Food

Author and photos: Abbas Asaria One of the things l love the most about Madrid are the senseless yet beautiful contradictions it serves your way. One of our most famous dishes is the bocata de calamares despite being 350km away from the coast, and ordering ‘un mini’ will get you a litre of beer, to name a couple. My favourite of them all relates to the bar that does the best callos inside the M30 (in my opinion), which you can recognise from the huge sign out front proudly identifying the place as Marisquería Bar Alonso. Founded in 1957, according to one of the tiles behind the bar, or 1956 according to the website (what’s one more contradiction while we’re at it), the place is run by José Manuel, who started working there as a teenager in the 1980s, who took over when the founders retired and cooks 10kg of callos...

It’s the rainiest March Madrid has seen in decades, but the downpour hasn’t stopped the steady stream of people heading toward a small mosque near Calle Mesón de Paredes. Just before sunset, the doors of Mezquita Baitul Mukarram open. Umbrellas close, shoes come off and Glovo bags are left by the entrance. Inside, the blue carpet is soft and warm, and the barrio’s chaos fades into a quiet rhythm of prayer and preparation.

Madrid’s fábricas de patatas fritas are the savoury version of Willy Wonka’s sugary realm. Shop windows are piled high with golden crisps, and neon signs and retro toys mingle with ornate ceramic tiles and vintage fonts. These shimmering potato mountains catch the attention of every passerby as they crisp up further in the sun-soaked window display.

"My abuelo opened this place 90 years ago, before the Spanish Civil War. During the war, people used to come here to collect their rations of flour and my abuelo would have to sign their rations cards.

Restaurante El Bierzo in the heart of Chueca celebrates 50 years of existence this month. Run by 80-year-old Miguel Gonzales Sastre, El Bierzo stands firm as a rock and is one of the few restaurants in the area to serve homemade, traditional Spanish dishes, with a menu that has been the same for half a century.

“The best pastelería in Madrid” is a bold claim, with the potential to spark messy cream fights. But a good argument can be made that El Artesano, a small pastry shop in Ventas serving the local community for over 50 years, is an honest contender.

These stubborn little tin huts that churn out churros hold the torch of Madrid's street food culture. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic and our new desire for outdoor eating, they're a way of life that may well return!