Toledo and Madrid

Posted by Paul (Eastern Iowa, USA) on 01/26/16 02:01 AM

We will be in Spain the last week and a half of February, mostly for work, but some time on our own.

Plan is to arrive and hit Toledo for a couple days to recover from Jet Lag and see the El Greco sites and other easy venues then move to Madrid for my meetings.

Considering just staying at an easy hotel, maybe Hotel Toledo Imperial or other hotel in the old center, for a Thursday and Friday.

I already have reservations at the Hotel Indigo in Madrid on Gran Via (through my work) for a week following.

I do have the Rick Steves Spain book, planning on hitting the main sites. I also have planned out several Tapas walks, including most of Ricks picks, but throwing in a few more.

Questions then are...

Would anyone have a strong preference for a hotel in Toledo in the city center for us to consider?

Aside from a tapas stop, does anyone have a good recommendation for a traditional restaurant in Toledo, or for that matter in central Madrid?

Any other suggestions on Markets or shopping areas in either town, or some special food experience you would recommend?

Posted by Priscilla

California 🦋

01/26/16 02:51 AM

5294 posts

Paul,

We enjoyed our stay at 'Hotel Santa Isabel' near the cathedral in Toledo:

We started off in a room on the 3rd floor with magnificent views of the cathedral, but
there was too much noise coming from the terrace located above our room, so we asked for a quiet
room & ended up on the 2nd floor.

We enjoyed eating at 'Cervecería El Treból' near Plaza Zocodover.

If you want amazing bird's eye views of Toledo, you must climb the tower(s) of this church: Iglesia de San Ildefonso (Los Jesuitas).

Shopping in Toledo... the main street heading down to the cathedral from Plaza Zocodover, is lined with a multitude of souvenir shops.

I don't know what you're looking to buy, but there is an artisan center, 'Artesanía Burgueño' , on Calle de Santa Isabel 6 L-1 (near the hotel above) where you can see artisans making damasquinados (damascene jewelry) by hand.

There is a Mercado Municipal (Municipal Market) on Plaza Mayor, near the 'Teatro de Rojas', where you can buy food, produce, olive oils, etc...: http://tinyurl.com/Toledo-Market

There is a great street market near Puerta Bisagra, but it's held on Tuesday mornings.

Enjoy your trip!

Posted by Chani

Tel Aviv

01/26/16 07:56 AM

15784 posts

I was in Toledo last year in February for 2 nights, Wed/Thurs. I stayed in a small hotel very close to the Cathedral. The restaurants that were open were empty, many were closed.

The best place in Madrid for tapas is Mercado de San Miguel. You can wander through and choose your tapas and drinks from the many stalls then find a place at one of the tables, or just grab a couple of empty stools and cram in.

Posted by Douglas

Oak Park, Illinois

01/26/16 03:48 PM

4535 posts

Another recommendation for Mercado San Miguel in Madrid. I really enjoy it for the design, adaptive re-use of the building and to be able to see so many foods available to try. You can easily fill up on tapas and wine and never have to sit down.

Restaurants in Toledo can be hit or miss in my experience. One I have consistently liked is Restaurante-Meson Palacios. It is not fancy but their food is regional specialties and very good.

In Madrid, another simple yet uniquely Spanish restaurant is Casa Mingo. They are all about roast chicken and cider. Nothing fancy but the food is amazing and they are open all day (no waiting until 9:00 PM to eat dinner). They are located a short walk from the Principe Pio metro station.