Rare John
Pizzerias, cafes, wine bars and even brand-new design venues are crowded into the triangle formed by the area of the **Rastro, Tirso de Molina and the Reina Sofía Museum**. The best thing is that these new neighbors coexist harmoniously with the more classic ones, those who never let themselves be seduced by the bright neon lights of modernity and, even so, have continued to attract people to their bar.
The opening of NuBel , that wonder located in the enlargement of the Reina Sofia Museum (Jean Nouvel building), has once again put Lavapiés in the spotlight of the city . It is imposing in space -very high ceilings, spacious and with various environments-, in decoration, in the purest sixties style, and with Scandinavian furniture; It is impressive also in time, open all day, from breakfast until dawn ; and, of course, in gastronomic proposals, from breakfast to brunch, tapas menu, meals, signature cocktails... Wow, there are even DJ sessions.
NuBel
THE FIRST COFFEE
Lavapiés is changing, there is no doubt, but calm down, because although the aesthetics change, good customs do not. for that very reason the coffee continues to be the protagonist from early in the morning, with the difference that it can be enjoyed in places like cafelito , a pioneer in this third generation coffee since he arrived in the neighborhood - don't leave without trying his cold coffee 'Cafelito'.
cafelito
or in Boom Boom Coffee , a place that, in addition to worshiping good coffee, boasts organic and healthy cuisine. Salads, sandwiches and more than healthy court brunch whether or not you are a vegetarian. must not be overlooked Mandarin China , that cafe that looks like a restaurant located on the Cascorro Square , where you can also have breakfast or snack, and very well.
ALWAYS PIZZA
Good pizzas have also been seduced by the neighborhood. Like fresh out of the oven -and without the 'like'- **they are NAP , one hundred percent pizzas made in the Neapolitan style, hence the acronym of its name ( Neapolitan Authentic Pizza ) : thin and elastic dough, neither too crispy nor too soft. But they are not the only representatives of the most international Italian cuisine. Before came the pizzas of ** López y López, in its Roman version -thin and crunchy dough-, by the hand of Raquel , a Madrilenian in love with the cuisines of the world and who has found her general (gastronomic) headquarters in Lavapiés.
Oven-baked thin pizzas
MEXICO IN LAVAPIÉS
In addition to the Italian Raquel surrenders to the charms of Mexican cuisine ; in fact, she is yours The Old Taqueria , a place next to the pizzeria and that has been serving some of the best tacos in the city for a few years now - there are countless lives that she has saved on a hungover Sunday…-.
And if we talk about aztec food , unthinkable not to mention some good nachos, like the ones he prepares at the moment with homemade guacamole and melted cheese Cutzamala , a mexican street food stall on the ground floor of Anton Martin Market , an obligatory stop for those who go to the neighborhood for the first time for a gastronomic view. In fact, this market has begun to emerge gastro level, and currently the vegetable, meat and fish stalls coexist with interesting proposals of cuisine of essence street food.
Birria De Res
ASIA ALSO IN LAVAPIÉS
This is where, without a doubt, **the freshly made sushi at Yoka Loka** or the forceful baos de Buns and Bones , the first place in the city specialized in Chinese steamed bread muffins. Each in their own style have managed to transform a simple market stall into a quality street restaurant. The same is happening with the San Fernando Market , with a more alternative cut in its kitchen bet to take in the market itself. Although if I have to keep one, without a doubt the ** Yan Ken Pon Washoku ** sushi, of course, made to order.
Buns and Bones
FLAVORS OF GREECE
Going out on the street again, it is easy to run into new street food proposals, such as the suvlakis, some strangers in the city until Zanasis Skopelitis he has brought them from his native Greece. It is the base of suvlakería Aegean, a tavern specializing in one of the most typical Greek dishes -somewhere between a kebab and a sandwich-.
Greek street food: this is Lavapiés suvlaki
THE TAVERNS OF ALWAYS
Nearby still stand Alfaro Wineries , one of those traditional taverns where wine was served in bulk in the past and which today continues to serve good wine -unique references from all over Spain- and well shot rods accompanied by mojamas, salmorejo and other tapas from the south. And they are not the only wineries that are still standing; Wineries The Maximum they also continue to wage war, although the owners are no longer the same, but the place maintains that spirit of a neighborhood bar as always and. For the most nostalgic still, the anchovy , the typical bar where the waiters still wear white jackets and serve delicious anchovies as a tapa. Or the ** Achuri ,** the bar you go to when you want to reminisce about your college and kalimocho years.
Alfaro Tavern in its origins
THE MENU OF THE DAY IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD
In the menus of the day section surprises are constant. And if not, try to get a table at the chuchis, that since they arrived a few years ago they have not stopped having a queue at the door to make room for themselves, no matter what time it is . The secret is in the British-inspired home cooking preparing Scott Preston daily.
Chuchis and comfort food
Another option is to enter the extravagant world of Rare John , not for being eccentric, but for the unusual and eclectic of his commitment to the menu, in which he combines exotic ingredients with spoon dishes and very traditional traditions. It is best to go and try it. More traditional is Badila , an eatery that has been in the neighborhood for over a decade serving interesting homemade dishes (casserole of cocido madrileño with consommé, ravioli stuffed with mushrooms or beef stew with peas) in their quoted menu of the day -they also have menus on weekends-. The one that has been open the least time, **although it has plenty of history behind it, is Café Pavón , a cafeteria recovered on the ground floor of the Pavón Theater (now the Kamikaze Theater) ** and which returns its tradition of sandwiches and portions to the bar very from here, like the Russian salad.
Is Lavapiés sweet or salty?
CAPRICHOS AND SNACKS FOR THE AFTERNOON
If you feel like something sweet in the middle of the afternoon, you have to drop by tulup , a mexican ice cream parlor which has brought ice creams on a stick back to the fore, but not ice, but fresh squeezed fruit. But if what you want is something salty, it is best to go to places like the Melo's , one of the classic and famous for his shoes (toasts) of lacón with tetilla cheese, as well as croquettes and padrón peppers. Or the Benteveo , a seventies cafeteria recovered with all its essence; so much so that it seems taken from a chapter of Tell me (although in reality he has already starred in several scenes of the magnificent television series The Ministry of Time ), and try their homemade hummus or their lomito (veal sandwich). Or if you prefer, and the weather is good, it is best to go into that promenade that is Calle Argumosa and choose one of its terraces, such as the Automatic , one of the referents ever since.
THE SPICY NIGHT
Looking ahead to the night there are also news. It is the case of the unbiased, a café-restaurant-gallery opened in the former headquarters of the newspaper of the same name and that has given it the glamor that the area of the upper Lavapiés . For those who prefer something simpler, ** La Fisna, ** a wine cellar that has stopped being just a gourmet shop to become a tavern specializing in wines (be careful because theirs are true rarities brought from small wineries) and a menu with dishes from very homemade cut to nibble something in each sip. Y Skirt , a larger tavern-restaurant , in which a firm commitment is made to Galician wines. For those who prefer beers, and I mean craft beers, The 8:00 Mass , a tavern that has been selling its loyal customers for some years now, of which there are already quite a few. And from there, to dance The 80 or the Juggler, veterans of the lavapiesera night; or try new ones, like The basement -before going on, take a look at their programming, because theirs is more about concerts- or the Club 33 , one of the most underground rooms. And so on until the body endures or they close down at around six in the morning.
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