Elqui

Description:

• The city's number-one self-service vegetarian eating spot sprang up just over 7 years ago in the burgeoning international melting pot of Lavapiés. Its inventive combinations of cereals cooked with fresh vegetables soon earned it a large following, and today its bargain all-you-can-eat lunchtime buffet of ensaladas, main hot dishes, and postres is a sellout -- so best get there early. Mediterranean dishes such as hummus, couscous, and nut and ricotta crepes feature strongly on its very reasonable a la carte evening menu, and the plato de baile of brown rice, mushrooms, asparagus, and tofu is a must. There's a short list of organic wines and a wider range of herbal teas. Caffeine and nicotine are definitely out. The Elqui also arranges 8-hour-long vegetarian cooking courses.

• © Frommer's 2013