Whilst meandering Madrid late at night (23:00), looking for a place for dinner that was not only still open but also had a crowd (to let us know, visually, if the place was popular), we came across La Española. We immediately sat down, ordered two cervezas (received complimentary tapas), jamón (prosciutto), patatas bravas and slow roasted oxtail. This was our first time ordering and enjoying the famous jamón that everyone seems to rave about and now we know why! The jamón is much more flavorful, fresh and scrumptious that what we are used to in the U.S. It is served on a platter with mini baguette crostinis and somehow the meat is so tender, it feels like it melts in your mouth! We would definitely recommend this dish anywhere you go throughout Spain! The patatas bravas is a side dish composed of roasted potatoes topped with a spicy red salsa. This is a dish you will find on just about every single restaurant menu you come across in Spain as it is a staple and quite delicious. The salsa has just enough heat, the potatoes are cooked perfectly and it is filling. Lastly, the slow roasted oxtail was rich and savory. The dish was composed of three oxtail servings over a bed of roasted potatoes and the flavors were decent but not extraordinary. I would say that you have to be vocal when it comes to this place if you want anything from the servers, but after having encountered this throughout our travels in Spain, it seems to be customary to do so. The atmosphere is a bit noisy, but that also seems to be the standard for any restaurant, especially eating out so late. Our server spoke a little English, which helped us out a little bit throughout our dinner experience.
Pro Tip:
- Be assertive
- Learn their language
- Pay cash (faster and easier) read more