Rocky Horror Picture Show - Crazy Halloween

I'm not particularly keen about celebrating Halloween. It is not a tradition in Spain at all. However, since last year I love a crazy show that has become a fixed appointment in my list of great annual parties!  The Rocky Horror Picture Show.

A good excuse to dress up in an extravagant way and party till very late!

IO - Iñaki Oyarbide - restaurant

We are unhappy to comunicate that this restaurant has closed down...

The concept is To Update Tradition!! and it works very well...

Many friends had suggested me to go to the new restaurant by Iñaki Oyarbide IO. I finaly went yesterday and I must say they were right. IO restaurant has all the ingredients to succeed and become a classical choice. Great food and ambiance.

Taberna La Alhambra a Best Buy for September

This has been my September best buy discovery, very adequate for crisis times: Taberna la Alhambra. Located in central Madrid, 9 Victoria Street, near Puerta del Sol it offers an unbeatable choice of typical Spanish dishes for as little as 10€ all included!!! 

Horchata - the best drink for a hot day

One of the best horchatas in Madrid!! 

For the burning summer my proposal is to get a refreshing drink: Horchata. I know it is typically from Valencia but it is also widely drunk in Madrid since long. Asking around I finally got this good recommendation; La Alboraya (Alcalá 125) considered to be the best horchata in Madrid!!!

Taberna Los Gallos - summer hotspot

It's a loud secret: Taberna Los Gallos (Callejón de Puigcerdá 4, off Jorge Juan), specially its roof terrace, is becoming the hot spot these (hot) days in Madrid!!! a place to see a be seen but also to have good food and good fun.

Me and my friends went there to celebrate my birthday and had a lovely and healthy menu. I was not able to get a terrace table so it will be for the next time (hope very soon!). The interior was crowded maybe a little too much for gossiping and profound talking. Imagine the subject of our main conversation... Grey and his fifty shades, obviously!!!!

Restaurant - La Vaqueria Suiza

La Vaqueria Suiza, in Madrid for more than eight years, has become one of my sure bets in Chamberi. Located at my favorite street, Blanca de Navarra 8, it used to be an old diary shop and you can still see the feeder for cattle in stone. Very charming and bringing back memories of an old Madrid with no supermarkets and real fresh milk and butter. Trendy and cool atmosphere!!!

Casa Arabe - Art and Delicious Hidden Terrace

I love when I find a very special place that is still secret for many people.. even though this post might make it less of a secret to someone.. !

How do you discover these kind of places? It is always by accident. On my way biking back home through the Retiro I happen to pass by Casa Arabe and many times I have been inside at exhibitions and other cultural activities, but I didn't know about its lovely hidden terrace.

Spanish Tortilla de Patatas at Sylkar

Tortilla de Patatas is one of the best tapas you can have in Spain. There are different theories and tastes vary greatly depending on the degree of liquidity of the egg which along with the potatoes make it up. You can also add other items such as onions, chorizo​​, garlic, etc ... but the basics are eggs, potatoes and the degree of curdle. Yesterday we went to one of the temples of the tortilla in Madrid, Sylkar at Espronceda 17 with friends and liked it.

video in You Tube

Artist - Daniela Nuñez Arrieta at Ramses Life & Art

Silent mouth

Painter Daniela Nuñez Arrieta is showing her latest work "Silencio Palabras"at Ramses Life & Art (plaza de la Independencia 4) from today and until next Thursday 21 of June. Ramses Life & Art is an interesting initiative that promotes young talented artists. It is indeed nice to have a drink in a sophisticated ambiance surrounded by art.

Pop Up Store - Madrid In Love

Is this Paris? Amsterdam? No, it is genuine Chamberi district in Madrid. A Pop Up vintage initiative called Madrid in Love opened during the month of June, from the 1st to the 30th, and from 11:00h to 20:30h. A mix of vintage furniture and objects plus the possibility to eat and drink simple things like salads and sandwiches from Magasand. A good choice for lovely weekend mornings!!!

