World Cup of Tapas

One of the downsides of solo travel can be eating alone. Food is often such a communal thing, especially in a city like Madrid, where tapas culture means sharing small dishes as you go from bar to bar with your friends. Luckily, I had the perfect dining companion while in Madrid - the World Cup. There were games practically every afternoon and evening for the two weeks I was in Madrid. I'd find a bar with a tv and an empty seat, settle in, and spend the next two hours eating, drinking, and watching World Cup soccer.


Taberna del Chato, Calle de la Cruz

I did tapas once before figuring out this pattern. It's taken me a good fifteen years to feel comfortable ordering drinks at a bar (when to flag down the bartender, when to pay, what to tip - it's exhausting), so doing so in another country where the rules can be different felt daunting. I wandered until I found a place that seemed like a safe entry point - Taberna del Chato looked moderately upscale with just the slightest tinge of twee-ness and there were a few open seats at the bar. I got the feeling that the bartender was also the owner - he spoke great English and made me feel right at home. I started with a Rioja and a slice of tortilla, then asked for a recommendation for a red and had it with the evening special, sardines on toast. It was delicious and won points for having the best presentation of any tapa I tried in Madrid.


Kausa Madrid, Calle Amor de Dios

Mexico-Germany was a match I was looking forward to, so as game time approached, I popped in the first bar I saw, which ended up being a Peruvian place. I had also just finished hiking around Retiro Park in the baking hot sun - I ordered a gin and tonic and a glass of water. The bartender refilled the water a few times, something I appreciated greatly. With the drink, I was served chips and cancha (toasted corn). For the second half, I ordered a Pisco Sour.


Fragua de Vulcano, Calle Álvarez Gato

I went out again that evening for Brazil-Switzerland and discovered my favorite tapas place in Madrid. I ordered three drinks - a vermut de grifo and two tintos de verano - and was given generous and tasty tapas along with each. I had cocido madrileño, paella, and freshly sliced jamon. The food was typical - not the absolute best, but definitely satisfying - and the atmosphere friendly. Best of all, the tapas were free (not always a given) and my bill came to less than €10.


El Rincón de Cardeña, Plaza Ángel

I decided to catch the end of Tunisia-England and went out in search of a place with empty seats. El Rincón de Cardeña was just okay. I had patatas bravas and bacalao-avacado toast, with another vermut de grifo and pair of tintos de verano. The service was fine, but after experiencing several friendly bartenders in a row, didn't really stand out.


Helados Patagonia Artesanal, Calle del Dr Cortezo

After diner, I had a craving for gelato, so found a place nearby via Google. It was expensive, but good. I took my melon ice cream back to Plaza Santa Ana, and enjoyed people watching.



La Casa del Abuelo, Calle Núñez de Arce

Casa del Abuelo has three locations in the city center, with two across the street from one another. They're famous for their sweet house wine and gambas al ajillo. Being an often recommended spot, the gambas were on the pricier side, but came out bubbling hot and tasted amazing. I paid about €12 for the wine and one dish.




Fragua de Vulcano, Calle Álvarez Gato

The following night, Spain was playing Iran, and I wanted to pick a good spot. (I'd watched Spain's first game against Portugal in a packed modern bar, and while the game was amazing, I wanted a different experience this time round.) I decided to return to Fragua de Vulcano. When Spain scored, the bartenders played ¡Qué viva España! and the local customers sang along. I ate even more than last time, ordered three drinks and got a full top off and free additional drink, and was given a check for €7.80. I don't know what combination of 'single female at a bar', 'return customer', and 'World Cup win' allowed for that creative accounting, but I wasn't going to argue. I did, however, leave a €4 tip.



Mercado de San Antón, Calle de Augusto Figueroa

After checking out several museums in the northeast corner of the city center, I dropped in one of Madrid's touristy markets. I walked around the second floor to get a sense of what was available. I really wanted come bacalao toast, but no one was manning the counter of that shop, so instead I went with a glass fo red wine and manchego, jamon, and salchichon on toast instead.


El Tigre Sidreria, Calle de las Infantas

The Mexico-South Korea match was quickly approaching as I walked into Cuecha so I made my way to one of the few bars that was open that early. El Tigre had been on my list of places to try. It's amazing for one reason only - for the price of a drink, you get a heaping plate of tapas. The tapas are fairly low-quality - greasy, bland, and hearty - but included many traditional hits, like tortilla slices, patatas bravas, and croquetas de jamon. For €4, it's an experience.




Mercado de San Miguel, Plaza de San Miguel

The Mercado de San Miguel was probably the only place I saw sangria on menus rather than tintos. It's definitely touristy and you'll pay more for your tapas here than at most traditional bars, but it is a wonderful place to sample things. It would be a great place to visit your first day in Spain, to figure out your taste in tapas and build confidence in what to order. I had paella, stuffed olives, and several different types of fish on toast.


Gran Cafetería Santander, Plaza Santa Bárbara
Cervecería Cruz Blanca, Calle de Hortaleza

Spain's final group stage game, versus Morocco, ended up being a tale of two halves. I started at the staid cafeteria down the street from my hostel, where I'd stopped for a drink before. The food was pretty basic, but it felt like a cultural experience. For the second half, I went to a more lively chain bar down the street. There, I was given another tortilla slice on toast, along with a bacalao croqueta. The end of the game was tense - the final matches in a group are played simultaneously, and for a while, Spain and Portugal were tied for points. There were some last minute goals and penalty misses that made everything even more dramatic, but Spain won their game and topped the group. It was a good send-off for my World Cup of Tapas, 2018.