It looks like a crappy bar at first sight and it has very few tables but oh sweet Lord!! Try the garlicky boletus topped with a fried egg. They have a short list of wines but well selected. They have all varieties of mushrooms, wild fungus and amazing steak from the north part of Spain (Galicia). Many of the wild fungus are picked by the owners at weekends in Madrid’s surrounding mountains.

They don’t have deserts but you will be so full from the main courses that you will forget about them!

It is worth to eat there but after the diner wash all your clothes and yourself too because you will smell as if you have been cooked too!!

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Cisne Azul | Restaurants (Muchrooms) | Meal € 35.00
Calle de Gravina, 19 | Chueca & Malasaña | +34915213799
Mon – Sat 12:00 – 16:00 & 20:00 – 00:30

We though it was never going to open again, but it finally did in the center of Chueca…..the “Mercado de San Antón” where you can shop for groceries get a bite to eat too. It is similar to the one in San Miguel Square (check the Mercado San Miguel article) but with a terrace and free parking!!

On the first floor you can buy organic food and various groceries (the burgers from Nostra are spectacular!), whereas the second and third ones are reserved to eat and grab a bite. It is nice to see they have taken sustainability seriously during the renovation, by adding solar panels.

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San Anton Market | Shopping, Snacks, Restaurants
Augusto Figueroa 24 | Chueca & Malasaña | +34913300299
10:00 – 00:00 daily

Just off San Bernardo, this new spot has great prices and fantastic food. Instead of offering a huge menu-del-día that you can’t finish, they have several dishes per day depending on the season and the Chef’s mood. On the regular menu, try the Tuscon burger that has avocado and goat cheese.

The tapas are great too, I’ve tried the spicy sliders (little hamburgers) that were great, and at brunch on Saturday AND NOW SUNDAY, they have the regular favorites like french toast and eggs benedict.

 

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Carmencita Bar | Bars, Snacks, Restaurants (Spanish-American) | Breakfast burrito € 6.50
San Vicente Ferrer, 51 | Chueca & Malasaña | +34915238073
Tue – Fri 19:00 – 01:30, Sat 12:00 – 02:30, Sun 12:00 – 17:00

Just off of busy Fuencarral, La Ardosa always has a pleasant jazzy atmosphere filled with typical Spanish scents.

The bar is packed with paraphernalia dating back to 1892 when it was founded – a picture of the owner’s family, famous people who have stopped in over the years, a board showing the results of their Guinness drinking contest (can you top 14 pints?!) and reprints of Goya’s “Caprichos” prints (silly, sometimes vulgar whimsical images). Check out this video of Chef Anthony Bourdain at La Ardosa!

They serve some of my favorite tapas; sliced ham from pigs who have only eaten acorns (Jamon de bellota), dried tuna (Mojama – tuna jerky!), and a thick version of gazpacho called Salmorejo. The “raciones” are big here, so you can ask for a “media-ración” instead of a full plate.

If the bar looks full from the street, push through the crowd, duck under the bar, and try the back room which is not accessible any other way.

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La Ardosa | Bars, Snacks, Restaurants (Tapas) | Salmorejo € 3.75
Calle Colon 13 | Chueca & Malasaña | +34915214979
08:30 – 02:30 daily, August 11:30 – 02:30 daily

Xanacuk brings much needed freshness to Madrid, and by fresh, I mean juices squeezed to order, healthy salads and everything available to go. Started by an expat from Australia and his Spanish wife, Xanacuk already has three locations in the city center.

I’m an addict to their juice blends and on a day when I haven’t got much time to eat, I’ll get a toasted bagel with alfalfa sprouts and smoked salmon or a veggie-hummus wrap to go. The brownies and chocolate chip cookies are perfect to finish off your super healthy meal.

Bonus trivia: the sandwiches are all named after local landmarks!

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Xanacuk | Restaurants (Healthy) | big juice € 3.90
C/ Corredera Alta de San Pablo, 3 | Chueca & Malasaña | +34902440028
Mon – Sat 12:00 – 23:00

Taking a page from the success of the Mercado de San Miguel, this newly remodelled old market, el Mercado de San Anton, now has a traditional market on the ground floor, restaurant stands and shops on the middle floor, and a restaurant and lounging terrace on the top floor. There is also an art exhibition area, but the real plus is the variety of food: you can get anything from mini burgers (offered in a range of different meats – try the “buey” – ox meat!) to sushi, enjoy a tea on the terrace, or shop for fresh produce or meat. It’s a lovely feeling to see everything displayed with so much colour and freshness.

