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Author Archives: Stephanie Dosch

About Stephanie Dosch

http://theviatrix.com
Stephanie Dosch has lived in Madrid’s bohemian Malasaña district since 2005. Originally here for a one-year Master’s program, she fell in love with the city and never left. Stephanie is an English teacher, tour guide, and writer. Check out her blog theViatrix.com to read more of her expat adventures, from making tortilla to eating her way through Logroño.

Where to warm up in Madrid

January 27th, 2012 | Posted by Stephanie Dosch in Food and Restaurants | Stephanie D. - (0 Comments)

When the weather gets cold, sometimes you just want a cozy spot for a tea or a café con leche. So where do you go when the fluorescent lights and metal counter of the corner bar won’t cut it? Sure, there are lots of places with a long list of teas in every color and flavor. But for me, it’s all about ambiance—plush booths, peace and quiet, or a beautiful setting. Here are a few eight of my favorite places to warm up in Madrid (I think I drink more coffee than I realized).

Malasaña

Café del Ruíz

A lovely, though definitely cozy, spot—this one’s not for large groups. Great for a quiet carajillo, though.

Calle de Ruíz, 11

Pepe Botella

Lots of nooks and crannies, free wifi, plus they give you a cookie with your drink. Can’t argue with that.

Calle de San Andrés, 12

Chueca

Café Belén/Café Madrid

Either of these places, right next to each other on Calle Belén, is great for a cup of tea and a long conversation. Choose whichever suits your mood at the moment.

Café Belén is at Calle de Belén, 5; Café Madrid is at Calle de Belén, 7

Acuarela

Intimate and gay-friendly; make sure to get a window seat for people-watching.

Calle de Gravina, 10

El Espejo

One of those classic old spots, and a beautiful one at that. Skip the restaurant part and stick to the little outdoor pavilion.

Paseo de Recoletos, 31

La Latina

La Rayuela

Big windows, wood interiors and rotating art on the walls—I’ve whiled away many a Sunday afternoon here.

Calle de la Morería, 8

Café Monaguillo

Lots of seating and enough of a variety of tés, cafés, batidos and carajillos to keep everyone in your party happy.

Plaza de la Cruz Verde, 3

Lavapiés

Nuevo Café Barbieri

This place has the weirdest hours, but if it’s open, its 19th-century interior is a nice place to wake up from your Indian-lunch-induced food coma.

Calle de Ave María, 45

Do you have a favorite café in Madrid? Let us know in the comments below.

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Tastes like home: 3 great burgers in Madrid

December 23rd, 2011 | Posted by Stephanie Dosch in Food and Restaurants | Stephanie D. - (1 Comments)

Let’s face it: sometimes you just want a cheeseburger. So what’s a guiri to do when McDonald’s just won’t cut it? Never fear—there are plenty of good burgers right here in Madrid. Here are three of my favorites.

Best gourmet burger

The burgers at Home Burger Bar aren’t cheap, but they’re definitely worth the splurge. You can taste the quality of the organic beef, and combinations like “goat cheese and red pepper jam” or “caramelized onions and brie” make my mouth water just thinking about them. There is also a range of classic burgers for traditionalists (I’m a bacon-cheeseburger girl myself), and even several veggie options for the non-carnivores. The contemporary diner décor further complements the style of the food.

Best retro burger

There was a time when I swore that if I saw another retro burger joint in Madrid I would go crazy. Now I just think of it as having more options. And there are plenty. Mel’s has generous portions and waiters on roller skates; Peggy Sue’s has wall-boxes that work (for 20 cents) and darn good milkshakes. But my money’s on TM Burger & Fries, where you can get a surprisingly delicious burger for €2.95. Of course you’ll have to deal with all the Malasaña hipsters, but I think it’s worth it for a burger that costs little more than Whopper but tastes way better.

Best all-American burger

Ask any American expat where to get a good burger in Madrid and most will probably answer, “Alfredo’s.” Alfredo’s Barbacoa is the original hamburger restaurant in Madrid, opened by a real, actual American in 1981. Amazingly, I’ve only been there once, but the burger was possibly one of the best I’ve ever had—good meat with lots of char-grilled flavor. If you like your burgers smokey, juicy, and messy, you’ll love Alfredo’s; if you don’t, well…

There are plenty more burger joints in Madrid—do you have a favorite? If so, let us know in the comments!

