Visiting Madrid

My other half had to travel to Madrid, in Spain, to get a simple medical procedure done.

We decided to both go and turn it into a small getaway for the two of us.

I could complain endlessly about why we had to travel to Spain to get said minor surgery, given the famed ’excellence’ of the NHS, however I will leave that for another blog. Today, lets talk about out time in Madrid.

Flying was simple. From Heathrow, it is only two hours to get to Madrid, with the hardest part of the journey being the first part; getting from Southampton to Heathrow.

We originally booked some parking which we luckily figured out was a scam 48 hours before we travelled. The site looked convincing, but I twigged it was all AI generated, and the reviews were all 1-star ‘scam warnings’.

Switching to official Heathrow parking was simple, and I won’t hesitate to use it in future, but it should not be cheaper to drive and park, than to get a train.

Once we had landed in Madrid, it was convenient (and cheap) to jump on the Metro and head into the city centre.

My other half had booked the Arenal Suites Gran Via, and it was perfectly located between all the tourist spots. So perfectly located was it, that we didn’t need to use the Metro again until we left.

So much for the 10 ride ticket I bought.

My other travel blogs are more of a play-by-play, but I won’t bore you with that here. Let’s do rapid-fire highlights only.

Tourist Spots

Starting with the non-food tourist hotspots.

Palacio Real de Madrid

The Palacio Real de Madrid is the tourist destination many would argue is the best day out in Madrid.

Still actively used — something we figured out on the 4^th because a bunch of world leaders decided they wanted to have a chat, so it was cordoned off by hundreds of armed police — the palace is one of the largest in the world.

The gardens of the palace can occupy an afternoon by themselves, and are free to enter. It was autumn/winter when we went, but I suspect they are even more beautiful in the summer, when all the flowers are in bloom.

To get into the palace for a tour, there is normally a long queue, but it moves quick. Once you get in there is a clear one-way system, and after wandering around for a few hours, I was completely wiped. So I can say it is worth the €18 entry fee.

Real Jardín Botánico

If unashamed opulence isn’t your thing, you can go more natural at the Real Jardín Botánico; Madrid’s botanical gardens.

When we went, the gardens were practically barren, so I would not recommend wasting time there in autumn/winter. It sounds harsh, but the ‘Parque del Retiro’ next door is bigger, has more going on, and has more foliage in the colder months.

My mother-in-law visited the botanical gardens during summer 2025 and maintains it was well worth the visit.

Museo Nacional del Prado

If displays of wealth and nature are not your thing, then the Museo Nacional del Prado has culture in abundance.

Works by Rubens, Goya, Caravaggio, Titian, Bosch, Raphael, Anthony van Dyck, and Rembrandt, are all present throughout the museum. And I have it on good authority those names are attached to very accomplished artists.

The museum is massive, comprising three floors of art. I do think if you toured every room you would need to set aside 10-hours or so, to see everything.

We tried our best, but we had to speed run the latter half of the museum, trying to see some of the more famous works of art before we left.

The piece which ‘spoke to me’ most was ‘The Dog’, by Goya. Sure that other famous work where Apollo graphically eats his child is next to it, but this sparse painting with a small dog as its only feature got me.

Although others would put the Palace as the ‘must see’, the Prado gallery is probably the crown jewel of the city, in my honest opinion.

The queue for tickets was modest, but we only waited about 30 minutes before getting to the front. As with most of the attractions, you can book ahead, however our stay needed us to see how my other half was feeling on any given day, so we suffered the queues.

Food

Now, to the good bit: food.

Arguably the only reason I go on holiday, is to gorge myself like Kirby. So we visited plenty of restaurants.

In order from ‘worst’ (even though they were not bad), to best.

IGO RAMEN

If ramen is your thing, IGO RAMEN is for you. Loz and I love Korean food, and eat ramen multiple times a week. So we had to visit IGO on our last day after getting homesick for our normal diet.

IGO does not allow booking, and it is pretty small inside, but if you turn up dead on 20:00 (when they re-open), you will get straight in. Leaving it later means queuing outside, which we did see earlier in the week when we wandered past.

The ‘Foie gras ramen’ comes recommended on Google, which my other half ordered, but I did not care for the texture. The self-titled ‘IGO ramen’ with a Tonkotsu broth sorted me out and filled me up for the evening.

The staff were efficient in getting our order on a tablet, and the foot came out quickly. Well-prepared ramen in a tasty broth, all a man could ask for.

My rating does feel harsh as the food was excellent, but compared to the other places on this list, IGO was just good food.

