The post about the original El Patio del Fisgón was subtitled “Feel like you’ve discovered Narnia.” If the Barrio de Salamanca location seemed to be a turn-off for those who prefer galavanting around Malasaña and Chueca, my very own neighborhood, Chamberí (which is becoming more and more de moda by the minute) has its very own Patio del Fisgón to enjoy. If the location was a caveat in the original location, the Chamberí locale has an unbeatable one: on the very Plaza de Chamberí. This castiza plaza is not as big as nearby Olavide, but its strategic location equidistant from Bilbao, Alonso Martínez, Ponzano, and Rubén Darío makes it a great place to be when the weather gets warmer.

Daphne and I made our way there one early Sunday afternoon in the dead of winter, and we imagined how satisfying it will be to sit outside on the outdoor furniture they have set up right on the plaza once it’s finally terraza weather. We found ourselves very lucky to be able to get a table without a reservation (this was at about 1:30 PM) as the crowds started to pour in about 20 minutes after we sat down.

Much like in the original, the interior transports you to days with better weather, like the back wall with its lush greenery that makes you feel like you’re in a garden rather than in one of the city’s residential hubs.

Each place-setting is unique with whimsical furniture, from the chairs, the tiles on top of some of the tables, and the choice of placemats.

So now that the wonderful ambience is covered, let’s get to the menu. There’s a great variety, so if you watch very carefully what you eat (like me), this is a perfect place to go where it won’t be painstakingly difficult to find something you’ll love and be satisfied afterwards. During the week, there’s a special menu depurativo with a choice of salad or gazpacho and then a tortilla francesa or grilled chicken. This will definitely come in handy once Operación Bikini preparations come into high gear.

The first thing that made me fall in love with this place was the fact that gazpacho was on the menu all year round.

I must have been andaluza in a past life because my love for gazpacho knows no bounds

It was a perfectly-sized cazuela that was a great way to kick off the meal. The texture was just the way I liked it; I probably could have slurped it in a glass had I been given the option. As my next option, I went with the huevos rotos sobre alcachofas y butifarra negra. I have to admit that I’m a sucker for eggs on Sundays and I’m also really into artichokes. These were some of the best artichokes I’ve ever had.

They were grilled instead of fried, preserving the softness from a cooked artichoke and not too heavy. The addition of the butifarra added for an extra flavor element, but there was definitely more egg and artichoke (just the way I wanted it). I savored every single bite and I’m dreaming of the next time I’m going to be able to order it.

As for Daphne, her milhojas de berenjena y queso de cabra were amazing.

Just on presentation alone they look out of this world…

The tomato sauce was perfect and the eggplant and goat cheese was perfectly balanced. This dish is on the Para Compartir section of the menu, but the portion size was definitely satisfying for one. When you come here, you MUST get the milhojas. You will not regret it. The rest of the menu has a lot of variety, giving you options for any mood. From Wednesday to Saturday, the kitchen always stays open during the day, which makes it ideal if you’re in the neighborhood, hungry, and everywhere else isn’t able to make you something.

If you’re coming for dinner, definitely make a reservation, and follow Cat’s advice from the last post and try to make the reservation later so you have more time to savor your time on the Patio del Fisgón.

Info

El Patio del Fisgón Chamberí
Where: Plaza de Chamberí, 2
Phone: +34 914 10 94 45
Website & Facebook
Email: chamberi@elpatiodelfisgon.com
Metro: Iglesia (Line 1), Bilbao (Lines 1 and 4), Rubén Darío (Line 5), Alonso Martínez (Lines 4, 5, and 10)

Also check out our post on the original Patio del Fisgón in Barrio Salamanca!

