The world's best Spanish omelette?

Your average tortilla Espanola is tasty at best. Perhaps very tasty. But hardly ever mouth-wateringly good.

However, exquisite excellence is exactly what Juana La Loca (Plaza Puerta de Moros 4, Madrid) managed to achieve. Transformation of the understated trio of egg, onion and potato into a stellar dish. Perfectly cooked, perfectly sized divisions of potato lie peacefully in the secret of the dish, an undescribably unctuous onion reduction whose intense caramelised onion appeal is sweet and goey; not overpowering yet somehow addictive. And when finished off with expertly cooked light egg casing, all I can say is well done Juana La loca, well done.

Bacalao, in croqueta form

Madrilenos love to snack on croquetas, particularly the kind filled with creamy potato and pieces of bacalao, otherwise known as cod.

Having refused to eat the fine offerings of easyJet cuisine I needed a quick pitstop upon my arrival in Sol metro station. Casa Labra (Calle Tetuan 12), fellow foodies had blogged, was a good place to catch some croquetas filled with bacalao. Meaty cod, enrobed in creamy and slightly sweet potato, was adequately encased in crispy breadcrumb coating. Pretty tasty but nothing overly spectacular. 

Chocolate con churros

Undoubtedly one of Spain’s more famous sweet exports, chocolate con churros (long, thin Spanish donuts with hot chocolate) is probably why you would seek out a beautifully sleek cafe by the name of Chocolateria San Gines (between Sol and Opera Metro stations).

I’ve tried this dish in several other locations outside of Spain and I must say this has set the benchmark in my books. The churros are reasonably light and above of crispy on the outside, and not too sweet. But the real differentiator for me was the chocolate itself. I expected it to be like hot chocolate you’d normally drink at home, very sweet, creamy and not very thick. This embodiment was almost like a chocolate dipping sauce, though only subtly sweet, with the cocoa beans really being allowed to show their soothing overtones, and not overpowering the churros themselves. In true Madrid fashion, this place opens late, and I’d recommend it as a post-tapas pre-clubbing chillout spot.