Where We Ate: Madrid
03.07.2018 - 06.07.2018
85 °F
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Spain/France 2018
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Pollos Asados La Cañada
This place was in our neighborhood near the Artilleros metro station. They sell roasted chickens, side dishes, and some pastries to go. If you're in the area, it's a decent place to get a meal to take back home to the family. They don't have a website, though.
Cañas y Tapas
Cañas are small glasses of beer, so the name of this Spanish chain is self-explanatory. We visited the location closest to the Puerta del Sol. We shared several tapas for dinner here, including croquetas and patatas bravas (ham-and-chicken croquettes and fried potatoes with a spicy sauce). Everything was good.
Website: http://www.canasytapas.es
Azotea del Círculo de Bellas Artes
In some ways, it feels unfair to include a place where we didn't even eat. Then again, their terrible service and lackluster menu are the reasons why we didn't eat here, so maybe it is fair after all.
I'll start with the good part, though. This Café has misters all around their outdoor seating, so it's comfortable even on a hot day. They also have excellent views of the city. That's why we visited (note: you pay admission to the roof/azotea, regardless of whether you eat at the café).
We arrived at the café around noon. We realized that this was early by Spanish standards, but thought that if we got something, that would help us get through the Prado without any hunger meltdowns. We sat down at a table and waited for at least 10 minutes for someone to acknowledge our presence. At that point, I walked up to the bar to ask for a couple of menus. The bartender scowled at me and pointed to a couple. I took them back to our table. They had light breakfast offerings, which didn't fit what we wanted; the menu shown online must be for later in the day. We moved on.
Website: https://www.azoteadelcirculo.com/cartas
VIPS (rhymes with "zips")
VIPS is a chain throughout Mexico, South America, and Spain that is similar to a Denny's. After striking out at the Azotea, we went to the location on Plaza Canovas del Castillo, near the Fuente de Neptuno along the Paseo de Prado. There are a couple of upsides to VIPS. First, they have a kiddie menu that comes with a coloring/activity sheet. Second, they are open at hours when Spaniards don't typically eat, which is handy when you're trying to eat at an odd time, like we were that day. When we arrived around noon, they were serving from both their breakfast and lunch menus. The girls had pancakes, and I had a sandwich (I think DH did as well). Everyone liked their food. Similar to Hippopotamus in Paris, this is not a quintessential Spanish experience, but it does the trick, especially if you have young kids who are hungry between traditional meal times.
Website: https://www.vips.es
Chocolatería San Ginés
Founded over 100 years ago and open 24/7, Chocolatería San Ginés is an institution located walking distance from the Puerta del Sol. Their hot chocolate and churros did not disappoint.
Website: https://chocolateriasangines.com
Pinocchio Trattoria
For our last night in Spain, we decided to eat... Italian food! That was not necessarily our plan, but we found this place and decided to give it a try. It's just across the square from the Reina Sofía Museum. Because of that location, no car traffic passes in front, which means it is a good spot for dining outside. The other factor that won us over was that they had a kid menu (https://www.pinocchio.es/menus.html#.XCdrxC2ZN-U), which includes an entree, drink, and dessert. The girls received coloring sheets to keep them entertained while they waited for their pizzas and ice cream.
I had the pasta amatriciana along with a hard cider called "Ladrón de Manzanas" (apple thief!).
DH ordered the "dolce vita", filled pasta that contained white truffle and a porcini (boletus) mushroom and cream sauce.
For dessert, I tried a scoop of lemon sorbet in a glass of cava (sparkling white wine) . DH had the hot apple cake with ice cream. In all, everything was good, and it was a convenient place to eat after visiting the museum.
Posted by amikulski 18:47 Archived in Spain Tagged children food restaurants spain Comments (0)