Category Archives: Gastronomy

Casco Viejo de Bilbao / The Old Town of Bilbao

December 18, 2013Bilbao, Gastronomy, Nightlife, Streets and monumentsJorge

The Old Town of Bilbao (Casco Viejo) is a zone of ancient buildings, narrow streets and squares in the centre of Bilbao. This zone is popular among citizens and tourists because its gastronomy, atmosphere and for its churches and traditional buildings.

To arrive at the Old Quarter you can go by metro Line 1 and 2 (Casco Viejo metro station) or go from the Train Station, which is placed in front of Arenal bridge, the most frequent entrance for people who want to walk.

The train station

Santander Train Station (La Concordia) is the main station of the city. The long distance trains stop there and also it has a metro station inside (Abando).

The station was built in 1902 and its structure and decoration still has an industrial flavour that gives it a special attractive for tourists.

The Nervion River and its bridges

Close to the Train Station, you will find Arenal Bridge. This is the main entrance to the Old Town for the citizens who are coming from the commercial streets of Bilbao (Gran Vía and surroundings).

However, as the estuary of the Nervion River borders the old quarter, there are some other bridges in the zone as La Merced Bridge, La Ribera Bridge and San Antón Bridge.

In the newest part of Bilbao, you also can find the following bridges: City Hall bridge (Puente del Ayuntamiento), Zubizuri bridge and Princes Bridge (Puente de los príncipes).

Churches and relevant buildings

From Arenal Bridge can be seen San Nicolás Curch, built in 1756. Near it, there is located Plaza Nueva (New Square), a neoclassical square where you will find the Royal Academy of the Basque Language, and a lot of bars and restaurants always full of people.

Then, bordering the river to San Antón Bridge, there is San Anton Church and La Rivera Market.

Other important buildings that you will see in the zone are Santiago Cathedral, Santos Juanes Church and some museums.

The Gastronomy in Bilbao

Don’t leave the Old Quarter without trying the gastronomy!

Although the food is impressive in all the city, in this zone there are a large amount of bars and restaurants. Above all at Plaza Nueva and its surroundings, where there are a lot of places where you can eat “tapas” (small sandwiches or dishes with original and innovative food).

It is said that the food in The Basque Country is the best food of Spain… and probably it is true. In Bilbao you can find a lot of premium restaurants. But you also can eat high quality food in many cheaper places: By trying the tapas you will be able to try a lot of different dishes in many bars of the zone. Don’t miss it!

Once viewed the historic centre of Bilbao, our recommendation is to bordering the river in the water flood direction. Doing that you will reach the City Hall firstly, and then the Guggenheim Museum.

More places to visit in Bilbao

– The Guggenheim Museum: Museo Guggenheim is a contemporary art center placed in Bilbao, in the Basque Country. The museum was inaugurated in 1997 and since then, it has become one of the most popular museums of Spain and Europe because its original and transgressive design.

– Getxo (Guecho): Getxo is a town of 80.000 inhabitants located 30 minutes away from Bilbao city. The situation of the town in the Nervion river mouth, its beaches, its maritime port and its landscape, have become it one of the most touristic places of the region in the last century.

La Latina Neighborhood: Eating and drinking in the center of Madrid

November 24, 2013Gastronomy, MadridJorge

La Latina is a central neighborhood of Madrid whose bars and restaurants are highly popular among the citizens.

In Madrid, many people is used to going to La Latina at the weekends (especially on Sundays, at midday and afternoon), and visit its bars to eat “tapas” (small dishes of food) and “cañas” (glasses of beer) or wine.

To arrive at La Latina in Madrid, you can go by metro (La Latina Metro Station, using the Line 5) or walk from Puerta del Sol or Plaza Mayor (10mins approx.).

Bars, restaurants and terraces in La Latina

At the weekends, La Latina is always full of people, especially on Sunday at lunch and dinner time, but also in the afternoon and night.

Once you arrived at the metro station, you will see premises everywhere. If you want to eat, our recommendation is to go to “Cava alta” and “Cava baja” streets and check the offers of the different bars and restaurants of the area.

On Cava alta and Cava baja streets, there are a lot of premium places, and also much cheaper ones which offer original and good quality food (from my point of view they are the best places). Finally, some restaurants are cheap but the quality of the food is not the best, so we recommend to look for the best places which could offer a good price.

Other interesting places in the neighborhood: Cebada Market and La Latina theater

Apart from the restaurants, La Latina is also known for its Theater (Teatro de La Latina) and its Market, called Mercado de La Cebada. Both places are visible from the exits of the Metro Station. Read also our post about What to see in Madrid.

Lavapiés: Another zone to eat, near La Latina

If you have already been in La Latina and you want to try something new to eat, Lavapies Neighborhood is placed really close to La Latina and there you will find many more restaurants. When we talk about restaurants, Lavapiés is divided in two zones: On one hand, in Lavapiés Street there are plenty of places to eat ethnic food (Indian, Turkish, Libyan, African…). On the other hand, in the surroundings of Lavapiés Metro Station you will have the opportunity to eat tapas and Spanish food.

More places to visit in Madrid, near La Latina

– El Rastro: (Only on Sundays) In this street market you will find clothes, books, art, antiquities and any other kind of objects. The market is placed at Ribera de Curtidores Street and its surroundings all Sundays from 9:00 to 14:00 h. – Puerta del Sol: This emblematic place is one of the reference points more used in the city, and many citizens are used to dating with other people from this point. – Plaza Mayor: In this traditional square there is a Felipe II statue rounded of white ancient buildings. The young people in the city are used to going to this square to eat squid sandwiches. Moreover, some politicians told once about taking a coffee in there… but from our point of view, there are a lot of better -and cheaper- places in Madrid places to do it). – San Miguel Market: Inside of this famous market you will find an incredibly variety of food: juices, “tapas”, “croquetas”, hamburgers, fruit, fish… all of this of the highest quality. – San Anton Market: This market is placed in the center of Chueca Neighborhood, It is focused in “tapas” and premium food to eat in its stalls and restaurants.

