Dining in Spain

Like many travelers, I research restaurants at my travel destinations, but on a trip to Spain in February ’13  I found two outstanding restaurants by accident.

While walking down Calle Seville in MADRID, large yellow awnings on what looked like a restaurant on a side street caught my eye. I went to investigate. 

The place looked beautiful. I looked at the menu of the day (the lunch menu Monday to Friday). ‘€10? Impossible,’ I thought. ‘It must be €19.’ But the price was €10 (near $13). I went there for lunch the next day and had a wonderful 3-course meal with a carafe of wine in a magnificent room, with great service. The place was La Finca de Susana (Calle de Arlabán 4, 28014 Madrid; phone +34 913 69 35 57).

I lived in Barcelona for five years around the turn of the century, so on my recent trip I was looking for a restaurant I’d known on Carrer d’Aragó. I decided it was no longer there, but when I turned around I saw a lot of people standing in front of a different restaurant. Realizing that I wouldn’t be able to eat there that day, I went early the next day. (I was the second person in line at 12:30; the restaurant opened at 1.)

I had a fantastic 3-course “meal of the day” with a carafe of wine for only €9.95. I can’t wait to go back to La Rita (Carrer d’Aragó 279 [the cross street is Carrer de Pau Claris], 08009 Barcelona, Spain; phone +34 934 87 23 76).

I don’t think that either restaurant takes reservations. Get there early.

JERRY MENDEL

Buenos Aires, Argentina