That metaphorical and seductive beehive, which, for all intents and purposes, is Central Madrid, always offers, in terms of the lure of the traditional, an adventure to discover and, of course, an opportunity to savor the pleasures of its abundant and varied cuisine.
Without leaving one of the busiest and most visited streets throughout the year—a detail that somehow makes it irremediably timeless—on this occasion, we'll make a stop at another of those establishments of yesteryear, whose name, Tapas y Más, invites you to participate in the always delicate mission of maintaining a pleasant balance between body and spirit: eating.
On Espoz y Mina Street, a few meters from that diabolical diagonal formed by the narrow Cross Street, whose imaginary crossbars are formed by Barcelona Street and the legendary Alvarez Gato Alley, next to another highly recommended establishment called 'La Tintorería' (The Dry Cleaners), this is not the first, nor will it be the last, time that I've been seduced by this establishment, whose basements could well have been the ideal setting for those great Hollywood detective classics in which Humphrey Bogart's masterful performances were just beginning to shine.
Leaving behind, then, the Afro-Cuban appeal of ‘La Negra Tomasa’ and its mojitos, laced with Caribbean rum and memories of Guantanamera, the riveting Andalusian guitar and castanets of ‘Tablao Flamenco’, as well as the striking colors of the tricolor flag of the Green Erín, which have transformed another old traditional venue into an Irish pub where we still yearn for the magical Dublin where James Joyce grew up, I invite you to a brief, though hopefully succulent, stroll through the kitchen of Tapas y Más.
We will pass through the first floor, which has a terrace and exit to Barcelona Street, and descend into those ancient underground passages, the layout of whose bovería (vault) is in itself a true architectural treasure to be discovered, as it constitutes a testament to the irreducible solidity of those times when construction was an art and the historical effluvia of times of conspiracies, cover-ups, and revolution still seem to float in the tunnels, to savor one of the last menus I had the chance to taste.
Simple in seasoning, yet substantial and artfully presented, the traditional Madrid tripe—the same ones they despised in places like Australia, until they discovered that Spanish emigrants knew exactly what they were eating—is one of those essential dishes, where even dipping the sauce with bread is a delicious pleasure.
Of course, washed down with a solera wine, full of character and always friendly to the palate, which, bearing a splendid designation of origin on its label, never disappoints: Ribera del Duero.
If this hearty first course, like Madrid tripe, weren't enough to calm that metaphorical tiger that is our stomach, we can always accompany it with a light and succulent grilled salmon loin, garnished with salad.
And to top it all off, a traditional dessert that no self-respecting sweet tooth can ever resist: a juicy and exquisite chocolate cream, so delicious, I assure you, that it encourages optimism and the will to live, living up to the old saying of the Roman poet Horace, summed up in two simple words: Carpe Diem, live, enjoy the moment as if it were your last.
In short: an establishment worth visiting when hunger and daydreaming tell you it's time to take a break.
NOTICE: Both the text and the accompanying photographs are my exclusive intellectual property and are therefore subject to my copyright.