Bar El Enfriador

I like this little bar just at the corner of Plaza del Peru El Enfriador (Principe de Vergara 291). It is claimed to have one of the best beers in Madrid!! As in many other Madrid bars, beer is sold on the tap and just one brand: Mahou, served very cold. The traditional beer pouring technique used at El Enfriador produces a creamy top which leaves a mark on the glass with every sip. Very refreshing since poured at extremely cold temperature.

La Venencia Sherry Bar

La Venencia
Echegaray 7
914 29 73 13
Daily 13:00-15:30 and 19:30-02:00

In line with other surrealistic Madrilenian bars, La Venencia (named after a long narrow tool used to sample wines through a small opening in sherry butts) is surely on the podium!

The bar serves just sherry but that is just anecdotic, the most remarkable characteristic of this rare bar is that once you step inside through the creepy wooden door, you feel that time stopped at the beginning of 20th century…and probably the cleaning of shelves too!

Isabela Gourmet Market in Madrid

Last Update: Isabela gourmet market did not make it. It has been closed down on the 17th of May 2013. Too young to die?

Isabela Gourmet Market
Paseo de la Habana 3
91 562 71 83

Music Bar - Toni 2

Toni 2 Piano Bar

Almirante 9

If someone asks me about my favourite night bar in Madrid, my answer would definitely be: Toni 2!!!

The concept; a piano bar with an enormous piano surface where people of all ages, conditions, races, political ideas... gather together with drinks and happy spirit to sing typical folklore spanish songs!

Restaurant and drinks - Vintage Lounge

Waiting for friends at Vintage Lounge bar
Castellana 56
91 5645027

Vintage Lounge is a very special new place. It has all ingredients to become a Hot Spot in Madrid!! Everyone knows that in those same premises there used to be a famous "Male Escort Club". So, me and my friends were very curious about the place and went there for lunch.

Restaurant La Cesta

La Cesta Restaurant
Recoletos 10

Went to restaurante La Cesta this weekend. The restaurant has been created by the Santceloni team (two Michelin stars and three Repsol suns) cook: Óscar Velasco, maitre: Abel Valverde  and sumiller David Robledo. If you add to this "dream team" the elegant and comfortable decoration by Pascua Ortega and the location (calle Recoletos 10), the result cannot be other than: Excellent!!!

Chocolatería San Ginés

You do not know Madrid if you have never been to Chocolatería San Ginés and tasted chocolate with churros!!! "Chocolate con churros" is a quintessential Madrid treat!!! Hot thick chocolate served with churros (thin) and porras (thicker), whose fried ridges are engineered for dunking. They are very welcome for breakfast or tea.

Pasadizo de San Ginés 5

Café de Belén

Café DE BELEN 

C/ Belén, 5 

913 08 27 47

Café de Belén is a very cool café in Chueca, yet on the quiet side, oldies’ flavor with style, round little coffee tables with candles on them, some built out of old sewing machines, wood walls make it very cocoon ...

Torrijas - Easter must

In Madrid we eat Torrijas during Easter time. It is a popular dessert easily made at home and very similar to desserts like French Toast or Pain Perdu: thick slices of bread soaked in milk or wine, dipped in egg, fried and then drenched in spiced honey or cinnamon. Crawling though my favorite cooking blogs I found many recipes: very complete and funny Lazy Blog: cómo hacer torrijas originales, algunas noticias y otras cosas, incredibly easy and great fun Falsarius Chef: torrijas de régimen (misleading title meaning that after eating those you will undoubtedly need to get into a diet), fruity: el Comidista.

Sleep and eat as in a film - Dormir De Cine

Dormir de cine is really something different!! They call it cooltural rooms and it is a new concept for urban hospitality. A new accommodation concept aimed to cinema lovers that has recently opened in Madrid, with 85 themed rooms representing 85 of the most famous movies in cinema history.