Our encounter with the much talked about Spanish hospitality was with Olga at her father’s restaurant. Asador Cristobal closed at 8 pm and we were their last guests of the day. It had been a long day of travelling from Seville so it was an unusually early dinner. Still, we were welcomed with open arms even as the tables were cleaned and set for the day after. We wanted to try the Segovia suckling pig which Olga’s father does very well, with only salt and water for seasoning. The rest lies in the magic of a wood-fired oven and a pair of watchful eyes. After the in my opinion superb suckling pig, we shook hands with Olga who left us with these parting words, “You are welcome back anytime. This is your house and I am your friend.” This was our first meal in Madrid and already we felt like we belonged. 

MADRID

We had a few days in the city, spending hours in the National Archaeological Museum which we highly recommend, shopping at the San Fernando Market where we had entrecote tapas style at El Rincón de Manolo and watching the sun set behind the Temple of Debod at the Parque de la Montaña. On the way to dinner, we caught a glimpse of the Royal Palace of Madrid through the trimmed bushes. It felt like the perfect evening, or at least it did with Roy. 

EL SENADOR

Everyone knows that an exceptional restaurant needs good food, but that’s only half the story. A good waiter is the other half. Our waiter at El Senador was Jesus. He would tell you exactly what to get: the tomato salad is very good, the lamb and pig as well. Don’t bother with the rest. We followed his instructions to the tee and he sent suckling lamb chops and the fleshiest tomatoes dressed with olive oil to our table. There is no denying what makes a good restaurant – it’s the waiter. They are the magic of the place. 

LA BARRACA 

We met Carlos on our first dinner at La Barraca. It had been more than two weeks of wining in Spain and we were just not in the mood for wine but Carlos would have none of that. So he went to the back and brought out a glass of rosé to which we dared not say no to and happily accepted. After all, we were in Spain and we needed something to while our time away. The chicken and rabbit paella was quite the spectacle as Carlos gazed at the pan of rice adoringly like a proud father. We ended up falling in love with both the paella and Carlos, with the crème brûlée coming in as a close second.

We went for another round, this time without Carlos. The atmosphere was somehow different, although the paella marinera was just as amazing.