Spain 2010

Best and worst restaurants:

Best: Ciudad Condal in Barcelona
Why: Excellent sangria; a wide variety of delectable tapas displayed along the wooden bar; and friendly, lighthearted waiters (particularly the Filipinos). Ate dinner there three nights in a row. We also loved the tapas at El Carcel in Arcos de la Frontera.

Nancy Zeilig in Denver, CO USA 11/14/2009

Best: 1) Zulema in Grazalema; 2) Artemisia II in Madrid
Why: 1) Fresh food and large portions and the salads really are big; 2) A welcome oasis for vegetarians. My meat-eating travel companion also found many options. I ate there several times since it was near our hotel and felt comfortable dining alone for dinner one night. They staff spoke some English.

Wendy in Washington , DC USA 11/04/2009

Best: Taller de Tapas
Why: We thought the waitstaff was attentive. Prices were reasonable for the area. The tapas were excellent as well!

Jennifer in New York, NY USA 11/01/2009

Best: Barcelona: La Dolce Hermina
Why: I did not see a 9-euro lunch but did not ask about it. We ordered a la carte and though it was much more than 9 euros, it was worth it. I felt very civilized and was glad to get such a nice meal after all the jamon we'd been eating.

Sharon in Anaheim, CA United States 10/28/2009

Best: Barcelona, Danzarama, Gran Via de les Corts Catalanes 604
Why: This restaurant, about 2 blocks off the Placa de Catalunya, was just wonderful. Service was excellent. The owner made sure all was well and personally served our seafood paella. The Cava Sangria was a wonderful accompaniment. Went there twice. Highly recommended.

Len Duffy in Towson, MD USA 10/17/2009

Best: LaGloria de Montera, Madrid (Gran Via metro)
Why: White table cloths, friendly but non intrusive wait staff, two wonderful fish entrees, a dessert list to die for and a wine list that was so inexpensive yet good, that a couple from Holland joined us in asking if the prices were for bottles or a glass? No reservations but well worth waiting out front for the 8:30 opening. San Marco in Sevilla also worth a special visit.

George in Pittsburgh, PA USA 10/10/2009

Best: Cotijo Las Piletas, Ronda, La Rita, Barcelona,
Why: If you stay at the hotel in Ronda spend at least one night eating in the hotel,Pablo fixes great dishes of the region and many are his mother's favorites.

Worst: None
Why: As usuaul we rarerly stray from Rick's suggestions and are not dissapointed.

Hank Smalling in Aiken, SC USA 10/09/2009

Best: Bodega Santa Cruz
Why: Probably the best tapas I had while I was in Spain. Great wine and they were very sweet about my horrible Spanish.

Jean Brubeck in Santa Cruz, CA USA 10/06/2009

Best: Bar Ra, Barcelona
Why: Delicious dinner and great atmostphere for reasonable prices. We also had a great dinner chat w/ our table neighbors, two gals from Buenos Aires who moved to Barcelona to work. This place must be recommended by everyone because we also ended up waiting for a table with two gals from Tanzania that we met earlier that day at the laundromat.

Cheryl Collins in Seattle, WA USA 10/04/2009

Worst: Museo de Jamon
Why: Prior to my trip I had read in guidebooks and online that the Museo de Jamon would try to screw you by getting you to order jamon iberico (ham that costs 10 x more than regular ham). A pretty experienced traveler, I assumed this would be by employed on the more naive who didn't know the differences between the classes of hams.

We tried this restaurant because it was next door to our hotel. I was VERY clear when I ordered that we wanted a racione of regular ham (about 2.50 EURO) and a small croissant sandwich of jamon iberico (about 4.50 EURO). I ensured this by pointing to it on the menu. When our food arrived it was two huge plates, one of each kind of ham. I called the server back over and told him we did not order this, we ordered the croissant iberico and pointed to it on the menu. He reapeatedly and hurriedly assured me that it was. I asked the obvious question, "then where's the croissant?" He got upset with me and walked off.

I told my boyfriend not to touch the dishes and asked for the bill. When it arrived it was about 25 Euros (instead of the 7 it should have been). I told him we did not order the racione or iberico but the croissant. The waiter proceeded to try and intimidate me by making a scene and yelling at me that I did in fact order the huge plate of iberico ham.