El Buda Feliz 1974

Holding the title as the ‘first Chinese restaurant in Spain’, El Buda Feliz 1974 was a very pleasant night out.

Most people seem to go out for dinner in Madrid at about 20:30 or later, so we found ourselves in a practically empty restaurant at 19:30, our normal dinner time.

The Lemon Chicken was a favourite on Google reviews, and proved to be worthy of its title. It was interesting to try out Chinese food without the British lens applied to it. I feel like Sweet & Sour Chicken Balls might be considered a crime in Madrid.

We did ’exchange’ a 5-star review for a glass of limoncello, which I both hate as a practice, but am also the first to cave when it comes to a free glass of limoncello. I didn’t mind too much, as the staff were lovely, and the food more so.

Would I say go out of your way for El Buda Feliz? Probably not.

But if you find yourself in the area, it was not a bad choice.

Arrocería FERROZ

We hit up Arrocería FERROZ on our first night in Madrid, and it set the tone for the rest of the holiday.

I have never had a traditional pan of paella before, and this was wonderful introduction. We went for the ‘Black paella’ which used cuttlefish ink to make a stunning statement dish.

The food was delicious, the staff were helpful and sidestepped our lack of Spanish with grace. The in-house sangria was strong and flavourful, so if you do visit, make sure to get some as well.

Kinza

Loz had recently returned from Georgia, and was endlessly raving about their time there, so we decided to visit Kinza, a Georgian restaurant with a couple of locations in the city.

The food we had was very, involved? Khachapuri adjaruli (a bread boat filled with cheese) that you tore and dipped. Khinkali (soup dumplings) had a handle, and you ate them upside down. Badridjani (walnut and garlic paste wrapped in eggplant) which you dipped in a spicy sauce.

I love eating food with my hands, so this meal was a treat.

Plus we got to try a traditional Georgean ‘Tarragon Lemonade’, which sounds horrible, but tastes amazing.

I can see why Loz enjoyed their time in Georgia.

My Pasta My Art

Another random find by us was when we stopped for lunch on our penultimate day at My Pasta My Art.

A small restaurant which might otherwise feel claustrophobic, if it had not been perfectly decorated to create a charming, cosy, and romantic atmosphere. The wine selection was great (who can go wrong with a red from Puglia) and the staff more so.

The premise of the restaurant is that you get to construct a pasta dish by selecting a pasta type, a sauce, and then one of 15-20 ingredients. It’s unique, and my spicy chorizo creation went down a treat while it was torrential rain outside.

My Pasta My Art is not near any of the tourist hotspots, but it’s worth a visit if you are close by.

Mercado de San Miguel

Now we are getting into the heavy hitters.

All the other food places on this list are standard restaurants, which serve food of a given type. But what if you wanted to try all of the foods at the same time?

Mercado de San Miguel is an indoor market comprised of 30 or so food and drink stands. Wine, beer, seafood, pastries, cakes, canapés, chocolate. You name it, you can buy a little taste for a handful of Euros.

Of all the places in Madrid, this is my must-go location I will be recommending to everyone.

It’s not just the good food, but the variety, and the semi-organised chaos that takes place inside this probably-packed market, which draws me to it.

Loz and I visited properly twice on two separate days, as it is very close to the palace. We also popped back a third time to get some food to take back for dinner.

Even if you are not in the area, you should go out of your way to visit. But be prepared to stand if you go midday, because it was heaving when we went.

Cantina Canalla

Now the restaurant which takes the crown on this holiday has to be Cantina Canalla.

A Mexican restaurant buried on a square away from the chaos of tourism, we sought out some ‘authentic’ tacos, and found ‘Cantina Canalla’. The staff spoke next to no English, but we made do with hand signals, pointing, and Loz’s year and a half of Spanish on Duolingo.

But the lack of Spanish didn’t bother us because, one: we are in Spain and are guests here, and two: the food was outstanding.

I cannot tell you which was the best part of the meal, the soft taco tasting platter, or the very strong frozen margaritas. But I can tell you we left very full and very happy.

Night In

Finally, I want to talk about not eating out, because it is quite an expensive thing to do.

If you find yourself in Madrid, know that food prices are very cheap (compared to the UK).

On one of our nights, where Loz was feeling the effects of the surgery, we decided to cook a meal ‘at home’, in our hotel/apartment.

Shops are everywhere, so you will never be lost for places to pick up food.

Fin

Madrid was a nice place to visit.

My only complaint is that there are next to no public toilets in the city, and you have to rely on toilets in paid establishments and tourist attractions.

Will I come back again? Probably not, as there is so much more of Spain to explore.

Anyway, here’s a photo of an adorably tiny bus I saw.