I love Madrid.  The people there know how to live.  Saben vivir. Madrid Tapas are unlike anywhere else.

They know how to dance, with their sexy flamenco.  I could watch that dance all day long.

But more importantly, they know how to eat.  All of Spain has dishes they are famous for… Bilbao has Pinxtos (little toasts with stuff on them), Barcelona has the best paella ever.  There are olives, and wine.

But Madrid.  Madrid has the reign on tapas.  Yes, yes, you can get tapas all of the place.  Madrid Tapas are unlike anywhere else.

No where are Tapas like they are in Madrid

Roasted potatoes with red pepper sauce.  Ham. Olives. Homemade chips. Crotchets. Serrano. Little fried balls of ham.  Some paella.

So, you go to a bar.  You order a canita.  That’s a little beer.  You get the beer you get.  (I already wrote a little bit about it here).

Then the first order of tapas.  Then another beer and a little more food.

Tapas is the equivalent of getting nuts or popcorn in a bar in the US.  But that is such a sad comparison that I can’t even take myself seriously.

Why can’t we do this here?  Does everything have to be capitalized and with a price?  Why can’t I just find a little place I can go, have a small beer and some randomly good food??

The photo here on this blog is a big plate of food with two beers.  Total price $5.  Yes we were eating with the college crowd, but who cares.  The next night we went down the road and had an adult dinner, with a bottle of wine.  Total price $40.  That would have been $150 back home.

I have never eaten so many olives as I have in Madrid.

They are so good and so habit forming.

I was able to find the olives that I fell in love with in Madrid.  They are bright green.  I asked the hubs what kind were they and he said “Spanish”.  Smart ass.

But alas, they were at Whole Foods in the olive bar.  Appropriately marked as “Spanish Olives”.

Until we meet again Madrid.

Tell me below in the comments what your favorite tapas are.. I am always looking for new ideas and places.