At this point I turned to the crowd of Spanish people next to me and asked if anyone spoke English. A girl finally said she did. I asked her loudly and point blank to please share with everyone what they heard me order (as everyone has previously overheard me call the waiter back 3 x to ensure it was the croissant jamon as I was pretty sure I was being screwed). The girl rather uncomfortably attested that she heard me order the cheaper croissant iberico. In a too-sweet -to-be-genuine voice I explained to the waiter that luckily we did not even touch his ham so he could just take it away and bring us what we ordered - which he did with such hostility I won't attempt to paint it with words.

As soon as it came we asked for the bill which was thrown at us. We immediately left, leaving the untouched entrees on the counter.

Walking into this restaurant is like asking to be scammed by the people who put bracelets on your outside the Eiffel tower, making a scene and demanding that you pay. I could not BELIEVE that a restaurant recommended in a guidebook would behave that way - or adversely that a guidebook would recommend such an establishment. The situation was EXTREMELY uncomfortable. I am going to rip them a new one all over the Internet and feel compelled to make sure people know just how far out of their way this establishment will go to screw you out of $30.

Jenny in Jackson, WA USA 10/01/2009

Worst: Restaurante Botin in Madrid
Why: The suckling pig was extremely fatty, salty and mostly inedible (E22.50. Our meals included one small potato each, and a quarter of a salad that was not big enough for two, much less four people. The salad alone was E13.25. We had 3 suckling pigs, one chicken, the salad, the cheapest bottle of wine (E18.35), 3 desserts and expresso...the bill was E146.15 and we went home hungry. They even charge extra for bread. The place is gorgeous, but go there as part of a walking tour, not to eat. It was full of tourists, as we expected, but we felt rushed and ripped off.

D. Davidson in Long Beach, CA USA 09/28/2009

Best: La Pescadaria in Tarifa
Why: great service and food, nice plaza ambience

Worst: Pizzeria La Capricciosa
Why: poor food, even worse service; by far the worst of our two weeks in Spain.

Steve Richards, M.D. in Spokane, WA USA 08/17/2009

Best: La Pescadaria in Tarifa
Why: great service and food, nice plaza ambience

Worst: Pizzeria La Capricciosa
Why: poor food, even worse service; by far the worst of our two weeks in Spain.

Steve Richards, M.D. in Spokane, WA USA 08/17/2009

Best: Botin-Madrid
Why: oldest restaurant in the world. Great atmossphere and wonderful food..the suckling pig was really good.

Daphne Weaver in Bremerton, WA USA 08/03/2009

Best: Sevilla ( El Arenal)
Why: Show was great and dancers were very enthusiatic.

Worst: Sevilla ( El Arenal)
Why: The food was only palitable. I had the dinner show and the salad had wilted dry out greens, and the dessert was mousse that was frozen in the middle with no taste to it. Recommend just drinks sitting that close was just too loud.

Carmen in Los Angeles, CA USA 07/15/2009

Best: Cafe de l'Academia
Why: Best restaurant we visited in Barcelona for dinner. Great wine, starter, entree, dessert. Great service-friendly, helpful! And had fabulous atmosphere. But small...either get there early (1/2hr before open) or call for a reservation. Tables were gone soon after opening.

Amy Teague in Fishers, IN USA 06/08/2009

Best: Casa Toni's
Why: terrific tapa experience, made it easy for a few Americans who spoke just enough Spanish, and a great representation of the standards. Rick's suggestion for sauteed chili tapa was also a big winner.

Russ Lorber in Westminster, MD USA 06/06/2009

Best: Cochran's - Nerja also Mezzanine - Sitges
Why: Cochran's - Fantastic view from outdoor patio bar. Dining was unfortunately indoors so we moved on for dinner. Mezzanine in Sitges -Fabulous food and presentation. French chef. Great dining experience.

Worst: The Clipper Pub - Gibraltar
Why: Please do not recommend. We received very poor, extremely rude service for no apparent reason. We were pleasant and patient. The servers ignored our table and chatted aamongst themselves as they were not busy. I asked the time and the server ignored me and walked away. We had to ask for a menu and ask for the bill. The server took our money, left our change on the bar by the cash register and went off to clear a table. The food and drinks were fine, the service abysmal!