Calle Ponzano has been getting a lot of love not only on Naked Madrid, but in other Spanish press as well. I have the fortune of being a Chamberí resident, with Ponzano literally around the corner from my apartment, so a quick tomar algo is always another excuse to go ponzaning. I have been to Bar Lambuzo, La Contraseña, and of course, my all-time favorite Sala de Despiece, (other restaurants on calle Ponzano featured in Naked include Taberna Alipio Ramos, Casa Picsa and Toque de Sal) but I had always passed by MUTA Smoking Club without ever trying to get in. Then there was Blanca Suárez’s blog post for Vogue that mentioned MUTA; the headline said si queréis flipar. I casually added it to my list of neighborhood joints to try and was waiting for an excuse to go. It was much to my surprise that on a Saturday night at 9 PM I was able to get in before going to a party in Embajadores.

MUTA, the brainchild of Javier Bonet (who owns Sala de Despiece and the Academia del Despiece), changes its concept every few months. That’s where the name comes from. There was one point where it served food from Baleares, but now, as a smoking club, everything is barbecue, aka smoked meat. Walking in takes you away from Madrid and instead transports you to a barbecue joint somewhere in America, at the very least like those barbecue places they always show on Man vs. Food, the fire episode of Michael Pollan’s Cooked on Netflix, or the season of American Top Chef when they were in Texas.

The menu is varied, with appetizers, a variety of meats you can order to share, and more. We first decided to share a take on croquetas with cornbread and potato that had tzatziki sauce on top. The greens that came on top were also top-notch. They were definitely worth the extra amount of exercise I needed to do the next day to make up for it.

Next up was the meat and the green salad. The green salad was fantastic; the dressing was light enough to make sure the flavor reached all of the greens, but the dressing doesn’t overpower the palate-cleansing attributes you look for in a salad. To go with the salad, we couldn’t go to a barbecue place without consuming some meat.

Like the carnivore’s paradise that is its sister restaurant, MUTA Smoking Club is the perfect place for carnivores (like me). There are different types of meats you can choose from in trays to share: there’s beef tongue, brisket, salmon, or even hamburgers. There is also a mixed tray that you can get to share with different kinds of meat to try (this is ideal for larger groups looking for a true picoteo). Since we weren’t that hungry, we stuck with one meat, and I decided to go with pulled pork. I am not the biggest pork fan if it’s not in the form of jamón or fuet because cooked pork tends to be very dry (too dry for my taste), but when I took that first bite of pulled pork into my mouth, I was sold.

It comes with classic potato rolls reminiscent of summertime family cookouts and mustard, so you can either make your own sandwich or just dip the meat into the mustard and eat it. I decided to go with some by itself, some as a sandwich, and then have the rest along with the salad.

While we didn’t take the next step and get dessert, the tray they passed around looked absolutely to die for. Fortunately, when you live around the corner from there, there’s always a reason to go back (and also to try the mixed meat tray because that looked absolutely incredible) and have some more barbecue a lo Ponzano.

Info

Where: Calle de Ponzano, 10
Phone: +34 912 50 98 97
Website & Facebook
Metro: Alonso Cano (Line 7) or Iglesia (Line 1)

More gems on Calle Ponzano:

• Bar Lambuzo, a family-run Andalucían tavern
• Casa Picsa, great Argentine pizza on Calle Ponzano
• Toque de Sal restaurant, so chic and so good
• Taberna Alipio Ramos, old school bar on Calle Ponzano

Whether you’re planning a trip to Madrid or a long-time resident looking for new ideas, Madrid is full of great options to keep your little ones entertained.

You might also like my article on workout tips for moms in Madrid.

Parks

Madrid is home to several great parks that offer lots of fun activities.

Madrid Rio: Why not go for a run with your baby along the park lining the Manzanares River? Parents running with a jogging stroller in Spain used to get a lot of odd stares. The running boom has changed all that and made jogging strollers a trend that’s here to stay. Get yours at Baby Running – an online store with top-of-the-line sport strollers.

Casa de Campo:  Casa de Campo is a huge park housing the amusement park, zoo aquarium with more than 6,000 animals, and a scenic lake with outdoor cafes and boats for rent. If you’d like to avoid traffic jams and screaming kids on the metro, try the cable car for a scenic view of Madrid along the way. You may want to make sure you are out of the park before it gets dark as escorts tend to make their appearance later in the day.

