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A la Colthard restaurant wrap-up

After visiting the Thyssen collection I suggested lunch at a restaurant El Rincon d’Esteban in a side street near our hotel and opposite the parliament The Cortes. In my experience politicians know their food though expect others to pay for it and apparently use El Rincon.

We recced the neighbour hood beforehand and the other restaurants looked expensive.

El Rincon had a cosy feel. We booked for 1.00 pm and were the only diners there. There was some confusion when, after ordering a manzanilla sherry, they came with a herbal tea.

I was pleased to see on the menu  my favourite Gazpacho with moreljes which is a creamier version of the soup orange in colour.

I followed this with suckling pig the signature dish of Botin Madrid’s oldest restaurant. For desert I chose a lemon sorbet infused with cava a most refreshing dish. They brought in two small decanters complimentary liquors which we polished off. Service was good and at €69 I could not complain at the bill.

For dinner Bob’s friend Anne Marie suggested and booked a trattoria near the Prado called Arcango.

The Italian cooking was certainly above par and I ordered  carpaccio and spaghetti alla vongole.

I was neither hungry nor desirous of alcohol and stuck to water.

I reckon the restaurant was two-thirds full and recommendable

Yesterday after a lovely walk in the Retiro park which was golden in the autumnal sun with leaves (see picture) still on the trees we took a coffee at Cappucino in Plaza Independiente one of those terrace cafes you get in European cities where you can sit forever in the sun though sadly the people on most tables were using their mobile phones.

Last night we tried a fashionable restaurant in the swanky Salamanca quarter called Ten con Ten.

Readers will know I set a great deal on greeting and was displeased on arriving to be told the table was not ready.

This was compounded by the restaurant having two sittings and I was also informed I had to give up my table at 11.00pm.

The restaurant was full, noisy and buzzy but not my sort of place although the grilled octopus was delicious.

This was by far the most expensive and of the restaurants visited the least enjoyable.

Madrid certainly has lively restaurants though the Madrilenos keep later hours than us.

Americans and Australians tend to dine earlier. Also given it is nowhere near the sea I wars surprised how plentiful fish is. I would have liked to try the fish restaurant Cardumen by the big fish market in the south of the city.

Another time, maybe …

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About Daphne Colthard

After graduating at RADA but finding no roles Daphne went into magazine journalism with Good Housekeeping. Widely recognised as one of the country's leading restaurant and hotel reviewers, particularly by herself, Daphne is the author of "Bedded and Breakfasted", a light hearted chick novel and Grand Hotels DC: the Daffers Dictionary. Daphne lives in West London and is married to an investment banker Oliver. They have 2 boys Humphrey and Tarquin. More Posts