Joan McKey in North Vancouver, BC Canada 05/14/2009

Best: Taverna Basca Irati in Barcelona
Why: Great place for tapas. The staff was very nice, good location and easy to get tapas.

spainfan in Washington, DC USA 05/08/2009

Best: 1)Julian de Tolosa; 2)Casa Rua; 3)Corral del Agua Restaurante, 4)Carmen de las Tomasas, 5)Arraynes
Why: 1) We'd go back any time we could for the food and atmosphere. 2) Not for a real meal of course, but a "heckofadeal!" 3) Peaceful with good food and freedom from smokers. 4) As a light rain fell and darkness fell the view was a fine compliment to the food. 5) GREAT food and hosted by Mostafa made our evening. Give this place a better position in the book.

Gerald L. Rose in Iowa City, IA USA 04/30/2009

Best: Restaurante la Palmera, Barcelona
Why: My wife and I lunched here using the degustation lunch, about 15 Euros each. We got to try 12 different "tapas." And then we split their dessert sampler (another 5 choices) for 4 more Euros. All 17 selections were excellent! The main room is definitely the way to go, and we didn't find it smoky. A resevation would be a good idea. The only bad thing I can say is it's not cheap. With a house wine, our lunch at this fairly casual restaurant still cost almost $65.

Dave in Philadelphia, PA USA 03/31/2009

Worst: Taberna Casa Salinas, Cordoba
Why: We were disappointed by the tapas, including the salmorejo recommended in the book, but maybe it's a matter of taste and what one orders.

Steve in Princeton, NJ USA 03/24/2009

Best: Ciudad Condal Cerveceria, Barcelona (page 97)
Why: Great tapas and atmosphere. Two other wonderful tapas restaurants are Celler de Tapas near Universitat Metro in Barcelona and La Abadia in Toledo. We met a couple from Canada in Toledo when we noticed they had Rick's book. Thankfully they told us about La Abadia where we had one of our best meals ever. Ask the TI or a local for directions at Plaza Zocodover. avadiatoledo.com

ED ERWIN in CORSICANA, TX USA 03/23/2009

Best: Fres Co in Madrid
Why: The price was 9.50 euros at lunch. It included a good salad bar (the place was so busy, they were having a hard time keeping it stocked), pizza, hot vegetables (broccoli!), great pasta, soups (which I didn't try), other hot dishes, fresh fruit, desserts, one drink, and an ice cream machine (good chocolate ice milk, very strange-tasting lemon "yogurt"). We ate at the one just of Calle de Arenal and loved it.

Kyla Gurganus in Ypsilanti, MI USA 03/06/2009

Best: Jose Maria Restaurant, Segovia
Why: Absolutely wonderful atmosphere and delicious food. My husband loved their roast lamb and the suckling pig was tender and flavorful. Our desserts were out of this world, especially the oranges in oil and paprika and the special house cake. They were most solicitous with my daughter who suffers from celiac disease.

Worst: Meson de Candido, Segovia
Why: This can not POSSIBLY be one of the top restaurants in Castile, or even close! We were so disappointed. The place is old-fashioned, tired, and well past its prime. Its location next to the aqueduct is indeed fantastic, but the food is just not very good. My husband found the roast lamb he ordered to be far inferior to the same dish he had ordered at Jose Maria's. I ordered duck on a pear puree and what came was overcooked meat on a thick pile of I don't know what, but it seemed to be mayonnaise, with a tiny bit of pear puree underneath the pile of "mayo". My husband ordered rice pudding for dessert and received what we can only describe as soupy gruel. My chocolate cake was a hot, heavy, and tasteless lump drenched in chocolate sauce. Awful.

Ava Nackman in Chapel Hill, NC USA 01/26/2009

Best: Chocolateria San Gines, Barcelona
Why: VERY local and totally packed. Great prices and delicious churros!

Jennifer Chen in Fremont, CA USA 01/03/2009

Best: La Bodeguilla de San Roque - Santiago, El Faro de Triana - Sevilla
Why: La Bodeguilla was a true gem and gave us our best meal in Spain. Just as described, the place was packed so we squeezed up to the bar, had a few albarinos with free tapas, and then shortly were seated and enjoyed a wonderful dinner. At El Faro, we had great tapas and wine one night, and a great breakfast the next morning. Great bartenders there.

Worst: Bodega Santa Cruz - Sevilla
Why: Actually, we never ate there. Every time it was just SO crowded, you couldn't even fight your way up to the bar to order. No place is worth that kind of grief.