Home Burger Bar dominates the 28004, with locations on C/ Espíritu Santo, C/ San Marcos, and C/ Silva. www.homeburgerbar.com has all the details.

You can find Mel’s all over the place—there’s even one in León! Apart from the shopping malls, Mel’s has locations in Madrid at C/ Hortaleza 34 and C/ Pedro Teixeira 8. Specifics are at www.tommymels.com.

Peggy Sue’s has majorly expanded, with locations all over the country, and plenty of options if you live in “las afueras.” There are no fewer than eight Peggy Sue’s here in Madrid’s center, which makes for too many contact details to put here, so go to www.peggysues.es to find the one nearest you.

TM Burger & Fries focuses all their energy on their C/ Espíritu Santo 7 location. www.tmburger.com.

Alfredo’s Barbacoa fires up the grill at two locations: their original restaurant at C/ Lagasca 5 (Metro Retiro), and the offshoot at C/ Juan Hurtado de Mendoza 11 (Metro Cuzco). I love that they have a Texas-style oil drill as the main image of their home page—go to www.alfredos-barbacoa.es to check that out!

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20 signs you’re becoming a madrileño

December 13th, 2011 | Posted by Stephanie Dosch in Lifestyle | Stephanie D. - (3 Comments)

A couple of weeks ago, I wrote about a few things I’ve learned during the time I’ve lived in Madrid. The soul-searching was revealing, but it also made me examine the madrileños themselves. I’ve always been concerned with fully adopting my home city—as well as adapting to it—so I’ve become very aware of their particular behaviors, and have even assimilated some myself over the years (I’m not telling which ones). Wondering how well you fit in? Here are twenty telltale signs you’re becoming a madrileño, in no particular order.

  1. You frantically open your umbrella at the tiniest drop of rain. Bonus point if it’s broken.
  2. Crappy bar napkins don’t faze you. Neither does throwing them on the floor.
  3. You take the “de” out of place names, sticking with “Casa Campo,” “Plaza España,” “Calle Serrano,” etc. (Thanks to my friend Joanne for this one!)
  4. You jump up from your seat and elbow your way to the door a full stop before yours when riding the Metro. Bonus point if you also didn’t let people off the train before you got on.
  5. You don’t make evening plans before 22:30, you show up at least half an hour late to those plans, and you consider going home at 3am “leaving early.”
  6. You know someone named Almudena. Bonus point if you call her Almu.
  7. You always know which way is “up” and which way is “down” when giving directions, even in a flat part of the city. (Thanks to my friend Marc for this one!)
  8. You swear (“curse” for you east-coasters) a lot.
  9. Sundays are all about getting drinks with your friends, rather than staying home or doing errands.
  10. You carry your lunch in a high-end shopping bag, as if to say, “In reality, I’m rich enough that I don’t need to be taking the Metro.” Bonus point if it’s from Harrods or Tous.
  11. You never hold doors open for anyone. (Thanks to fellow guiri Erin for this one!)
  12. You have a pueblo, even though you definitely weren’t born there. The fact that your parent/grandparent/significant other/significant other’s parent or grandparent is from there is enough to make it “yours.”
  13. You have definite opinions about who should win football derbies. Bonus point if it’s Atleti, since mostly only madrileños follow them, whereas people all over the world watch Real Madrid.
  14. You also have definite opinions about where to find the best croquetas, cocido, and chocolate con churros.
  15. You instinctively preface your BS with, “Es queeeee…” Bonus point if you pronounce the “s” like a Spanish “j.” (Shout out to Marc for this one too.)
  16. When you visit a smaller city, it feels like everyone is walking at a snail’s pace.
  17. You think that any cabby who actually adds the airport fee to the meter, rather than just pocketing it, is either too honest or simply a schmuck.
  18. You routinely use the words “mola,” “mazo,” or “mi keli.” (One point for each.) Mega bonus points if you’ve ever said, “Mi keli mola mazo.”
  19. You have a chulapo/a outfit in the back of your closet.
  20. You can sleep through the shouts of drunken revelers, no problem, even though the sound of a jackhammer still wakes you up every time.

I got 16 points (still not telling which ones). How about you? And what typically madrileño things did I miss? Let me know below!

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