Sara In-Madrid

Thai-riffic

If you're tired of tapas, and the greasy Chinese places aren't doing it for you, try Siam, which is near Plaza España and close to Malasaña. The menu del día is €11, and if you go for dinner you can try heaping portions of pad thai with shrimp, chicken or beef. Try some Thai iced tea for a real treat, and if you can't decide what to order, there is an appetizer plate with four selections of dishes that i sperfect to split between two or three. It's not really that crowded, but call in advance just to make sure.

etiquetas: asian , food , international , plaza españa , restaurants , thai

All Sushi, All the Time

OK. If you want sushi, and I mean REALLY want sushi, go to Kindalo. It's got one of those rotating serve-yourself bars, and for a scant €16 you can literally eat until you burst. It's amazing. Every time I go there I probably eat at least €60 worth of sushi, not to mention the noodles, rice, chicken and pork dishes, salads, soups and desserts. The selection isn't that varied, but at that price, who cares? call for reservations, it fills up during the week and you're left standing at the door with your mouth watering.

etiquetas: food , international , restaurants , sushi

Madrid is reputed to have the second-best fish market in the world after Japan. You can put that theory to the test at 19 Sushi Bar, where they’ll serve you up some of the raw stuff. Chef Álex Moranda, originally from Alicante, discovered a passion for sushi while living in Japan and has brought that enthusiasm back with him. Look out for his diminutive, smiling figure slicing and dicing at the sushi bar. Don’t miss the house speciality: sashimi of kobe meat -- beef reared on beer and regular massages.

etiquetas: food , international , japan , restaurants , sushi

This two-level restaurant is managed by Sonia, a helpful host who speaks Korean, Spanish and English. Like many traditional Korean restaurants, Seoul serves plenty of kimchi -- spicy, pickled cabbage -- as well as pickled cucumbers, seaweed and bean sprouts. Try the muhl nang myun: buckwheat noodles served in a chilled beef broth -- perfect for the summer months. And to pass the time while you enjoy your meal, see if you can spot some of the dishes you’re eating on the Korean soap operas that play on the flat-screen television in front of you.

etiquetas: food , international , korean , restaurants

Enjoy an Arabian night or two in this enormous restaurant, with fabulous tapestries and reliefs on the walls, and shissha pipes and outsized teapots in the corners. Go for the degustación menu, which comes in at €21.50 per person, or go for something really special and get the roast lamb stuffed with rice, mincemeat and pine nuts, also €21.50. Check out the live dancers on Fridays and Saturdays too, the perfect visual accompaniment to some falaffel and hummus.

etiquetas: arabian , food , international , restaurant

Step into La Negra Tomasa, and for a second, you’ll forget you’re in Madrid. The live Cuban music, waitresses garbed in traditional outfits and the unmistakable smell of delicious Cuban cuisine makes for an atmosphere much like any Havana restaurant. The food is great, the mojitos flow and the music doesn’t stop until 5.30am, so get your get your appetite ready and don’t forget those salsa moves you learned from Dirty Dancing.

etiquetas: cuban , food , international , nightlife , restaurants