Sun 25 May 2008
I find myself returning quite a bit to this restaurant, which is at the same time bar, then later on a ‘gin-club’. What I like about it is that its serves quite well prepared basic food that you dont get bored of too quickly. Its also got a pleasant atmosphere, depending on your taste - might be a little too trendy for some, or too informal for others. The restaurant, as its name suggests serves Spanish ‘market food’.
Dished we like include:
- Raff tomatoes by themselves with olive oil or with tuna: Raff are a deliciously flavored spanish variety of tomato which is a great change from the all too common and tasteless ones normally found these days.
- Pimientos de Padron: These are small green pepper and are normally fried and served with salt
- Baked hake in the ‘bilboa’ style - on a bed of potatoes with some slighly hot dried chilies on top
- There are all sorts of egg dishes - with chips, blood pudding, spicy sausage, jamón etc
- Meat dishes and stews.
The Mercado de La Reina has a pleasant bar in the front, where you can order many of the dishes as tapas with a glass of wine of beer but I’d recommend trying the Spanish vermouth (on-tap), which I think is far superior to the usual varieties.
The location, on the Gran Vía, is very convenient for visitors, and they have english menus.