Jon Strebler in Chula Vista, CA USA 01/03/2009

Best: Restaurante del Escudero, Ronda
Why: Outstanding preparation, quality of food, presentation and view

Worst:
Why: We would like more "foodie" restaurants. Most of the choices seemed middle of the road in terms of menus. And noting the non-smoking restaurants is really helpful. We loved Paco Meralgo, Muntaner 171, for tapas.

C Rathfon in Oakland, CA USA 11/04/2008

Best: Segovia: Restaurante California
Why: Small family operation located near Plaza del Doctor Gila in the lower town below Plaza San Martin. One of the best lunch specials (and service too) we encountered in several cities over three weeks. Also, a couple euros less per person than in the old city or on Avenida Lareda.

Worst: Seville: Robles Tapas, near the Cathedral
Why: Recommended widely, we encountered warmed over, second-rate tapas and a good effort to short change us.

Roger and Ruth in Portland, Oregon, USA 11/02/2008

Best: Bar Goiz-Argi in Bilbao
Why: A small place will really appealing and tasty pintxos - your two recommendations (the crab spread and the grilled shrimp) were wonderful. It was the best of numerous pintxo bars we visited in Bilbao and San Sebastian.

Worst: Casa Urola in San Sebastian
Why: Poor service and mediocre food. I should have been warned off by the lack of patrons during the mid-day meal on the day I went for reservations and the ease with which I obtained a reservation for the next night - a Friday. It was quite disappointing and I recommend you consider dropping them from the book.

Richard Rowe USA 10/20/2008

Best: La Fonda
Why: Great food, great wine, great price.

Dave Matsumoto in Tacoma, WA USA 09/10/2008

Best: Restaurante San Marco / Sevilla
Why: Great service, wonderful food, superb setting (Moorish Baths)and delicious Italian cuisine was a nice break from Spanish fare.

Worst: Restaurante Meson Palacios / Toledo
Why: The locals were there en masse but the food was uninspring. Cost was also above average. Price probably justified by the lack of dining options in Toledo.

Tim English in Atlanta, GA USA 08/12/2008

Best: Tarifa- Restaurant La Pescaderia
Why: Excellent tuna sampler-cooked four different ways. Amazing soup stew-brought to the table in a big pot, humongous serving.

Worst: Seville-El Faro de Triana
Why: The waiter rushed us through. The bread was old and stale. He charged 60 euros for a plate of langostinos that came with no side whatsoever. (I assumed I was getting the media, not the full racion)

Jennifer in Boston, MA USA 08/07/2008

Best: La Crema Canela, Barcelona, in the Barri Gotic
Why: We had excellent fresh food at reasonable prices, and they take reservations.Not a soggy french fry in sight.

Worst: We were very happy with all the recommended restaurants, but suggest you avoid McDonalds. It is even worse in Spain than in the USA
Why: We grew tired of eating pork, but the beef isn't great anywhere we went. The side dish is usually greasy, soggy french fries, even at the nice places like the Modesto in Sevilla.

Patti Hine in Yucca Valley, CA USA 08/05/2008

Best: Cunini's; Pescadería 14, Granada
Why: We had many great meals in Spain but Zarzuela at Cunini's was perhaps the best. Was very crowded on a week day with locals; reservations are essential for lunch or dinner.

Worst: Bodega Campos, Los Lineros, 32 San Pedro, 14002 Cordoba
Why: Actually our only disapointment during 17 days of dining in Spain - - my pork was served way-under- cooked, and my spouse's pork was literally half fat.

Bob Lata in Paso Robles, CA USA 07/25/2008

Best: El Corte Ingles
Why: We shopped at the supermarket at this store several times. We had some nice meals in our room with the fresh bread, drinks, lunchmeat, cookies, fruit we purchased here. Thank you for informing us about this nice option.

Worst: Rodilla in Segovia.
Why: This place was a cross between Dunkin Donuts and Subway. They had too many choices displayed and we spent a lot of time trying to buy a poor little meal.

Linda Cramb in Jaffrey, NH USA 07/08/2008

Best: several see below
Why: There are SO many places to eat in Barcelona and Madrid and we tried to pick a a place or two on our own but the food was not good or way over priced. We chose some of the Spain 2008 recomendations-La Rita (outstanding) and El Raco (very good)in Barcelona and La Gloria de Montera Restaurante (very good) and a Doner Kebab (tasty & quick) joint in Madrid.

