The next day, we drove around Madrid once more, but this time stopped at some of the major landmarks – Royal Palace, Sabatini Gardens, Almudena Cathedral, Basilica de San Francisco El Grande, Plaza de Cibeles, Puerta de Alcala, Buen Retiro Park, Gran Via, and Puerta del Sol, where we had the chance to take some pictures and do some souvenir shopping.
By noon, our Tour Director left us at Plaza Mayor to enjoy a meal at one of the many restaurants around the area and to explore on our own. The bus would pick us up that night in front of the Mercado de San Miguel.
For lunch, it was my turn to pick a place. I took my travel amigas to this restaurant called Taberna Postas Quince that caught my attention on Calle Postas, a busy touristy street. The exterior was unassuming, but I saw a lot of local traffic (which is always a good sign).
Inside, we were surprised by the cozy and charming interior. The walls were filled with antique posters, old photographs, wooden barrels, large clocks, and vintage figurines. We heard their specialty is squid, so we each ordered the bocadillo de calamares (squid sandwich) with a plate of assorted tapas to share. The squids, generously squeezed in between two slices of freshly-baked baguette, were perfectly cooked, and not at all gummy or oily. They were drizzled with aioli (garlic mayonnaise) with a hint of tomato and paprika flavours. The sandwich looked so simple but it was so tasty. We also sampled some local Spanish cervezas.
The rest of the afternoon was spent perusing the shops around Plaza Mayor. We concentrated on specialty shops that sold artisanal goods – ceramics, glassworks, stoneware, paper maché figurines, flamenco outfits, espadrilles (Spain’s traditional summer footwear), leather goods, guitars, football gear, hats, homemade sweets baked by nuns from nearby convents, chocolates, olive oil, ham, antiques (including fake ones), interesting knick-knacks, paintings, and so much more. I did not really buy anything except for a few souvenir shirts and magnets for my husband, son, nephews, and nieces.
We decided to have an early dinner at the Mercado de San Miguel. It was only at this point that I noticed its early 20th century architecture in iron and glass (because the previous day, I was looking at the food!).
This market opened in 1916 and was renovated by investors to become the gastronomic paradise that it is today. The main attraction is, of course, the food, and there were lots of it! There were stalls selling a variety of culinary specialties from different parts of Spain, with each vendor selling a distinct selection of products (our Tour Director said that management ensures there are no product overlaps between vendors). The atmosphere was one of a lively party place for locals and tourists alike. I loved it!
We settled at one of the tables in front of a large stall and selected our orders. The products are typically served in tapas-sized portions so that customers can sample a little of everything…and sampled as much as we could, we definitely did!
We ordered banderillas (toothpick-skewered ham, olives, cheese and sardines), bite-sized wedges of Manchego cheese topped with daubs of ham and nuggets of walnut, bacalao (salted cod) dressed in sauces and toppings, baked clams, croquettes, small portions of paellas, sliders, and bite-sized pastries, among others. We drifted from stall to stall, sampling whatever piqued our interests and tantalized our taste buds. The choices were endless! We capped our night off with a glass of wine each before our bus collected us.
We headed back to the hotel for a good night’s rest and dreams of more tapas!
Photo Credits:
esmadrid.com, arrivalguides.com
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