The restaurant gets overwhelmed at lunchtime on the weekends, so you might want to grab a bite from the second level and enjoy it on the terrace. We enjoyed some tapas from La Casa de Bacaloa stand, but those mini burgers keep calling me back!

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El Mercado de San Anton | Bars, Coffee & tea, Shopping, Restaurants (Intern.) | Mini burger € 2.00
Augusto Figueroa 24 | Chueca & Malasaña | +34913300730
Market Mon – Sat 10:00 – 22:00 | Shops, restaurant 10:00 – 00:00 daily

The Southeast of Asia and Peru are the areas that has a stronger reflect in Asiana Next Door’s cooking. It’s chef, the young Jaime Renedo is a traveler and as a result, its dishes are original mix with the spicy and acid tastes as starrings, but incredibly harmonious, nevertheless. “Kimuchi de zamburiñas” (seafood) and “Tiradito de corvina con ají amarillo y rocoto” (fish) are delicious, but I’ve liked all the things I’ve tried there. In the bar of the entrance, they serve original cocktails as well.

In addition, the furniture, lights and everything is a combination of modern and exotic elements that transmit comfort. They have to special menus for 35 and 45 euros, respectively.

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Asiana Next Door | Restaurants (Asian/Peruvian) | Special Menu € 40
Travesia de San Mateo, 4 | Chueca & Malasaña | +34913104020
Tue – Sat 14:00 – 16:00 & 21:00 – 00:00

La Rochella Café is a central, warm and bright Colombian café. Here you can find specialities from that country, from a beer (3 euros) to edible stuff like Sancocho, Tamales or Arepas (14 euros) and, of course, coffees with a tropical touch (4 euros).

The place has two different rooms. The entrance, dominated by a long bar; and the space at the back, separated by a wall with arches. It’s full of little tables with candles on them at night. I never have dinner in La Rochela, because I’ve always gone to see and listen to the storytellers (many of them are South-American people) while having a drink.

All the Thursdays there is a session at the back. It’s very familiar and friendly, because there is no stage and the room is quite small, so the storytellers are very near and let the spectators participate.

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La Rochela Café | Art & culture, Bars, Coffee & tea, Snacks, Restaurants (Colombian) | Dishes € 14
Manuela Malasaña, 31 | Chueca & Malasaña | +34914464138
Tue – Fri 17:00 – 02:00, Sat – Sun 13:00 – 02:00

This cosy crêperie reminds me of a Parisien rue and the decoration of the Amelie Poulain film with its bright walls and antique objects. The crêpes, made while you’re waiting, can be sweet or salty and all are between 3 and 5 euros.

There’s the delicious nutella speciality, to other more original ones such as morcilla (a kind of black Spanish sausage), apple compote and egg. The one with salmon, tartare sauce and chives are a bit salty in my opinion. They have natural juices and milkshakes for drinks.

La Rue is a good option for eating something on the go. You can choose taking away the crêpes or consume them inside, although it is usually full because there is only room for two tables and two or three stools.

Despite the lack of meters, the local has shelves full of French products as macarons, foie, cheese or wine for sale!

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La Rue | Bars, Snacks, Restaurants (Crêperie) | Crêpes from € 3
Espiritu Santo 18 | Chueca & Malasaña | +34911897087
Sun – Thu 13:30 – 00:00, Fri – Sat 13:30 – 01:00

Bristol Bar is probably the most British of all the bars in Madrid. It’s part brasserie, part English pub. It’s informal, but smart and warm.

The main attraction might be the extensive gin menu. It includes more than sixty different gins for gin tonic lovers. I recommend it more for having a drink than for eating, but they have dishes like English soup of the day, roast beef, fish and chips or bread & butter pudding.

On Saturdays, Sundays and bank holidays, the clients can enjoy an English brunch. All other days, there is a lunch menu for € 11.90. Tea in the afternoon, the first drink of the night… it’s open almost all day and night. There are many activities in Bristol bar, like thematic dinners, concerts, wine tastings and so on.

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Bristol Bar | Bars, Restaurants (British) | Medium ticket € 35
Almirante 20 | Chueca & Malasaña | +34915224568
Mon – Fri 10:00 – 01:00, Sat 11:00 – 02:00