Mitch Heinemann in Frisco, TX USA 06/28/2008

Best: Mercado La Boqueria in Barcelona
Why: We had breakfast at Pinotxo Bar and at the Kiosko Universal Bar. We also bought fresh fruit, juices and snacks at the small shops. Great quality and prices.

Marcia, Jaime, and Two Children in Rochester, NY USA 06/07/2008

Best: Cafe Accademia
Why: This was a wonderful recommendation. It is located in a very old building with lots of charm. We had not booked, but arrived at 8:30 when it opened and got a table. Our meals were excellent, the staff very gracious, and the meal was reasonable in cost. It was one of our favorite meals in the entire trip. Dinner for two with wine came to around 60 euros.

Susan Jennings in Atlanta, Ga USA 05/31/2008

Best: Restaurant Can Majo, Barcelona
Why: Fabulous seafood restaurant! Paellas! Great boardwalk location on the water (www.canmajo.es).

Worst: La Pom Restaurant, Barcelona
Why: Admitedly, we used the 2006 book, so u already may have caught that POM Restaurant at top of La Ramblas is a rip off, with E2/person cover charges. We paid ~$30 for a cheese omlette, crock of watery onion soup, & bottled water.

Lynda Wiseman in Langhorne, PA USA 05/27/2008

Best: Ronda: Los Pastores
Why: Another great place to stay while in southern Spain is the Los Pastores. What a wonderful place!! Very clean, great staff, and breath-taking scenery. And only a gorgeous two hour drive away from the Mediterranean coast.

Dale Peterson in Stillwater, MN USA 05/10/2008

Best: Cafe Granja Viader, Barcelona
Why: Lovely cafe with delectable treats.(Staff not friendly however.)

Worst: Pizzeria Pastucci, Toledo
Why: Very mediocre.

F. & C. Weiss in Victoria, BC Canada 05/03/2008

Best: Bodegas Castaneda, Granada
Why: The place not only had great food and wine but the atmosphere was perfect. The service was better than what I typically got in other restaurants in other Spanish cities I visited.

Worst: FrescCo Buffet off the Gran Via, Madrid
Why: Hot buffet items were almost cold (even the soup) and this was at opening time. I think it's expensive for what they serve. I was disappointed.

Robert in Arlington, VA USA 04/18/2008

Best: The family run places or where locals hang out
Why: The casual atmosphere and opportunity to share/talk with others

Worst: Smoking inside eating places
Why: Just not used to it any more

Sommer in Santa Rosa, CA USA 03/26/2008

Best: Salon La Mallorquina Pastry Shop
Why: What calories? Need I say more?

Gregg Maxwell in Grapevine, TX USA 03/21/2008

Best: N/A
Why: I am not sure if we stopped at any of your recommendations since we tended to eat on the run. We did get treats at the Museo de Jamon but not "jamon." Go figure? How could you not visit a place called the Museum of Ham? Ha ha. It became a joke on our trip because my friend hates ham.

Mary Spangenberg in PHOENIX, Ar USA 03/19/2008

Best: Finca Susanna
Why: Excellent food and value for the menu del dia.

Worst: The indian restraunt in the Lavapies pub crawl
Why: This was listed as "for the adventurous" and was the blandest Indian food I've ever eaten. Yuck! Highly recommended neighborhood, though.

Matti in Chicago, IL USA 03/19/2008

Best: Botin, in Madrid
Why: Expensive, but worth it. Everyone very professional. Food melt in your mouth. Wine, well, what can I say? It went down easy.

Tan Milang in Nashville, TN USA 02/22/2008

Best: Suckling pig in Segovia next to the Aquaduct.
Why: The decor of the restaurant upstairs is fabulous. The Founders son greeted me with his Best Restaurant Necklace on - quite impressive. Food was good. Barcelona - Restaurant Ruth or Rita? Near the Gaudi Dragon House. I ate there twice. Busy might have to wait.

Liz in Boerne, TX USA 02/19/2008

Best: Carmen de Aben Humeya
Why: Happened across this carmen while strolling around the Albayzin. Considerably less expensive than the two carmens mentioned in Ricks book. Restaurant is on a lovely patio with a great view of the Alhambra. Very friendly staff who spoke good English. They have a web site if you want to take a closer look and see its location - www.abenhumeya.com.

