CHECKING-IN at Madrid’s Heritage Hotel, after a proffered cup of tea, coffee or glass of cava, is a civilized affair. The small lobby area is like a cross-section of an elegant sitting room and intimations of refined domesticity are confirmed by the sedate décor in the bedrooms and the rooftop terrace for cocktails when summer’s evenings never seem to end.
None of this is surprising given that the hotel occupies a belle époque building, once a family’s grand residence, in what is still the city’s posh neighbourhood of Salamanca.
Heritage Hotel’s restaurant, Harouma, is visually distinguished by hand painted wallpaper by Lorenzo Castillo, one of Spain’s top interior designers.
Castillo’s style, classicism with a light touch of the contemporary, is evident throughout the hotel – antiques, porcelain, Gaston Daniela fabrics and, on walls and shelves, prints of urbane scenes – and all is pleasing on the eye.
Looking out at Puerta de Alcalá from Hotel Hospes Puerto
A sister establishment, the roomier Hotel Orfila, also offers a retreat for sumptuous elegance and a fabulous garden setting for breakfast and other meals. The al fresco part of the restaurant, distinguished by a floral mural in soothing shades of green, has the calming appeal of a walled garden – an unspoiled setting for an outstanding menu.
Zalacain, a Basque restaurant only 15-minutes away on foot, is the place to go for dining outside the hotel. It has been a culinary landmark since 1973 – in its glory days graced with three Michelin stars – and its haute bourgeoisie appeal is retained as it relaunches as one of the finer places to eat in the capital.
Compact but comfortable seating for checking-in at Heritage Madrid Hotel
From the cool bar to splashy, José Manuel Ciria artwork on the walls and ultra-thin-stemmed wine glasses on the table, you’re primed for a stylish experience that doesn’t shy away from traditional recipes.
My visit was in early March but still a surprise to hear that cardo (or cardoon), a relatively unknown winter vegetable, was available as a special.
On the roof of Heritage Madrid Hotel
One of the dishes that made Zalacain famous was bucaro Don Pio (a potted jellied soup from quail eggs cooked with salmon and caviar) and it is back on the menu as a starter, alongside mains that include grilled lobster, steaks and an award-winning tripe.
As ever, desserts must gratify and the honeyed crepes and towered chocolate rolls both pass the test with flying colours.
Part of the entrance hall at Hotel Orfila
A very different but equally satisfying food experience is to be enjoyed at Cabreira, a family restaurant for over 50 years and proud of its Galician heritage. A repast can be enjoyed at the counter or seated inside, though pavement tables beckon for a traffic-free, laid-back evening.
Tapas of the day are on a blackboard and the menu, strong on seafood and especially shellfish, invites a small feast or the selection of personal favourites. Cabreira is open to midnight every day of the year and after 9pm is often full with Madrileños.
Stylish decor at Heritage Madrid Hotel
The city has no river or signature buildings that help orient the traveller and a walking tour is one way of navigating the centre. A good guide will bring you past the Carboneras del Corpus Christi convent, home to cloistered nuns who bake and sell biscuits but never show themselves.
Ringing the bell opens a small door that accesses a dumb waiter contraption: a revolving tray that exchanges cash for a big bag of biscuits.
The elegant terrace at Hotel Orfila
What cannot be missed is a visit to the Prado. By the end of the 17th century, it had the finest royal collection of paintings in Europe and this bringing together of masterpieces from Italy, Spain and the Netherlands means there is too much to experience in a single visit.
Works by Hieronymus Bosch draw viewers in like a force of dark gravity, balanced by the light and grace of canvasses by Fra Angelico, Hans Memling, Rubens and other luminaries.
Paintings by Spanish artists like Goya and El Greco have been added to the collection but the most famous of them all, Picasso’s ‘Guernica’, is in another of Madrid’s art museum, Reina Sofia.
A hotel with easy walking distance of the art galleries, Hospes Puerta de Alcalá, stands in the Plaza de la Independencia and gets its name from the monumental gate that dominates the square. Across the road, the 350-acre Retiro Park beckons for walks, jogs and boating capers.
The hotel’s big wooden doors date back to when the building was the townhouse of a rich family and carriages would pass through them to the stables but the interior is now sparklingly contemporary and the Bodyna Spa occupies the grounds of the stables.
The Restaurant, Malvar, is best enjoyed on the pavement terrace and its menu includes delicious tapas like small potatoes in a bravas sauce and Iberian ham. Some of Hospes Puerta de Alcalá’s bedrooms look out on the square and all of them have nice touches, like the Natura Bisse toiletries.
Tapas offerings of the day at Cabreira
Madrid may not have the high-octane appeal of Barcelona but its relative sedateness, its cultural and culinary attractions and superb hotels are what make it a special place to enjoy.
By Sean Sheehan
For additional, information see below;
Heritage Madrid Hoteland Hotel Orfila, rooms without breakfast are from £231 and £291 respectively; see their websites for current rates for various room categories.
Hospes Puerta de Alcaláfor bookings and room rates.
Museo de Pradois open daily and tickets can be booked online; there is free access each evening for two hours. Tickets for Reina Sofiaare also bookable online and there are also periods of free admission; open daily except Tuesdays.
Zalacain, at 4, Calle Álvarez de Baena, and Cabreira, at 2, Calle Ruiz, are both in the city centre.
Sandemans New Europe conducts walking tours of Madrid.