Mercado de San Miguel / San Miguel Market (Madrid)

October 31, 2013Emblematic buildings, Gastronomy, MadridJorge

San Miguel Market is a building placed in San Miguel square (Madrid), between Plaza Mayor / Puerta del Sol and Almudena Cathedral / Palacio Real. Inside of this famous market you will find an incredibly variety of food: juices, “tapas”, “croquetas”, hamburgers, fruit, fish… all of this of the highest quality.

The structure of the market was built in 1913 and consists in a beautiful combination of iron and glass. Before 1913, the market already existed, but these stalls was placed in the street.

What to do in San Miguel Market

The market is always full of tourists who want to taste its premium quality food. Normally people visit the market to have a lunch after visiting the monuments and streets which are near the market (for example, you can start visiting El Retiro Park, Cibeles Square, Neptuno fountain, some museums, El Congreso, Puerta del Sol, Plaza Mayor, and take a rest and eat in the market and later visit Opera Square, Almudena, Palacio Real, Jardines de Sabatini, El Senado, Spain Square, Debod Temple and Gran Via Avenue).

Also, we recommend you to try the famous “bocadillo de calamares” (squid sandwich) in Plaza Mayor, which is 2 minutes on foot from the Market. This sandwich is very popular among the citizens, and also is much cheaper than the food served in San Miguel Market. Read also our post about What to visit in Madrid.

Other similar food markets in Spain

– San Antón Market (Madrid): This market is placed in Chueca Neighborhood, in the centre of Madrid. It is focused in tapas and premium food to eat in its stalls and restaurants.

– La Latina (Madrid): In La Latina, the people is used to go at midday and afternoon every weekend (specially on Sundays) to eat tapas, sandwichs and drink beer and wine in the bars of its streets.

– La Boqueria Market (Barcelona): Placed in Barcelona, near Las Ramblas, this market is similar to San Miguel Maket , and also is the most famous market of Barcelona.

More places to visit in Madrid

– Cibeles: In Cibeles Square you will see the famous Cibeles fountain and some important buildings, like Palacio de Comunicaciones, the headquarters of the Madrid city council.

– Puerta del Sol: This emblematic place is one of the reference points more used in the city, and many citizens are used to dating with other people from this point.

– Plaza de España: Another popular square, in where you can find the firsts skyscrapers of the city, and a beautiful fountain in the middle of the square with a statue of Don Quijote and Sancho Panza.

– Plaza Mayor: In this traditional square there is a Felipe II statue rounded of white ancient buildings. The young people in the city are used to going to this square to eat squid sandwiches. Moreover, some politicians told once about taking a coffee in there… but from our point of view, there are a lot of better -and cheaper- places in Madrid places to do it).

– Opera Square: Really near to the market, you will find there the Opera Theater.

– Gran Via: The most famous avenue of Madrid. It has a lot of theaters, coffee, restaurants and shops.

– Palacio Real and Almudena’s Cathedral: It’s 5 minutes walking from San Miguel Market. Is a must for all tourists.

Metropol Parasol (Las setas) / The mushrooms square (Seville)

October 19, 2013Emblematic buildings, Gastronomy, Seville / SevillaJorge

Metropol Parasol is the official name of this construction placed in Plaza de la Encarnación, near the city centre of Sevilla. Popularly, the structure is known as “Setas de la Encarnación” because of its similarity to a big-scale mushrooms.

The construction consists in a group of six wooden structures (mushrooms) which covers the square. Inside it, there are some different levels in where you can find a roman museum (Antiquarium), a market and two terraces. Also, all of this is surrounded by restaurants, benches and other places to rest and to enjoy the square.
Metropol Parasol was finished in 2011 and cost 86 million euros. It has received a lot of complaints about its expensive price and because its architecture doesn’t fit with the traditional buildings of the area. However, to visit the mushrooms is a unique experience.

If you have the opportunity to visit Seville and you have enough time, our recommendation is to visit this place and to dinner in the square. Surely, you will feel the sensation of being a smurf in the middle of an urban jungle 🙂

What to do in Metropol Parasol (Seville)

– To go to the terrace of the upper levels and see the whole city.

– To have a lunch in the restaurants of the area.

– To visit the museum in the underground level of Metropol Parasol.

– If you are young, to go party in the pubs and discothèques that you can find near the square (at 5 minutes on foot).

More places to visit in Seville

– Plaza de España: It is located in the middle of Maria Luisa Park, in the city center. The square has a fountain in the middle, rounded for a small lake and a building behind it that gives a traditional style to all the place.

– Santa Maria Cathedral and La Giralda: Situated in the heart of Seville, near Guadaquivil river, the Gothic Santa María Cathedral in Seville is the largest Cathedral in Spain, and the largest Gothic Christian Cathedral in the world. In fact, the imposing Cathedral measures 116 metres in length and 76 metres in width, being together with the Zaragoza and the Toledo Cathedrals the three unique Gothic Cathedrals with five naves in Spain.

– Torre del Oro: This ancient tower is by the river, near to San Telmo Bridge. The first part of its structure was constructed in the 13th century when the Muslims lived in Andalusia, one century later it was improved and finished by Pedro I.

– Plaza Nueva: There is the Seville’s Town hall.

– Plaza de toros de la Maestranza.

– Archeological Museum and Arts Museum of Seville: Both of them are placed in Maria Luisa Park.

– Canal de Alfonso XIII: This watercourse passes just alongside Maria Luisa Park.

The best places in Spain

A guide to visit Spain, written by Spaniards