Peter in Salem, OR USA 01/27/2008

Worst: La Poma on the Ramblas in Barcelona
Why: Server was rude and not welcoming, food was extremely expensive, bread and olives that were served to us were dried out. We would delete this recommendation from the book.

Kathy Koegel in Madison, WI USA 01/16/2008

Best: La Paella Real Restaurante
Why: Friendly staff. Delicious paella.

Marie Lavendier in Unionville, Ct USA 12/14/2007

Worst: La Paella Real Madrid`
Why: We went there for the paella. It wasn't even fair, it was terrible. We had better at the resturant at Hotel Europa.

Elaine Dermody in Steamboat Springs, CO USA 10/23/2007

Best: La Axarquia in Marbella
Why: Great food and outstanding service. Conviniently located right on the Marbella's seafront promenade.

Worst: Cafe Imperial in Figueres
Why: Small cafe outside Dali museum. Bad quality food, crappy service.

Dmitry USA 10/12/2007

Worst: no real bummers.
Why: One small note, the El Pulguilla restaurant in Nerja offers almost no half portions. Just about everything I picked was not available in a "media racione". So I ate a lot, the food is great.

Nick Warner in Palo Alto, CA USA 10/03/2007

Best: La Plateria Bar Museo
Why: It was just as described. Additionally, the food and service was great. It capped off a wonderful day at the Prado.

Neil Worden in Alexandria, VA USA 09/05/2007

Best: Qu Qu & Ciudad Condal Cerveceria Barcelona
Why: Both great for tapas. Fresh and tasty, near the Hotel Continental Palacete

Worst: Museo du Jambon
Why: Dried, salty ham.

Lynn R in Morgantown , WV USA 08/12/2007

Best: El Pintor & Taverna Basca Irati, Barcelona
Why: variety & fresh

LYNN BURGIN in DALLAS, TX USA 08/05/2007

Best: Restaurante Morilla in Tarifa
Why: Some of the best grilled squid and veggies I have ever had and the wait staff really serve you with gusto. Plus great people watching

Jody Hunter USA 07/31/2007

Best: Two favorites: Madrid - La Gloria de Montera Restaurant; Toledo - Adolfo Vinoteca
Why: Gloria Montera lives up to its popular reputation. We arrived just after it opened and wondered about the "line" mentioned in the book. Sure enough, by 9:15, the place was full and people were putting their names on the list. Understandable: great food, good value. New twists on traditional Spanish ciusine in a relaxing setting. Efficient, helpful service. Adolfo was pure fun! Juan (Jonathan in your book??) was engaging, entertaining, and we dined like special guests. He even took one of my friends to the wine cellar and sent us home with a complimentary (opened) bottle of our favorite wine! A most enjoyable evening!

Marcy Nicklas in Frederick, MD USA 07/23/2007

Worst: Kasbah, restaurant in Granada
Why: Worst food ever served in a restaurant. Everything was pre-cooked and warmed-up in a microwave, one dish at a time. Each diner's meal appeared after a 4-minute interval (the 4 minutes required by the microwave). We could see into the dirty kitchen, so we know for sure! The food tasted like something from a Campbell's can. The food didn't match the descriptions on the menu (where are the raisons? almonds? This is just plain couscous and bony chicken!)

Debra Iles in Boston, Ma USA 07/08/2007

Best: parador restaurants
Why: Fairly consistent and most tried to include regional foods

Marlene in Jupiter, Fl USA 06/17/2007

Worst: Los Cuatro Tiempos Toledo
Why: food was bad, staff unfriendly and rip off drink prices

Adam Harris in Pleasant Hill, ca USA 06/16/2007

Best: Taverna de Amboades
Why: This little place was fabulous! I walked around a bit before I found it, but the man at the bar was happy to explain the wines to me, despite having a full bar. I was clearly the only tourist among the locals yelling at each other from across the bar. I planned to order the meat and cheese plate, but the "munchies" of sausage and cheese he served with my two glasses of wine were great and enough! It was a great lunch for a mere 5 euros!

Jessica in Bethlehem, PA USA 06/12/2007

Best: Hotel Europa Cafeteria in Madrid.
Why: The food was excellent. Even if you don't stay at the hotel, stop by and have a bite. Manolo was our regular waiter and he was hilarious and gave us free little tidbits. Excellent!

