The verbena continues in Madrid with the Fiestas de La Paloma
If you are a party pro, at this point you have been partying for seven days. **First it was San Cayetano, then came San Lorenzo. ** The costumes of chulapas and chulapos continued to walk and dance at any time of the day and night. The lemon (although it's almost more of a sangria) "for the will" has been cooling this heat wave that has invaded the parties in Madrid and will now continue to water the streets of La Latina in the climax and end of this infinite verbena that Madrid lives in August with the patron saint, the Virgin of La Paloma.
Long live Madrid in August and long live its festivities! Because we don't get tired of saying it: ** Madrid in August is also cool ** and a lot, we continue to throw ourselves into its streets, to spend idle hours with a glass of lemon in one hand and a fan in the other, to go to concerts and dance all night.
The best eggs in Madrid.
In La Paloma, the night programming is led by Emir Kusturica and his Non-Smoking Orchestra, but there is much more modern: Los Punsetes, Las Hinds, Disco Las Palmeras!, Fuckain and Sierra.
There are five days with their nights of celebrations that we have to survive. So we have studied the program conscientiously to get all your kitchen proposals and we review all the places where you can go on a gastronomic route.
SATURDAY 11
San Lorenzo passes the baton to the Virgen de La Paloma (in fact, on Saturday the two festivals still coincide, you can do a double). The verbena goes from Lavapiés to La Latina and the stalls of ins and outs, chicken and sandwiches (very greasy to soak) from Calle Argumosa to nerve center of these festivities, the Plaza de las Vistillas, with other unmissable places, such as the plazas of La Paja or La Cebada and, of course, all the surrounding streets.
Montadito de zarajos special for La Paloma.
La Paloma starts strong with a paella of vegetables and lemonade for all the neighbors in the Travesía de Grafal (C/ Almendron with Cava Baja) at lunchtime. If you don't arrive on time, or you don't feel like paella, you are next to The Antonita, the restaurant of The Dragon Inn, where they transfer the spirit of the holidays to the menu. And of course you have Lucio: why not start off big with u**us Lucio's Eggs? More castido, impossible.
In the afternoon, after strolling through the verbena, you can test your skills in the Porron drinking contest (Plaza de la Paja) or stop by the restaurant Cow Widow –and its 100 years of history– to its tasting of Madrid stew. Yes, against the heat, a potajito.
SUNDAY 12
Was the night hard? Well, there is no pain, the party does not stop on Sunday. So we continue touring the Latin streets. You can whet your appetite with a stop at the bar Matritum Tavern to try the two tapas they have created in honor of La Paloma: montadito of zarajos, kimchi mayonnaise and herbs; and marinated dogfish paper (drink+tapa for €6.5) . And we continue with the tasting of tapas from Madrid that the Los Angeles restaurant: a free beer and tapa.
For dinner, we continue with traditional aromas and flavors, and, in addition, free! In Cava Baja, Calle del Almendro and Costanilla de San Pedro from seven to eight in the evening every day “Free tasting of typical Madrid dishes: old clothes, ins and outs, chicken, fried eggs, squid sandwich, French toast and lemonade”.
A spoon!
MONDAY 13
The free tastings continue with the tapas of **callos a la madrileña from the Viuda de Vacas restaurant.**
And since it is a quieter day, perfect to gather strength for the big days, a break on the terrace of The traveler, or a good breakfast or snack in the new ** Café Angélica. **
And more calluses! Those of a traditional castizo.
TUESDAY 14
Are you tired of so much ins and outs and chicken? Too many corns and lemon? As it is the most important night in all of La Paloma, we stayed around Las Vistillas and changed a bit of gastronomic third. For example, in the r Peruvian restaurant Piscomar, where the five days of the festivities will make a tasting of 100 Peruvian tapas. Another option is Mexican cuisine in the classic Alamillo Taqueria or in Tacos & Tapas. And looking for something healthier, after these days of excesses, the vegetarian hamburgers of Long live Burger.
WEDNESDAY 15
The La Paloma festivities end as they began: with a popular vegetable paella in La Cara B, organized by the traditional dance group Viva Madrid, and which is followed by music, tuna and chotis contest. This is how the patron saint is honored.
Although as the final banquet of 13 days of festival, we deserve the tribute, for example, with **a classic banquet in El Landó. **
And until next year!