Retiro: Look for a puppet show at the outdoor theatre on weekends and enjoy the many other street performers surrounding the pond at the center of the park. You can also rent row boats if you’re feeling confident in your deltoids, or sit back and relax on the solar boat. If you are looking to get some exercise, Diverbikes across from the O’Donnell entrance rents all different kinds of bikes, and surreys.  Rain driving you and your kids up the wall? Check out the second floor of the library in the park for a space dedicated to babies and children.

Theme parks and zoos

In addition to the amusement park and zoo aquarium in Casa de Campo, your children will also love seeing the animals at Faunia in Valdebernardo. Visitors can interact with cage-free animals, and even feed them. The manatee exhibit and petting zoo tend to be a big hit.

If you have a car, the 30 kilometer drive to Warner Theme Park is the worth the trip. With five different park areas, including Hollywood Boulevard, Superheroes World, Cartoon Village, the Old West and WB Movie World Studios, there are plenty of options to keep everyone in your family happy. Younger kids will love seeing Batman, Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck and Superman while older kids and parents check out the latest roller coasters, log fumes and rapid rivers.

You also have the largest water park in Europe about 15 minutes from Madrid in Villanueva de la Cañada. Aquópolis can get very packed during the peak season so you may be better off going to one of Madrid’s outdoor pools on hot summer weekends.

Summer pool by UCM

Sports fans

Kids dreaming of becoming the next Cristiano Ronaldo will forever thank you for taking them to the tour of the Santiago Bernabeu stadium. Mini Real Madrid fans will be in heaven as they visit the players’ locker room, the President’s Balcony and even sit on the players’ bench.

Little ones hoping to join Cholo’s squad will love seeing the Atlético de Madrid Museum. Atlético fans will adore looking at the trophies, memorabilia and collection of shoes and balls dating back to 1903.

Kid-friendly museums

If your kids hear the word “museum” and start to groan, several museums in Madrid could change all that.

The Wax Museum has over 450 figures including Harry Potter, Snow White, The Simpsons and Frodo from “The Lord of the Rings”. Look online for special discounts for families.

The Madrid Railway Museum contains a selection of 19th century trains, related exhibits and a wide range of family friendly activities. Take a break afterwards and have a snack in the café located in a 1930s carriage. In Spring and Fall you can also take a ride to Aranjuez on an old-fashioned train, the Strawberry Train (Tren de la Fresa).

Madrid’s Planetarium lets little explorers observe other galaxies, planets, stars and black holes. Children’s workshops are also available for Spanish-speaking little ones.

With huge dinosaur skeletons and weekend workshops for children, the National Museum of Natural Sciences is another good option for families.

Theatre and concerts for babies and kids

Madrid offers a wide range of theatre and concerts designed for babies and children. The bill is constantly changing so check BabyTribu and Sapos y Princesas for the latest options.

Other ideas

Older kids who are into go-carts will love the Carlos Sainz Center in Madrid and Las Rozas.

Little ones may enjoy visiting The Casa Museo del Ratoncito Pérez – the Spanish version of the tooth fairy. The hours change so check their website before going.

Located inside the Kinépolis movie theatre, The Magic Forest is a children’s park with slides, climbing trees and mazes.

Nearly every neighborhood in Madrid has a play center (ludoteca). Find the one closest to you here.

By Marybeth Redheffer

Marybeth is the founder of Baby Running, an online store selling sport strollers so you can stay fit with the little ones in the city! Check out her website and facebook.

You might also like: Workout tips for moms in Madrid!

If you are a former gym buff wondering how you can get some exercise that doesn’t involve changing diapers or pushing a swing, fear not! Your workout days don’t have to be over.

Also check out my previous article on great child-friendly activities in Madrid!