Melissa in Glendale, CA USA 06/11/2007

Best: Artemisa Vegetarian Restaurant
Why: This is a lovely, quietly-elegant and inexpensive little oasis of peace and marvelous food in otherwise crowded and noisy and smoky Madrid. These people are wonderful!

Melissa in Hart, OR USA 05/01/2007

Best:
Why: Just go someplace that does NOT have pictures on the front door or on the menu and you'll probably get a decent to good meal.

CH in Tampa, FL USA 04/16/2007

Best: Restaurante Casa Manola-Santiago
Why: Galician food is the best and this restaurant does it right and for a very reasonable price.

Tony Ambrose in Louisville, KY USA 04/07/2007

Best: VIP
Why: When you can't stand any more ham, this is the place to find dependably good food

Worst: La Poma
Why: Nasty wait staff, charged for things not ordered (and heard neighboring patrons arguing about the same), never would return

BW in Federal Way, WA USA 03/31/2007

Best: La Paella Real in Madrid and Bodegas Casteneda in Granada
Why: La Paella was incredibly tasty. The portions were giagantic, and it was nice not to have bar food. Service was great, and sangria was tasty. Note - that you get charged for bread. Bodegas Casteneo - we did get a free tapa with our half bottle of wine. Their tortilla was the best I had in spain.

Hotel Europa's cafe in Madrid was okay. We went there because of all the incredible reviews on the wall. The people watching is great, but the food is only okay.

Worst: Kasbah in Granada
Why: Kasbah, which is located at Caldereria Nueva 4. The food was incredibly bland, the service was nonexistent, and there were some shady things going on with our bill. Thank goodness I remembered how much everything cost and that my husband was proficient enough to question the waitress on our bill. Our meal total was 23 euros, but they charged us 32 euros, which included some unknown 2.5 euro charge. We sent the bill back twice and they told us they were correct. The waitress decided to whip out the menu and a calculator and then discovered the large error (a 33%+ overcharge). Our bill magically went to 23 euros and the random 2.5 euro charged disappeared. I think it also helped that a family of 5 sat at the next table and witnessed the fiasco, which caused them to fix the mistake ASAP and get us out of there.

Jennifer in Philadelphia, PA USA 03/12/2007

Best: Bar Alcaravan, Arcos de la Frontera
Why: The ambience is amazing as it is actually in what was once the castle's dungeon. They play recorded guitar music. While there, we bought a Spanish guitar CD of the music that was actually playing while we were there (€7.80 - cheaper here than other places we checked). It is fun now, back home, to relax enjoying the music and remembering the tapas bar where we watched our tapas being cooked by the front door of the restaurant on a little hibachi and listened to the guitar music in the "dungeon" I also liked their olive tapas as it was an assortment of tasty olives. A Spanish guitar CD is a small, lightweight, souvenir to consider bringing home. This place is a short walk from RS recommended hotel, Hotel El Convento.

jmw USA 03/05/2007

Best: Nerja, Spain - Meson de Antonio on Calle Diputacion Provencial, l8,
Why: The desk clerk at Toboso apar-turis directed us to this restaurant saying it had "really good food". The restaurant is walking distance from the hotel. Meson de Antonio (952 520 033) was busy when we arrived on a Saturday night. It was well worth the 10 minute wait for a table. The fish of the day was excellent, as was the heart of palm salad. On a 3 week tour of Spain and Portugual, this was one of our best meals.

Jan Wishau in Columbia, MO USA 02/23/2007

Best: La Casita in Montejaque after Pileta Caves
Why: Very picturesque setting. Good spanish food - Rabo de Toro excellent!

Worst: Cafe and Bar Faustino -Ronda
Why: The decor was Bullfighter 70's and tired. The tapas were small and not very tasty - I suppose you could say that you did get what you paid for.

Stephen in Lausanne, VD Switzerland 01/12/2007

Worst: Santo Tome Marzipan on Plaza Zocodovar
Why: We had bought some things here that were tasty, but when we went in the following day to ask for directions, the staff was rude, told us our destination was closed (a lie!) and then laughed at us. We were polite and actually asked our question in Spanish! This is the first time this has ever happened to us. I suggest buying your marzipan from one of the many other vendors in Toledo.

Eve Strauss in Manalapan, NJ USA 01/02/2007