Food/Drink

Tapas, Spain's signature dish, are smallish portions of food, anything from deep-fried baby squid and shrimp in a decadent garlic butter sauce to tender manchego cheese, flavorful chorizo, and aged, paper-thin jamón serrano. Though tapas aren't Madrid's typical fare (tapas actually originate in Andalusia), a wide variety awaits hungry drinkers and diners.

If you're hankering for tapas but don't want to sacrifice your beer fund on food, hop on over to El Tigre, a postage stamp-sized bar decorated with strands of red sausage dangling from the ceiling and dead animals on the walls. Don't let the décor scare you, it's quintessentially Spain, with cigarette butts and discarded napkins galore on the floor. El Tigre's saving graces, of course, are the free (yes, free!) tapas that come with each drink order and the bar's proximity to the buzz of Gran Vía and El Retiro Park. Plus, El Tigre on 30 Calle (Street) Infantas, is know for its icy, sweet cider; just the thing to wash down some albóndigas (meatballs) and olives. Best to visit Monday-Wednesday to avoid the heaping crowds.