Yoga

Mom and baby yoga is a great way to get out of the house, recover strength and flexibility and spend time with your baby. Most yoga classes go from 6 weeks until the baby starts crawling. Check out the Mom and Baby yoga classes at Centro El Patio near the Bilbao metro stop and Zentro Yoga close to the Retiro on Calle Claudio Coello.

Yoga for families is another good option for toddlers and children (the age requirement varies from center to center). City Yoga offers classes for parents and toddlers from 1-3 years and Centro Infantil Nariz Roja starts at 4 years.

Gyms with daycare

Unfortunately gyms with daycare are few and far between in Madrid. Why deep-pocketed entrepreneurs aren’t investing in gyms with daycare remains a mystery. If you are lucky enough to live near one of the gyms that offer daycare, be sure to ask the minimum age before going. Some won’t take babies or toddlers.

• Virgin Atlantic Capitán Haya (Tetuán)

• Zagros Puerta Europa (Chamartin)

• Holmes Places (Moraleja)

• Reebok Sports Club (Pozuelo)

Try Baby Running

Going for a run with your baby or toddler is probably the most convenient way to get some exercise. Just make sure you have a proper jogging stroller – you don’t want to hurt your little one in the process!  If you’re tight on space, opt for a model that can go from swivel to fixed wheel and it can also serve as your everyday stroller. Check out Baby Running for a selection of top-rated sport strollers.

Try Baby Blading

If rollerblading is your thing, the BOB Revolution PRO is the first stroller to be certified for rollerblading. Get yours here.

Rent bikes

Places to rent bicycles are popping up all over the city. Go for a bike ride with your kids in a nearby park, or if you live in the center, the Paseo del Prado is closed for cars from 9AM-4PM on Sundays. Located across from the O’Donnell entrance to the Retiro, Diverbikes is also a fun way for the whole family to get some exercise.

MamiFit classes

MamiFit classes are designed to help new moms in their postpartum recovery, with an emphasis on hypopressive exercises to strengthen the pelvic floor and core. The best part is that you can bring your baby, a few of his or her favorite toys and get in a workout (if your baby cooperates☺).

Go swimming

Take your children for a swim at one of the many indoor and outdoor public pools. If your little ones could use some help learning to swim, some pools offer swimming lessons. Take advantage of class time to do some laps yourself!

YouTube

Ignore your to-do list and use nap time to release some endorphins doing exercise at home. There are tons of good full-length exercise videos on YouTube. Some favorites are All Around Fitness and Body Rock.

By Marybeth Redheffer

Marybeth is the founder of Baby Running, an online store selling sport strollers so you can go out for a run with the little one in the city! Check out her website and facebook.

You might also like: Madrid with kids – tips from a mom!

I’ve started jokingly referring to Gran Via as my Madrid version of the River Thames. Should you know London, you’ll know that when it comes to being a dweller of the affectionately nicknamed ‘smog’, you very much fall either the North or South camp thanks to the watery divide; and to this end I feel that the same can be said for Madders. If you’re Fuencarral side of Gran Via you tend to spend your free time hot footing it around the streets of Malasaña and Chueca. Whereas if you veer down towards Sol, you can usually be found whiling away time between La Latina and Lavapiés. Either way, had I not crossed the ‘symbolic’ gulf provided by our very own Oxford Street equivalent, I may never have found El Imparcial.

Inconspicuous and almost completely nondescript from the exterior, El Imparcial is quite the find upon entering. On the right hand side your greeted by a pocket-sized bar where you can grab a coffee or a cana. However, make your way up the impressively sized staircases and you enter into an Aladdin’s Cave of all round prettiness. I’m loathe to bandy around this term liberally, but the high ceilings and beautifully restored décor can almost be described as ‘breath taking’ – close one eye and squint with the other and it does have a touch of the old Palace De Versailles about it.

