Madrid- Arguelles/Moncloa

I'll be in Madrid for a few days of Semana Santa. Anyone have any recs for inexpensive casual eating in the Arguelles/Moncloa area of the capital?
Thanks,
Thomas D.

While it may cater to tourists and is probably not in the area you described, I have always enjoyed the baby lamb or suckling pig served at Restaurant Botin around the Plaza Mayor. The lamb and pigs are incredibly young by US standards (about 7 pounds) and cooked simply over a wood fire. Restaurant Botin claims to be the oldest restaurant in the world. They also have a pretty good, reasonably priced wine list (as is very common in Spain). Best of luck.

Deesher (and anybody else), I'd love to hear recommendations especially for the area around the Plaza Mayor, or Madrid generally, as we will be there soon as well. Thanks.

Sorry I didn´t get back to you earlier, but....
First af all, in Madrid, there are restaurants and tapas bars, practically everywhere, so, is very easy to find places to enjoy. I can give you a few pointers on places with a certain reputation of quality, that also mean higher prices.
In the Moncloa-Argüelles area there is Dominus in calle Francisco de Ricci, 15. I haven´t been there in the last year but used to be quite good.
In calle Ferraz, 36, there is el Antojo. Very good , with a well known cook. Expensive though. In Paseo de Rosales there are a few that are OK. Casa de Levante, I´m not sure is still open, I heard had closed recently, also towards the parque del Oeste there is el Molino de los Porches, Pintor Rosales, 1. On the gardens side of the street. It shouldn´t be difficult to locate because it looks like a country house. In Vallehermoso, 94, almost corner with Cea Bermudez, los Asturianos, good healthy food.
As far as the Plaza mayor area, there are tons of restaurants (turistic), here are a few that are good.
In addition to Botin and in the calle Cava Baja you can find Lucio (castillian), la Posada de la Villa (castillian), Julian de Tolosa (vasque).
In th parallel street, Cava Alta, 32, is las Isidras (madrileñan). Also of the same type there are Rest. Malacatin (Ruda,5), el Villagodio (San Agustin, 6),Genoveva de Barri (Espejo, 10), Casa Ciriaco (Calle mayor, 84).
A little farther, towards calle Atocha and Plaza Anton Martin, el Ventorrillo Murciano, in Tres Peces, 20, (very good for rices and fresh vegetables from the S.E. area of Spain) and, finally, towards the Gran Via area, a nice place for tapas and meals is la Tasquita de Enfrente, Ballesta, 6.
If you want to explore a little more you can go to www.paginasamarillas.es, go to restaurants and you can get more info.
I hope you know some spanish!!!!

Indeed I do. Thanks for the great tips Rafa.

Deesher (and anybody else), I'd love to hear recommendations especially for the area around the Plaza Mayor, or Madrid generally, as we will be there soon as well. Thanks.

As for general Madrid recs, my boyfriend wants his ashes scattered in front of La Toscana (eat the morcilla) and La Trucha (the verbena). They're both close to Plaza Santa Ana. Also, if you have any Spanish, you can ask about the place, also near Plaza Santa Ana, that specializes in a tapas dish with roquefort and anchovy. My boyfriend thinks you just have to ask, "Where the roquefort?" I wouldn't necessarily trust him on that since he hasn't been back to Madrid in about 10 years, but he's re-created the dish for me, and I think it would be well worth seeking out in its original form.

La Toscana
C/ Ventura de la Vega 22, 28014 Madrid, Spain
914 296 031

La Trucha
Manuel Fernández González 3

Any other Madrid tips? We will be near the Plaza Mayor.

Also interested in recommendations for day trips from Madrid, as so many interesting places are within a couple of hours. Which would you absolutely recommend over the rest?

Any other Madrid tips? We will be near the Plaza Mayor.

Also interested in recommendations for day trips from Madrid, as so many interesting places are within a couple of hours. Which would you absolutely recommend over the rest?

I was just in Madrid last April. Definitely row a boat in el Retiro on a sunny day. Depending on how good of a rower you are and how crowded the lake is, you'll make friends doing this. Near Plaza Mayor, visit las cuevas de Luis Candelas.

Two more specific recommendations for eating in Madrid (neither super close to Plaza Mayor, but the span of Madrid is walkable):
1) Maceiras: Huertas (Centro) 66, 28014 Madrid, Spain, 914 295 818
It was a NYT recommendation for cheap eating in Madrid, but my friend and I ate there and had a very pleasant meal. Particularly memorable were the octopus and croquettes.

2) Casa Mingo: Paseo de la Florida 34, Madrid, Spain, 91/547-7918
I haven't been here, but my boyfriend says go to Casa Mingo to eat the roast chicken and drink hard cider. Be prepared to hawk a table.

Oh yeah, also have chocolate con churros one late night.

As for day trips, make Segovia your first priority. My fondest memories of my trip to Madrid are of our day in Segovia. Eat lechon somewhere close to the aqueduct but higher up. I don't know if you'll have children with you, but they also have fabulous carousels here.

After Segovia, I'd say Toledo then El Escorial for day trips.

i had an amazing meal at a small, kind of dank bar in madrid that i believe was called simply "bar galicia".

as the name implies, it was a galician bar and their specialties, we were told, were grilled octopus and grilled steak, both cooked with lots of garlic and served sizzling in skillets and sprinkled with coarse flaky galician sea salt.

i'm sure we ate lots of other things, but i so remember those two items and being simply blown away at their simple, strong flavors.

i don't know what neighborhood it was in, but it wasn't far from the prado and the modern art museum (thyssen something) because that's what we were doing that day.

highly recommended. best damn octopus i've ever eaten.

Mike G, take a look a little further back in my answer to Thomas D. In the second half I listed for you a few places near the Plaza Mayor. I am not sure if you saw it.