Celebration of San Isidro.

15th May is a Celebration of San Isidro in Madrid. This festive season is in honor of its patron saint. Madrileños celebrate it from the 11th to 15th May with music, shows and food. There is an endless range of activities blending the traditional with the modern. Of course, there are some specialties in the food department of what you need to try if you are in Madrid these days. Some of our food recommendations for San Isidro:
Rosquillas –Little doughnuts, sold mainly during the festival, usually made with olive oil and a slight anise flavor. There are different names for each type as follows:
Las Tontas – rosquillas without powdered sugar on top.
Las Listas – rosquillas with powdered sugar on top.
Las de Santa Clara – rosquillas with glazed sugar on top.
Las Francesas – rosquillas with glazed sugar and almonds on top.
Barquillos– little cylindrical wafers, similar to an ice cream cone. The seller (barquillero) is dresses up in a chulapo outfit. He plays a type of roulette on something that is similar to a portable oxygen tank. If you win, you get your price the two barquillos!
Fritura de gallinejas y entresijos – fried hen innards (A festival favorite of dozens of people,and certainly not for the faint-hearted!)
Cocido Madrileño – the typical dish that comes out any time Madrid is feeling local pride.
Rabo de Toro – Oxtail stew the typical dish for bullfights season that begins in Las Ventas bullring.

Encurtidos – skewers of coctail onions,peppers, olives, etc.
Vino en bota – a sack of wine. Like normal wine, but in a sack.
Clara con limón – Beer mixed with a carbonated lemon beverage or simple lemon juice.
There will be lots of events going on in emblematic places such as the Plaza Mayor, Las Vistillas and Pradera de San Isidro Park. Do not miss the ‘Gigantes y Cabezudos’ parade, the evenings of Zarzuela and comic opera, among other activities. Furthermore, there is a lot more to discover in many other parts of the city (Plaza de Oriente ,Plaza Conde de Barajas ,Plaza de Los Carros,Escenario Puerta del Ángel, the Temple of Debod, the Rose Garden in the Parque del Oeste, Plaza Sánchez Bustillo, ..).

International day of Celiacs.

Did you know that 1 in 100 people are estimated to suffer from coeliac condition in Europe? On the 16th of May(in Spain it is on the 26th of May) we celebrate the International Celiacs day, which is meant to bring awareness to gluten assimilation difficulties. The best treatment for the coeliac condition is a strict daily gluten – free diet ( sin gluten). We at Spanish Tapas Madrid are very aware of the problems people with coeliac condition face if traveling. Therefore we offer them ( and any other customers with special requirements) appropriate diet on our tours. We cater for gluten-free food tours in Madrid.
Quick Tip: If you travel to Europe and you are required a gluten-free diet look for the sign of the Crossed Grain symbol on tested gluten-free products across Europe. This highly visible symbol is easily recognizable irrespective of language barriers. So even when traveling, you are able to follow a strict gluten free diet and remain healthy.

“Pulpo” Passion route 2018 in Madrid.

Pulpo Passion 2018, which started at the end of April continues in May. The ¨Pulpo¨ Passion is back this year once again and you can enjoy it up until the 13th May. So what is all the fuss about ?
From the 27th April to 13th May the Pulpo (octopus) is the star dish in the 67 restaurants of Madrid and its surroundings. In these 2 weeks you can feel as if you were in Galicia pampering your taste buds with delicious Pulpo made in a traditional way or in a modern high standard restaurant. If you are an octopus lover and a real seafood foodie, Madrid and its surroundings offer you a unique gastronomical experience for two weeks. So enjoy the experience have your date with ¨Pulpo¨!

Food Truck events linked to MERCADO DEL DISEÑO

Food Trucks became popular in Madrid about 20 years ago. You can bump into one just about anywhere, near train stations, shopping malls, marketing events etc. Madrid Matadero will open its doors for special events as Mercado del Diseño where you can find special designer items as well as the food trucks as part of Madrid Special Gastronomy. Food trucks offer a wild range of food from traditional Spanish tapas to international food creations from all over the world. The next upcoming event of Mercado del Diseño is waiting for you at the beginning of May (5-6 May).
We highly recommend to any visitor to go and explore Madrid Matadero and enjoy the special foodie experience the Food Trucks offer as part of your Madrid Special Gastronomy tour.

El Bocadillo de Calamares in ¨Bar La Campana¨

Bar La Campana is probably one of the best hidden secrets in Madrid if it comes to Calamari (squid) sandwiches. As a tourist you probably won´t even notice this emblematic bar just off Plaza Mayor. But why it is so loved by locals? Its secret is in the quality of its products and service I am sure. Many Madrileños claim this is the best bocadillo de calamares. There is of course one more twist in the history of this bar : it is said they sold more than 1500 bocadillos in just one day, can you believe it?… The day was 15th May the celebration of San Isidro. This one in particular even made them so famous that since then they are always busy serving their speciality. There are periods of a day when it would be impossible to get a seat at this bar, but even then, you have the possibility to ask for bocadillo to take away and have it while walking around Plaza Mayor as many Madrileños would.
Basically the price and the quality of this place is still outrageously good and the staff is very professional, too. Next time you visit Madrid do not miss the opportunity to try it out or book our tour and we’ll take you there for sure.