Part concept store, part restaurant, El Imparcial straddles a line where you literally want everything that you see. Cocktails, they’ve got them in spades. Food, well there are morsels so delicious that it wouldn’t be uncommon to not want to share your starter *apologies to my fam as I inhaled the bao buns without as much as a thought of ‘did you want to try one?!’

Last but not least are the Wallpaper magazine worthy purchases waiting to adorn your casa. El Imparcial stocks a carefully (and I’d hazard a guess, lovingly) curated range of stationary, magazines and books – apt really considering the building once housed a newspaper.

Food wise they offer a complete smorgasbord of delights. We wolfed down (amongst other treats) Roasted black cod with miso edamame beans, oxtail croquettes and a lip smackingly good buttifara pizza with scamorza. Our lunch lasted for hours, dinner…even longer. It really is one of those places that seems to draw you in and make you not want to leave (or maybe after the array of cocktails placing one foot in front of other could’ve been tricky and partly to blame for the desire not to budge).

Did I mention just how pretty it is? *and that’s just the staff. Book well ahead or find yourself lingering outside, nose pressed against the glass wanting to get in.

Info

• Facebook & Web
• Address: Calle Duque de Alba, 4, 28012 Madrid
• Metro: Tirso de Molina

Sometimes when I go out to have lunch or dinner I can’t  help but think that an important part of customer service is missing. So when I had dinner at New Cucos with my friend, when we went outside afterwards, we could only say how well we were treated and what a wonderful dinner we had.

New Cucos is a family-style restaurant in the neighborhood of Arturo Soria. This closeness and warmth can be seen in the way Juan (the owner) treats everyone who works there, as well as all the customers who are having dinner or lunch.

The restaurant is located on the quiet street of Arturo Soria. It is a large space with a perfect covered terrace for more intimate dinners or larger celebrations. The terrace provides a very cozy place where you can talk quietly without being bothered by the next table, and then there’s also a smaller and equally cozy interior. The first day we decided to sit in inside, as Real Madrid was playing and we wanted to see the match. The second day we sat in the covered terrace, great decision.

The Food

New Cucos has a simple and traditional menu with very good quality ingredients. The portions are generous, in fact, the most popular dishes on the menu are large sharing platters; these can be great among a group of friends, or even just for two.

First we went for the warm burrata salad with cherry tomatoes. It was simply delicious. Great quality, never tried the burrata and I have to say I totally loved it.

Burrata Salad

Then we decided to try the spring rolls with vegetables and prawns – a highly recommended and delicious dish as well.

Spring rolls

By the time we had to eat our third dish, we were already full, but how can you say no to a plate of ravioli? These were filled with pumpkin and cheese sauce – simply spectacular and very rich. In fact the second time we went we couldn’t help but order them again.

Ravioli

The second day we also ordered a delicious mixed salad. For me, nothing beats a well-prepared mixed salad.

Salad

As for the rest of the menu, in addition to the dishes to share, they have a small selection of fish and meat dishes. I have to say the South African ostrich burger looks delicious.

Prices are very reasonable. The first day we had three dishes, three glasses of wine and two beers for 47 euros. The second day our bill came out to 33 euros.

I’d also like to highlight once again that we received fantastic service both times we went; the staff was attentive, asking if everything was fine, and very importantly, without putting any pressure on us to leave. That sort of thing is very noticeable and makes your dinner even better.

Nothing else to add, New Cucos points out on Twitter: “eat and drink in an oasis” And I couldn’t agree more.

So, “Mucha mierda” (or “break a leg”) to Juan and the rest of his family. I’m sure we’ll see each other again soon!

Info

• Where: Calle Arturo Soria 84
• Metro: Arturo Soria
• Tf: 913774039
• Twitter
• Monday to saturday 11 to 1.

NOW CLOSED

I don’t eat meat, but one of my life rules is: never go to a Vegetarian restaurant.

I’ve been jaded by too many poorly thought-out ventures where the food is created from fear of meat rather than love of veg. Vegan and vegetarian cuisine has existed all over the world for millennia, so where did the culinary black hole come from and why has it left us in such a veg-hating dark age feeling hungry and dehydrated?

