One of the neat things to do whenever you’re in a new place is to check out the local watering hole. It’s there you’ll find locals being locals, which can be a nice change of pace from the more touristy parts of wherever you are. When in Madrid, watering holes are all over the place in the form of tapas bars. Not familiar? Let me ‘splain.
Local legend says that back in the day, workers would wander into a bar after a hard day’s work. Trouble was, they had enough money for a beer or food, not both. Obviously, they went with the former, and that led to increases in public drunkenness and all the shenanigans and debauchery that come with it. To remedy this, the bars ended up serving small plates of food with the beer, though it’s unclear whether this was voluntary or compelled by the law. Either way, the small plates were designed to literally fit on top of the beer glass, hence the term tapas. The inclusion of food with a beer decreased public drunkenness and all was well. Today, when you visit a tapas bar in Spain, you’ll usually order your drink (beer, usually, but also sangria) and will find it accompanied by a snack, usually chips, pickled olives, or maybe some meat and bread. This is a thing you now know.
Of the multitude of tapas bars in Madrid, my favorite is the Museo del Jamon (MDJ), literally the ham museum. Not familiar? Your loss but let me paint a picture for you. When you walk in, the MDJ presents you with two options. On your right you’ll see a familiar deli counter and cases, filled with all kinds of, you guessed it, ham products. None is more impressive than the tasty Iberian Ham, which is kind of like Italian prosciutto, but a little different. But there are all kinds of swine-based meat products: sausages, salamis, and so on. Also, cheeses, lots of cheese. Just like in the US, you’re able to order what and however much you want, it gets weighed and packaged and they send you on your way.
On your left, however, is the real treasure of the MDJ: the bar. In most MDJs (there are tons of locations all around Madrid), the bar is a significant size. There is usually a random assortment of bar stools, but I rarely see people sitting. Instead, we stand in groups, usually just close enough to the bar so they know we’re still customers, but also just far enough away so as to be in the way of people walking through. Anyway, when you walk up to the bar, the barkeep will ask what you want (or I think that’s what they’re doing…it’s in rapid-fire Spanish, so a little hard for me to follow). We always order a cerveza (beer, in Spanish). They ask poco (small) or grande (large). We laugh, as if that’s a real question, and indicate we’re Americans and don’t understand the concept of a small adult beverage. This usually meets with their approval, and the beer is quickly dispensed.
That’s all fine and well, but remember, this is a tapas bar, and so the tapas accompany the beer. The neat thing we’ve discovered about the MDJ is that the longer you’re there, and the more beers you order, the quality of your tapas improves (and no, this isn’t just a perception from the large quantity of beer you’ve consumed). So, to start you might get the usual pickled olives or chips (they seem to prefer regular Lays chips for whatever reason), but the next round might have some salami or ham. Stay long enough and eventually they’ll bring around the prize of the MDJ tapas assortment: the fried chicharones. Imagine square chunks of what appears to be pork belly. Now imagine they’re fried. Amazing, right? As it happens, they pair nicely with an ice-cold beer.
We always have a good time, and stay a bit longer than we anticipate, at the MDJ. Friendly people, cold beer, and tapas to keep you ordering more rounds. Oh, and the best part? Your beer and tapas will run you somewhere between $2 and $3 per person. Nice.
So, the next time you’re in Madrid, make sure you visit the MDJ. Or, if you want to be secret and fancy, just say you want to meet at the Museum. Just…make sure you’re clear on which museum because Madrid has lots of regular museums, too. They’re neat and all but have a decidedly different vibe. Also, they don’t serve beers.
