on Calle Prado, where you will be transported a century back in time. If Ateneo’s walls could talk, they’d surely tell fascinating stories of the history of Spain.

 Enjoy your stay!