Bruselas

Avda. Bruselas, 53 (91-726-4535)

Not for the average tourist visiting Madrid, being a bit in the outskirts. More concretely, this is a typical 60s cafeteria installed in the typical (if rather wealthy) 60s-built quarter far off the centre of the town. Maybe foreigners installed in the NH Avenidas hotel, placed in the same quarter (Parque de las Avenidas) and supposedly attractive for those very interested either in attending bullfights (la plaza de las Ventas is quite near) or in experiencing suburban life in Madrid, would have a chance to go.

Still, it is not at all usual to find foreigners here. This is a family restaurant if there ever was any, with plenty of families among the customer base and plenty of family food in the menu. And with a lovely terraza that makes it an ideal sitio for coming in the summer (spring is even better if the day is sunny -not so hot as summer).

I particularly love the gambas con gabardina, a sixties/seventies-style ración that reminds me of those teenage summers I spent in El Escorial (full of people from the Parque de las Avenidas in that season), summers in which I (kind of simultaneously) discovered these wonderful gambas (something like shrimp tempura, but definitely less delicate and, if they are good and you are a 30/40-something madrileño, even more delightful), real patatas bravas (real means that they are not bathed in industrial tomato sauce or -worse still- ketchup, but in an orange pimenton sauce instead) and minis de cerveza.

But there are other nice things, among which we usually take the delicias de merluza a la romana, a very traditional dish that is a landmark here (maybe a bit expensive, but never disappointing). Meat is also good (I have sometimes taken the entrecot de buey) and so are some of the entrants (morcilla de burgos, several salads, verduras a la parrilla, habitas con jamón).

If you, like me, are within the baby carrito crowd, this place is only an option if you plan to go to the terraza (main indoors comedor is in the basement and you need to negotiate a rather narrow staircase). And it is ideal for lunch. Otherwise, if you are a double income no kids couple, this could be an interesting garito to go have dinner in the summer before visiting some of the very nice bares de copas in the Parque, where you can listen to wonderful new wave music... I'm referring to the Rowland, the Any Trouble (I don't know if it is still open) or the much bigger Barracudas.

Oh, and I would hate to forget telling you that the service is serious and professional, quite in the old 60s school. As we 30/40-something madrileños usually love (after all, we are so sentimental)