Snacking Safari | Calle Fuencarral
Rocablanca
€ €3.50 for a couple of croquettes and a caña.
Website http://cafeteriarocablanca.blogspot.com/
Access Step free
In Short
First Impressions. No Frills Central.
USP? Planet of the croquettes
Service! Spot on. Rapid, friendly, generous.
Friend friendly? Vegetarians will be OK.
Rating for dating. Probably yes.
Revisitability. Essential.
In Pictures
On Google Images
In Words
A stop for lunch in this island of traditional Madrid food in the sea of short-socked tattoo-laden beardy bicycle riding that is modern Malasaña-Fuencarral is a must visit, frankly. You may find yourself the only anglophone in the village, and you'll be rubbing shoulders with the most locals in pretty much the most local-focussed local in the neighbourhood. There are plenty of tables, but a seat at the bar is recommended.
The beers are very cold. The family-run service is that distinctive Madrileño mix of the stoney-faced and wryly amused, where a brisk Muy Bien! is the staff's respectful reward to the customer for a wise choice. There are large wodges of tortilla as freebies. The croquetas, arrayed under class ready to be inspected, are a euro a go and three of them would leave you well fed for at least a couple of hours.
We're recommending the spinach and cheese straight off. Somehow the fillings maintain a fresh flavour of their specific ingredients. Even the mushroomer isn't an exception to the rule. It tastes of fresh funghi, too. And it almost goes without saying. Too many of any of the many flavours would mean you'd not have much room for dinner.
Service 👍👍👍👍
Drinks 👍👍👍👍
Croquetas 🏆 Recommended!
Atmosphere 👍👍👍👍
Orio
€ €7-8 for a couple of pintxos and a glass of txacoli.
Website http://gruposagardi.com/restaurante/orio/
Access Step free to bar. High tables only. Restaurant is upstairs
In Short
First Impressions. There's a rowing boat hanging from the ceiling. Is this a joke, oar what?
USP? Pinch me, they're good pintxos.
Service! Starts to get frazzled as it gets busy.
Friend friendly? Tricky. Omelette is on offer usually, but not many V-only pintxos in evidence.
Rating for dating. More like a pre-tryst rendezvous.
Revisitability. Very high for aperitifs and shopping rewards.
In Pictures
Via Google
In words
We like eating the Basque way. There's a fair few tabernas operating around town in this style and some - a franchise we shall not name - are often uninspiring. Orio is a cut above, but you're not getting your deal for nothing. Be ready to pay a fair few pennies. The decor's smart. A few high tables. A long bar, without stools (and they don't want you moving them away from the tables).
Either way, the food offer's well worth the visit if you've been battling your way through Augusto Figueroa's shoe shops, or trawling the preppy emporia on Fuencarral. Yep. Orio is a dream to Kling to. Busy by early lunchtime on Saturdays, the food turnover means the pintxos here are refreshed constantly, so we're talking quality, which when it comes to this style of eating is worth paying for.
Adding to the potential party atmosphere, hot offers appear regularly from the kitchen - listen out for the ping of the food lift arriving to get ahead of the crowd. We had a classic chunk of chistorra, some slightly less exciting meat and potato and an excellent bacaloa croquette. A couple of glasses of splendid chilled txacoli, or cider poured from a typically splashtastic height (it's all for the aeriation, donchaknow) set things off excellently. Some goats cheese and quince made for a tiny tasty tartlet. Prawns on a pick were fresh enough to taste of the ocean. Tuna mayonnaise with a touch of pepper was well balanced. You'll graze happily for half an hour, easily and we bet you a banana you'll be on a second glass before you finish. The rare sight of an Oyster bar sits next to the entrance if you're keen and the restaurant upstairs does a decent offer too.
Service 👍👍👍
Drinks 👍👍👍👍
Pintxos 👍👍👍👍
Atmosphere 👍👍👍
Two disinctive choices within metres of each other
Rocablanca
€ €3.50 for a couple of croquettes and a caña.
Website http://cafeteriarocablanca.blogspot.com/
Access Step free
In Short
First Impressions. No Frills Central.
USP? Planet of the croquettes
Service! Spot on. Rapid, friendly, generous.
Friend friendly? Vegetarians will be OK.
Rating for dating. Probably yes.
Revisitability. Essential.
In Pictures
On Google Images
In Words
A stop for lunch in this island of traditional Madrid food in the sea of short-socked tattoo-laden beardy bicycle riding that is modern Malasaña-Fuencarral is a must visit, frankly. You may find yourself the only anglophone in the village, and you'll be rubbing shoulders with the most locals in pretty much the most local-focussed local in the neighbourhood. There are plenty of tables, but a seat at the bar is recommended.
The beers are very cold. The family-run service is that distinctive Madrileño mix of the stoney-faced and wryly amused, where a brisk Muy Bien! is the staff's respectful reward to the customer for a wise choice. There are large wodges of tortilla as freebies. The croquetas, arrayed under class ready to be inspected, are a euro a go and three of them would leave you well fed for at least a couple of hours.
We're recommending the spinach and cheese straight off. Somehow the fillings maintain a fresh flavour of their specific ingredients. Even the mushroomer isn't an exception to the rule. It tastes of fresh funghi, too. And it almost goes without saying. Too many of any of the many flavours would mean you'd not have much room for dinner.
Service 👍👍👍👍
Drinks 👍👍👍👍
Croquetas 🏆 Recommended!
Atmosphere 👍👍👍👍
Orio
€ €7-8 for a couple of pintxos and a glass of txacoli.
Website http://gruposagardi.com/restaurante/orio/
Access Step free to bar. High tables only. Restaurant is upstairs
In Short
First Impressions. There's a rowing boat hanging from the ceiling. Is this a joke, oar what?
USP? Pinch me, they're good pintxos.
Service! Starts to get frazzled as it gets busy.
Friend friendly? Tricky. Omelette is on offer usually, but not many V-only pintxos in evidence.
Rating for dating. More like a pre-tryst rendezvous.
Revisitability. Very high for aperitifs and shopping rewards.
In Pictures
Via Google
In words
We like eating the Basque way. There's a fair few tabernas operating around town in this style and some - a franchise we shall not name - are often uninspiring. Orio is a cut above, but you're not getting your deal for nothing. Be ready to pay a fair few pennies. The decor's smart. A few high tables. A long bar, without stools (and they don't want you moving them away from the tables).
Either way, the food offer's well worth the visit if you've been battling your way through Augusto Figueroa's shoe shops, or trawling the preppy emporia on Fuencarral. Yep. Orio is a dream to Kling to. Busy by early lunchtime on Saturdays, the food turnover means the pintxos here are refreshed constantly, so we're talking quality, which when it comes to this style of eating is worth paying for.
Adding to the potential party atmosphere, hot offers appear regularly from the kitchen - listen out for the ping of the food lift arriving to get ahead of the crowd. We had a classic chunk of chistorra, some slightly less exciting meat and potato and an excellent bacaloa croquette. A couple of glasses of splendid chilled txacoli, or cider poured from a typically splashtastic height (it's all for the aeriation, donchaknow) set things off excellently. Some goats cheese and quince made for a tiny tasty tartlet. Prawns on a pick were fresh enough to taste of the ocean. Tuna mayonnaise with a touch of pepper was well balanced. You'll graze happily for half an hour, easily and we bet you a banana you'll be on a second glass before you finish. The rare sight of an Oyster bar sits next to the entrance if you're keen and the restaurant upstairs does a decent offer too.
Service 👍👍👍
Drinks 👍👍👍👍
Pintxos 👍👍👍👍
Atmosphere 👍👍👍
