| Situated in the heart of the Iberian Peninsula, it really is a destination where you can truly experience the Spanish lifestyle. One of the best ways to do this is from indulging in the local cuisine and the different takes the Spanish have on international fare. The best Madrid restaurants offer you a variety of opportunities to sample the delicacies and favorites this city has to offer.
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In Spain the siesta period means that lunch is normally served between 2pm to 3pm and thus dinner is normally served as late as 10pm. Restaurants therefore adapt to this and generally open around these hours. In order not to miss out on the best Madrid restaurants have to offer, travelers should bear in mind that the cafes, restaurants and tapas bars generally open from 1:00 to 3:00pm for lunchtimes, and serve dinner from 8:30 to 11pm. the more desirable the cuisine and the atmosphere you are looking for, the more likely you will have to wait later to enjoy it.
Madrid is an eclectic city, being home to several nationalities alongside the local Madrileños, such as West and North Africans, Latin Americans and Pakistanis. It also boasts a wide variety of different districts, all unique in character and atmosphere. Lavapies for example is a trendy area that boasts some great restaurants for Indian cuisine, as well as some of the best cafes in which to find interesting and alternative blends of coffee.
Malasaña on the other hand is an area dominated by rock and punk music, and many alternative bars and pubs around some vibrant squares. Since Madrid boasts an enormous number of venues in which you can indulge in interesting and delicious meals, some of the best Madrid restaurants are those that you just happen upon while exploring the pulsating streets and artistic avenues of the city.
The Castille region in which Madrid is based has a particular culinary tradition which is centered on meat. This means that many of the local delicacies are meat dishes spiced up with exotic vegetable combinations, or other European influences. One of the most popular dishes throughout central Spain, and thus in the best Madrid restaurants, is Oreja de Cerdo, which is garlic fried pigs ear. Other such interesting local favorites include beef tripe and fried cuttlefish.
Of course one cannot visit Spain and not indulge in some al-fresco dining. And the best way to do this is with a typically Spanish tapas meal, while soaking up the sun on a Madrid pavement. With the feeling of being enveloped in a cultural novel, there is no doubt that taking part in this traditional and sociable manner of dining makes travelers come as close to being authentically Spanish as possible without actually being Madrileños.
All this taken into consideration, the list of Madrid's top restaurants has to include the restaurant Botin, which dates from 1725 and is said by the Guinness Book of Records to be the oldest restaurant in the world, and apparently by Ernest Hemmingway to be the best. With on interior that boasts features that are centuries old, and a charming atmosphere, make sure if visiting this age-old venue that you try their famous cochinillo (roast pig).
Madrid no doubt captures the essence of a vibrant and lively European capital city. While boasting a transport infrastructure and central business district that compete with the world's best and a trendy cosmopolitan community; all of which show its status as a modern international destination, it still retains the authenticity, culture and artistry that makes Madrid a city of wonder and intrigue.
The best Madrid restaurants combine theses elements to create dining experiences that do not only indulge the taste buds, but tease the other senses delightfully too, creating a memory that will not too soon be forgotten.
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