Madrid Travel Blog

It often happens that a particular food becomes intimately associated with a city: the Parisian croissant, the New York City bagel, and San Francisco’s sourdough bread, to name a few. In the Spanish capital, however, it’s the calamari (squid) sandwich that has become synonymous with Madrid, particularly...

Despite all the absurdities of plane travel these days, train travel is still good, old-fashioned fun. Spain’s super-fast AVE trains are a relaxing, civilized way to travel around the peninsula, but the Strawberry Train (El Tren de la Fresa) is just a fun historical tour and perfect for a day trip...

Sometimes you just gotta bite the bullet and satisfy that sweet tooth. Luckily, when you’re in Madrid, there is no dearth of options. The city’s ultimate sweet experience is at Chocolatería San Ginés. Here traditional fried churro pastries are served with cups of pudding-thick hot chocolate at...

No visit to Spain is complete without sampling some paella. I think that’s a law in Spain or something. I’m talking orange, saffron-scented, cooked in an unusually large paella pan with handles, filled to the gills with all sorts of things paella. Valencia is the home of paella, but Madrid,...

In Madrid’s venerable cafes, classic café culture is alive and well. It’s no surprise really, considering that the tertulia was a Spanish invention. This is the custom of gathering in a café to talk, discuss, or debate and is similar to the French literary salon. You can still join in...

Wondering where to eat in the land of ham? Here are four vegetarian restaurant suggestions for Madrid that are worth their weight in vegetables: Isla del Tesoro: Innovative cuisine in a shipwrecked fantasy setting El Estragón: Down-home Spanish food for the vegetarian Al Natural: Wholesome fare near...