Tapas To Die For

 

Whilst I have the momentum of writing and writing about Madrid, I may as well talk about my favourite restaurant in town. The food is out of this world, with a menu that changes quite regularly, the wine list is different and undeniably amazing, the drinks they make are GOOD, and the deco is just something else. They took the decision years ago of not making reservations, and the place is so full every day - some times even including some celebs - so be able to wait or even fight to get a table. This is the combination of hard work and knowing the right people, and if you combine family with a friend that over the years has become like family, then you have a winning recipe. 

Everything is made out in small portions to share and it's divided into different sections in the menu. The very friendly staff will be happy to help you decide and to suggest the quantity of tapas that you should be ordering but they will be happy to bring you more if you wish.

 

I hope that the pictures open your appetite - as they've had to mine even if I just had breakfast - and that you give a real consideration to go if you happen to be in the city. Make also sure that you leave some room for dessert or maybe just for a mojito or 2 or 3... it's absolutely an experience that you shouldn't miss.

DETAILS:

La Gabinoteca - www.lagabinoteca.es/‎ - Fernández de la Hoz 53 (Esquina con Bretón de los Herreros)

Home for Christmas

 

I know that the festive season is long past and that most of us have even survived to January. But it has been a strange month when people decide to quit drinking and it seems than in me it had the effect of a dried month for writing - and yes, I know that there were not many posts in December but I was out celebrating and getting material for the blog, what else can I say?

Many of the plans and posts to come - a bunch of them so I hope it doesn't get too much - are around London but I can't pass the opportunity to have a couple of comments on my beautiful home town, Madrid, and a couple of places that I discovered thanks to Carol - always up to date on the hottest spots (as she herself is a damn hot hotspot!).

So there is this place next to San Bernardo called La Tape, short for Tapería or Tapas, that serves amazing food (yes, tapas) and where you can enjoy homemade beer as they have a little brewery going on. We had an amazing dinner over there and the ambiance was really good even if we were 1 day away to finish the year and you might have thought that most of the people will be saving to go out for New Year's Eve. But that's how Madrid moves, there is no special occasion as every night is a special occasion.

 

 

Then we moved over to La Pescaderia, that even if it directly translates to the Fish Shop, it's actually a really nice restaurant that turns into a bar with amazing drinks that holds the trendy locals any night. If you're in Madrid and around the centre of the city, it's totally worth the visit. 

DETAILS:

La Tape - www.latape.com/‎ - Calle San Bernardo, 88, 28015 Madrid
La Pescaderia - www.la-pescaderia.com/‎ - Calle Ballesta, 32, 28004 Madrid

Chaophraya

This Thai restaurant took over one of the most amazing buildings in Castle St (Edinburgh) earlier in the year; the fact that makes the building amazing is not other than the rooftop overlooking the castle to the left, and the sea to the right. And when in that rooftop you manage to get the best table, you’re close to heaven – and not only because you’re at a certain altitude – but because in Fringe time there are fireworks at the end of the Tatoo and you can see them whilst enjoying some Tamarind Duck.

The food was really tasty, as it tends to happen with Thai food given all the aromas that they add to the dishes. The service is also really good, even overwhelming at some stages when we had to actually ask for a time out to anyone asking anything. The price is also correct, as the sizes of the portions are quite big. But again, just the location makes the place worth the visit even if it just for drinks.

DETAILS:
Chaophraya -  www.chaophraya.co.uk/venues/chaophraya-edinburgh/ - Castle St with George St

Local's Yard

It is quite a task, when in Edinburgh, to find somewhere where there is not a crowd of tourists around. However, thanks to some locals to the city we managed to enjoy a great lunch over the weekend with no tourists on sight (and it was that good that we went there both days). I know that being a tourist myself, I shouldn't be complaining but if you have visited Edi - if you haven't, you must - you know it gets overwhelming.

Indigo Yard is an amazing restaurant for comfort food and all day breakfast over the weekend; they also do an amazing deal for 2x£10 lunch. They have recently renovated the place and it looks really good, even if there is an overdose of lavender plants. There are over 30 different beers - none of them are German - so I was in a happy place - not because there was no German beer, just due to the amount of different brands they had. So a very good place to escape the masses and enjoy good food and drink. What else do you need?

DETAILS:
Indigo Yard - www.indigoyardedinburgh.co.uk/ - 7 Charlotte Ln  Edinburgh EH2 4QZ

Edi & The Fringe

This post is the start of a new section: Londoning Abroad. Travelling is one of the activities that we have developed among the years in London, so it’s the time to open a new section to be able to write about different cities where we go to and share the experience – especially as I wouldn’t like to disappoint my audience and leave many days without posts, and for the remains of August I’m not going to be in London much.

I can’t think of a better city to start this section than Edinburgh and our annual visit to the Fringe. I leave you with a few pictures of the city, an amazing city where you can believe you’re in the middle of a fairytale or about to attend Howard – although you have to let go your imagination to avoid and escape from the tourists that will always be around you. There is a castle, many churches and graveyards, parks, hills, hidden alleys, pubs, nice cosy restaurants… all you can dream of. You have streets like Prince full of shops, Rose St packed with restaurants and bars, George St that becomes the engine of the night life, the Royal Mile where everything happens and you can always build your own story.

And for the lovers of the theatre, comedy, drama, musicals, performance of all kinds, there is no better time to go than during the Fringe, as the city becomes a stage. There are all types of acts in every sort of venue you can think of, and everyone is up to perform. So break a leg – well, not if you’re the spectator – and enjoy the show!

 

DETAILS:

Fringe - www.edfringe.com

Visit Edinburgh - www.edinburgh.org