Hi forum friends … traveling with hubs (50 something’s) and our two nieces (20 something’s), one of the tribe is pescatarian (fish, dairy, vegetables ok)
…looking for your favorite restaurant recommendations for dinners in each location… we’re okay to splurge once/ twice across the trip but don’t need /want Michelin stars everyday… (too rich for our wallets and our palates!!) 🙃
Ready , go!
We were usually tapas, tapas, tapas for those places. In Seville, though, we hit La Brunilda (still, tapas) up two days in row which meant we really liked it.
I wish I wrote down or saved my info from those other places, but I do remember feeling one choice in Granada was a horrible one - on the river with a great view of the Alhambra but awful service. We were wandering back to town after touring the Alhambra, and too hungry to make a wise decision. It happens, but I'd just suggest avoiding that strip of attractively located restaurants.
We were just in Spain in April and these were places we really enjoyed:
Madrid - Arte Iberico, Cervecas la Fabrica, El Rincon de Esteban
Granada - Fogón de Galicia & Perromedio
Sevilla - El Paseillo & Bodega Diaz-Salazar
Enjoy!
Our best meal on our 2-week trip to Andalusia and Madrid was at La Brunilda, mentioned in a previous post. Delicious food and good service. In November, it was necessary to reserve several days in advance for dinner and a day or two in advance for lunch.
Madrid, for fish; MARISQUERIA RAFA---dress up, a little
Cordoba, no trip is complete without a visit to "El Pisto". plenty of vegetable dishes, fish, not so much. The actual name is TABERNA SAN MIGUEL..inexpensive
Sevilla, for fish without mobs of tourists, right near the Cathedral: BARRA DE INCHAUSTI...ery inexpensive for the high quality; they are their own fishing boats..no website..description and photos here:
https://www.hungryonion.org/t/sevilla-for-5-nights-march-2025/42810/19
Cordoba notes and photos:
https://www.hungryonion.org/t/cordoba-in-early-march-24/38548
As always the forum comes thru…. These are going on the list !
Thanks for those recos so far and keep em coming … we def will be up for tapas… so great to try a variety of small bites and also bc expecting we may be eating dinner later than we are used to … any thoughts or advice on that ? Are we crazy (or ‘so American’?!) if we try and book dinners at 7p??
TY all..
You cannot book dinners at anyplace halfway decent in those cities at 7pm..they will be cleaning up from lunch then.....
Highly recommend: for Cordoba - Ermita; for Madrid - SDD2 and Tres por Cuatro.
Enjoy!
PS - And, for churros and chocolate - Bar el Comercio in Seville!
There are many casual restaurants/bars in Seville and Cordoba that open at midday and stay open until late. I’ve listed some below.
There's thousands to choose from and over the years we've dined at many, but when we want a quick meal and don’t want to wait until 9.00pm to dine these are some of our regular haunts. All are casual, well priced with a great atmosphere.
Agustín & Company Bar de Tapas. We've dined here over 30 times, they are open from about midday until late. Located on a lovely little corner. Arrive early-ish if you want a table for either lunch or dinner. They do excellent artichokes.
Postiguillo, interesting deco, well priced, open all day, arrive early for dinner or reserve.
Islamorada, another favorite, can’t remember if they close after lunch. Always busy.
Fatouch, Lebanese, We love this restaurant, always busy.
Al Wadi, Arabic, huge range of vegetarian, meat options.
Bar Europa, another local.
Bodegas Mezquita Céspedes Córdoba.
Gran Bar Cordoba, nothing fancy, perfect people watching spot in Plaza de las Tendillas.
Just a few of our locals. Enjoy.
It'd be good to know that lunch is the main meal of the day in Spain, not dinner, which is quite irrelevant and much less important. Look for the"menú del día" lunch options, if you want to follow the local way.
Madrid
Cordoba
Sevilla
Granada
In Madrid, I have dined at the Casa Botin, where Earnest Hemingway used to dine. It was great.
https://botin.es/en/
If you decide you want to dine at El Sobrino de Botín, you need to make reservations a couple months or more in advance. It is extremely popular with tourists and is known for roast sucking pig (cochinillo).
I tried making reservations 1.5 months in advance in 2024 and the earliest available time was 11:30pm.
BOTIN may still be great, although few locals dine there, but there are so many fantastic eating options in the city that I like much better....
I can give you a few names but, as I said, the city is overflowing with fabulous places to eat..better than almost another city in Europe..
Restaurants I like a lot and return to; you need to book ahead at all of these; none of them require dressing up. Some, or all, are mentioned in Michelin but I don't think any are starred...not sure, though...
MANDUCA DE AZAGRA...upscale, elegant but not stuffy in the least....wide menu very strong on vegetables, as owners are from Navarra
TASQUITA DE ENFRENTE..I love this very small, personalized place that focuses on the best products from Spain...it's pricey and some people do not "get" it, so read reviews before you book..not at all fancy...off the Gran Via, not far from SOL,an area not rich in good restaurants.
https://latasquitadeenfrente.com
LAKASA
SACHA. (very hard to get a table..book as soon as your dates open)..sort of a Madrid version of a Paris bistro...off Castellana north of the center.
https://www.restaurantesacha.com
In Retiro district, which has the best concentration of non-touristy restaurants in the city; without booking you can sit a the bars but it will be crowded....all these are close to one another
TABERNA LAREDO
LA CASTELA
LA CATAPA
ARZABAL (they now have four restaurants including in Retiro)
Thank you all for your suggestions…working thru the list plotting locations vs our activities and lodging, likely to need a resi, budget etc. you have come through in abundance ! Grateful to all for taking time to share !
Will keep you posted …wish us luck !
I wish you luck!!!
