How To Eat Like A Queen On A Student Budget In Madrid

El Tenedor is a website where you can reserve tables in restaurants all over Spain. For those that know me, I love a good bargain! I get it from my mama...her nickname is actually Bargain Boxer! I also love good food. It is really hard in Madrid not to get sucked into the touristy restaurants. They end up costing you a small fortune, and the food is usually not that great. So when I found El Tenedor I was over the moon. They handpick some of the best restaurants in the area, and give you a discount up to 50% off if you reserve a table online. You need to order a minimum of 2 dishes per person, and it doesn't include drinks, however, I have had some pretty tasty meals in Barcelona, Madrid and Valencia, for a fraction of the usual price.

If you totally love gourmet food, but can't afford going for pricey meals all the time, then check out El Tenedor.  

http://www.eltenedor.es

Picoteo Devicio

 Taggliatelle with prawns

Vegetable Tempura

Mini Hamburger

Parmesan, pesto and pine-nut foam. 

Chocolate cake with strawberry ice-cream

 Torrijas

 Apple tart with dulce de leche ice-cream

"Platos exquisitos y muy elaborados a precios económicos..."

So we decided that we were going to go to this very good Tapas bar for dinner on the 2nd night in Valencia. Stupidly we didn't ring up and reserve, and instead just sat outside the restaurant for 1 and a half hours, munching on Doritos and dip and playing Uno.. Despite our positive attitude, our hearts were crushed when they said they were fully booked for that night. So we returned on the Saturday,expecting an epic meal, as it was ranked 5th best restaurant in Valencia on Trip Advisor. And that was what we received. 

Very very cheap, excellent quality tapas dishes, with a modern twist. Megan and I decided to have 10 dishes between us, so we could taste a little bit of everything. BAD IDEA. We were stuffed by the 5th dish, but Megan kept on ploughing through. My favourites were the parmesan, pesto and pine nut foam, crunchy battered aubergine covered in honey with humus dip, spicy tomato taggliatelle with huge griddled prawns, pasta nest topped with a fried egg and chorizo cream, and finally the caramelised apple pie with dulce de leche ice cream.

I hugely recommend this place to anyone in Valencia. Make sure you ring up and reserve as they are extremely popular. Tasty, elegantly presented, stupidly cheap food. What could be better?! 

Milk

I have spent many a hungover afternoon in Madrid searching for a cafe that serves a real deal English Breakfast. As mentioned in an earlier post, we went to Carmencita, which I was told served excellent brunch in Madrid. For anyone who hasn't read about my experience, it wasn't the best. However, I must tell you now that we recently visited a second time, and the food was excellent. Still no baked beans though…

Anyway! The next few posts will be about Barcelona. I had the best weekend of my life, and I'm so lucky to have celebrated by 21st Birthday there, with some of my amazing friends. 

The morning after a rather eventful evening at Razzmattazz, we wandered the cobbled streets of the Gothic district in search of Milk, a well known bistro/bar in Barcelona. The atmosphere was so chilled, with comfy seats and a soothing soundtrack, (Stevie Wonder, Fleetwood Mac, Simply Red vibes) and the staff were very friendly. 

Milk's breakfast menu is called Recovery Brunch, which they serve everyday from 10 till 4pm. The majority of us ordered the English Brekky which was just perfection. BEANS, MUSHROOMS, TOMATOES, SCRAMBLED EGGS, BACON, SPICY POTATOES, TOAST. I was absolutely loving life. The Eggs Benedict also looked sensational, and the Smoothies were an absolute delight. We even got a glass of cava thrown in for free because our food took a while to come out. We left the cafe, extremely full, but in high spirits as we made our way down to the beach for a long lie down in the sun. 

If you are in Barcelona, and want a really tasty brunch with big portions, at reasonable prices, in a cool hip venue, then the only place to be is Milk. 

Carmencita Bar

What an odd afternoon I have encountered. So last night got a little out of hand… Greg’s friends from Nottingham have come to stay for the weekend, and what better way to show them Madrid then to go to Taboó and get absolutely bladdered. Taboó is a little club hidden in the depths of Malasana which we frequent rather a lot. (Some would say a little too much…) I absolutely love it in there. It isn’t too expensive, the music is always spot on, and everyone is always up for a boogie. (I will write a review on Taboó at a later date.)

So on Saturday afternoon we woke up, blurry eyed, heads pounding, trying to piece together the night before. The only solution for this awful hangover is a greasy old fry up. We made our way down to Carmencita, a small cafe near Noviciado. A lot of people have recommended this place to me, and after looking at reviews on Trip Advisor, I was rather excited to go. We booked a table, as it gets very very busy at the weekend.  

The decor is modern, with a few quirky wall stickers dotted about. The menu is very promising, with Eggs Benedict served with crispy bacon and a side of hash browns staring me right in the face. The others ordered the American Plate, which consisted of fried eggs, sausage, bacon and hash browns (WHERE ARE THE BEANS?) So we waited a while, all very hungry and becoming increasingly impatient. 40 minutes later, the American Plate’s arrived. The food was cold. Then, the waitress came over to tell us that they were having a few issues with the Hollandaise sauce but the Eggs Benedict should be ready in a few minutes. Another 15 minutes later, it arrived. Freezing cold eggs, unsatisfactory sauce, grease ridden bread, but the hash browns were good!  The waitress admitted that they had a lot of problems that morning and told us that nothing had to be paid for as it wasn’t up to scratch. Being the students that we are, we asked for a few extra coffees, which were also free. We were all so hungry that we polished off the food, and made a swift exit back to the flat. 

 I was very disappointed with Carmencita, but I do understand that restaurants have their off days, when nothing goes to plan. The service was very slow, however, the American waitress was extremely apologetic and sweet. Despite the food being cold, the quality of ingredients was very good, and i’m sure that if I went again, that the food would be spot on.  

La Musa

I only found this restaurant 2 or 3 weeks before returning home, and I wish I had found it sooner. 

La Musa is located Malasana, an area best known for its punk revolution in the 80’s after the end of Franco. This hip, city-central barrio now hosts Madrid’s best cultural and alternative venues for shopping and socialising. It is Madrid’s equivalent to London’s Camden town. 

The decor is right up my street, elegant, minimalistic and artistic. The atmosphere is always lively and vibrant, and the service is fantastic. You will simply find men and women in search of good food, a relaxed atmosphere and affordable prices. May I also mention the music, which fits perfectly with the whole vibe. 

THE FOOD. 

The menu is generally Tapas. I’m so fed up of greasy tapas which you tend to get in most bars around Madrid. The food in La Musa however is so different from that ‘traditional’ selection of croquetas, bread and ham and chicken wings. They serve a mixture of Mediterranean dishes, with a unorthodox twist. My favourite dishes are the Chicken and Vegetable Gyoza (Empanadillas Japonesas) - Japanese dumplings, Beef Carpaccio, a platter of barbecued meats (BBQ mixta) and the deconstructed margarita pizza, a warm tomato and cheese dipping sauce served with fresh bread. 

Not to be forgotten is the alcoholic drinks menu, which is extensive, serving over 15 types of Gin. 

I would massively recommend this place to ANYONE visiting Madrid… and I may actually go back this evening when my housemates return. Cheeky!