Last week, a friend of mine recommended veggie-friendly Zoco Comidero and I might just have seen the light at the end of the tunnel.

Rarely do you come across a restaurant with this much respect for food. The concept: flexitarian – a primarily vegetarian diet which occasionally includes meat or fish. In other words, there’s something for everyone.

No longer does the vegetarian friend have to eat a racion de patatas bravas for dinner, or the carnivorous friend have to suffer through a fish-less fillet or a tofurkey burger (a what?).

At Zoco Comidero, the menu is hugely varied and every dish is put together professionally. Everything on your plate hit the kitchen worktop raw and intact and has been prepared freshly with no external influences.

We kicked off Tuesday evening with a kale and kiwi smoothie, an arepa stuffed with an almond-based vegan cheese and chlorella pesto (a delicious black seaweed pesto).

Feeling healthy yet? We shared two tostas: one with goat’s cheese and a juicy baked tomato and the other with a generous portion of beetroot-marinated raw salmon and homemade mustard. For mains we had a risotto made with kamut (an ancient large wheat grain), and prawn chop suey.

This was all underlined with a trio of deserts: an intense gooey dark chocolate brownie (the secret ingredient: avocado), quinoa ‘cheesecake’ and a face-twisting lemon curd.

By now the word “healthy” is in the background. Exotic flavours, textures and presentation of the food resonates more than anything else. I love Marbell’s zen and her way of transmitting it to us urban wildlife through edible flowers and doses of colour.

This is Marbell, the brains and owner of Zoco Comidero

Zoco Comidero is just off the beaten track but in the real heart of Madrid’s old town. The restaurant has an elegant interior with low lighting, good music and a bonus view of the palace. There’s also a fun downstairs lounge which gets going on weekends. Every Saturday and Sunday, Marbell tries to organise a chilled bit of live music from 10:30 pm onwards so stick around after dinner for good DJs and Venezuelan bands.

Info

• Web & Facebook

• Address: Calle Moreria 11

• Metro: La Latina

What do peach, cherry, apple, plum and almond trees have in common? They blossom. These pinks and whites were designed to remind us that spring is just around the bend. And almond trees are open right now, right here in Madrid. They are in full bloom for only two to three weeks so tick tock!

Most of us have heard of Sakura, which means season of the cherry blossoms in Japan. Unbeknownst to many, it is not only cities like Kyoto that have these springtime favorites. The almond tree, in particular, is abundant in Parque Quinta de los Molinos. Just in front of Suanzes metro station (línea 5 or green line) is the entrance to what is almost like another world. Amidst the backdrop of vivid and rambunctious Madrid, is a subtle and tranquil oasis. 

There are no stores or cafes in the park, but your friendly alimentación or food stores are available on Calle Alcalá, right around the exit of the metro. Before entering the park premises, grab a sandwich, a refresco, and maybe some nuts to share with the birds, and you are set for a lovely picnic under the almond trees.

It is said that the park was originally the property of a rich count, but later was donated as public space.  The approximately 25-hectare park has hundreds of almond trees, and also olive groves, pines, and eucalyptus. You can literally see and smell spring here!

It was no surprise that tourists and locals had their cameras on-hand while ooh-ing and ahh-ing at the sights overhead. It’s a great idea if you want to escape the hustle and bustle of the city center for a bit.

So go ahead. Plan to take a stroll. Bring your loved ones. Bring your pets. Leave your worries behind. Make your way to Parque Quinta pronto.

Article written by Roy Macaraig, LinkedIn, and photographs by Jenny Peñas, Website, Instagram @jeanina

Parque Quinta de los Molinos

• Address: Calle de Alcalá, 527, 28027 Madrid
• How to get there: Metro: Suanzes (L5)
• Schedule: 6.30 to 22.00

*This article was updated in February, 2019

You may also like:

Madrid city in bloom