Gaditana Castellana — Restaurant in Madrid

We walked all the way here from the Palacio Real de Madrid area, and even though it was an exhausting walk, the lunch here was worth it. You can opt to dine outdoors or indoors, but there is too much traffic outside, so we decided to dine in. Fortunately, there was little traffic as it was around 1pm, and we were one of the first customers.

We ordered fried eggplants that was paired with some sauce that was topped with either bacon or cured pork and what seemed to be egg whites. The eggplant was crispy and yet juicy. The seasoning was excellent.

We also had some grilled octopus, prepared house-style. On the bottom, you can see some "mashed" potatoes and on the top were some chili powder on top. It was not spicy, but it was also flavorful, and the octopus was cooked really well. It was not tough at all.

The service was excellent, and we would definitely...

We went to dinner here based on favorable reviews, and it was very disappointing. Service was poor which was the least of the problems. We ordered the ribeye steak (pictured) which was somehow overcooked on the outside and yet, at the same time, bloody red in the center. We only ate the parts that were not bloody and raw. We also ordered a rice dish that came out lukewarm and definitely seemed like it had been sitting around rather than recently prepared. I'm a tourist, yet it is very clear that the food is not well cooked, and I would not recommend this restaurant. For some reason the entrance appears like a service entrance, and it was completely empty when we dined which should have been an indication of how bad this place is. I also saw an employee use the restroom and not wash her hands. Not sure how it ended up with 4.5 stars on Google and 5 on...

Very flavorful, soft and fresh.... everything ! Large ice cubes to last the whole drink. Master chef presentation, but with decent portions. Food was hot and seemed to stay hot till the last bite... obviously no microwave! Felix, our waiter, was very knowledgeable about the menu, combinations of menu items, history of the neighborhood and interesting sites around town. As most people in this neighborhood, he was able to communicate in many languages, not just English- and very entertaining. He kept the drinks flowing, the room music was Not loud, so conversation was easy. Ample space between tables ... no cramped feeling. For a busy place, I did not feel rushed. Neither did the waiters show it, your enjoyment was their...