Our train ride back to Madrid from Valencia was uneventful, but the Chamartin station was quite busy on Sunday, so topping up our Madrid metro card with a 10-ride pass took longer than expected given the queue for the machines. Once our tickets were sorted out the metro ride to Gran Via was easy.
We arrived at our hotel, the Thompson Madrid, around 1pm and (unsurprisingly) our room wasn’t ready. It was a beautiful day so we left our bags with the front desk and walked back to Malaspina for lunch. Thankfully we arrived before a rush of people so we had our choice of tables inside.
I started with the verdejo, then switched to an albarino while Leandra tried the Ramon Bilbao crianza rioja, then opted for a local blend, tachonius vino de Madrid. We paired those with our favorites from the previous trip, patatas bravas and jamon toast.
After our leisurely lunch, we walked back to hotel and got our keys to the room, which was comfortable with lots of low light.
Our view was of the neighboring construction site, but the trees blocked most of it.
After a month with our small apartment bathroom, this one felt massive! The rain shower felt great, and the amenities smelled wonderful.
After some downtime we headed back out, first toward Palacio Real de Madrid. Enjoying the sunshine, we continued through the Campo del Moro gardens for better views, including lots of blooming roses!
We exited the garden on the south side so we could take a peek inside the Catedral de Santa María la Real de la Almudena. We didn’t make it into the main nave but the crypt was beautiful with lots of tombs in the floor and stained glass-lit chapels.
Feeling peckish, we stopped by Chocolatería San Ginés for some churros and chocolate and, per usual, it was a zoo! We were standing in one line when a man beckoned us over to a different doorway (annex 5) to take our order. We had hoped to get a table but when that line didn’t move for several minutes, we grabbed an open standing spot. Leandra jumped into the ‘to go’ line and we got a fresh churro, nicely crunchy and light. She also made sure we got a fresh cup of chocolate rather than a to-go cup. Chocolate was great of course!
Returning to the hotel, we asked for the welcome drink – a southern light dry sherry, served with ham and crackers.
There was some confusion for dinner as there are three locations for Bresca and Leandra booked the one farthest from our hotel. In fairness, it was closer to the Jazz Bar we wanted to go to, but that meant a longer walk. It was very warm inside, so thankfully our seats next to the door allowed in an occasional breeze. I ordered a passion fruit lemonade and Leandra got a glass of the Nero d’avola. Service was a bit slow but I believe it was only one guy who was serving the entire place, so understandable. The Gypsy Ring entrée wasn’t available so my second choice was the L’ama…Trice (garganelli pasta with smoked pancetta, red and green pepper, garlic flakes). Leandra got the Tortellini della Nonna (pasta with pancetta and aged parmesan cream sauce).
Jazz Bar, a small bar we really enjoyed on our trip in 2022, was our next stop. It was fairly full and we were shown two seats at the bar, one of which was partly blocked by a pillar so Leandra had to sit sideways. We pulled up the online menu on our phone, but when we ordered, we were told the menu wasn’t correct online but “he thought he remembered how to make that.” At this point we asked for the actual menu and made our selections. I got the The Lone Ranger (tequila, raspberry syrup, vemouth rose, lemon juice and cava) and Leandra ordered the classic Vieux carre. Eventually, some people left and we moved to better seats. Service was friendly enough, but distracted – the staff was partying more than the patrons. Sadly, it didn’t have the same vibe as last time, and I doubt I’d go out of my way to return.
The next day it was all about the tennis at the Madrid Open! We were pretty emotionally drained after watching Rafa win in three sets, so thankfully our drink date with our friend and Otto (the pup) at La Fragua de Sebín was relaxed.
We hadn’t made a dinner reservation, so after eliminating a few options (including a vegan pizza place) we landed on Picholeiros Cocina, a small place specializing in homestyle Galician dishes. I ordered the cheese toast with a glass of Albariño and Leandra went the seafood route with the Pulpo feira (galacian octopus) and a glass of Ribero del duero. Everything was delicious and Leandra was treated to a shot of coffee liqueur on the house after our meal.
On our last morning, we ventured out to get pastries from El Horno de Almudena. The chocolate croissant was fine but what we thought was an almond pastry also had raisins and the texture of a moist scone. Neither of us were fans.
With an hour to kill before heading to the airport, we got a photo of the central point for all Spanish road distances in Sol, then checked out the Lefties clothing store.
Our Uber to the airport was delayed over 20 minutes due to traffic, so we cancelled and had the hotel call us a taxi for a 33€ flat fee.