If - when walking around Royal Madrid - you feel in the mood for a wander around a garden, give the insipid Jardines Sabatini (next to the Palace) a miss, and instead head round the corner to El Campo del Moro (The Moor's Field). Far more beautiful, with peacocks and a fine view of the rear of the palace.

Entrance on Paseo de la Virgen del Puerto

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There are plenty of sidrerias (cider bars) in Madrid, but this one in the gay-friendly Chueca district is a huge stand-out for the quality and, especially, the quantity of the complimentary tapas. 1.50 a 'caña' isn't cheap, but you'll get a steaming pile of piggy, bready delights along with it, and that's every time you take a drink.

Also a great place for vast filled 'bocadillos' (baguette sandwiches), and various other tasty 'raciones'. Just watch out for complimentary paella - myself and others have been laid low by food poisoning for some time after a visit. The fact that I'm still recommending the place tells you just how good it is.

One final thing - get there early if you have any kind of designs on a table.

c/ Infantas, metro Chueca

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It's a poor guide book which doesn't mention this place (go for the tiny taberna on c/Victoria, rather than the larger, more restaurant style versions on c/ Nunez de Arce and c/Goya).

However, I'm not sure any of them mention that if you order a 'racion' of langostinos a la plancha rather than the road-more-trodden gambas a la plancha, you get twice as many for just 20 cents more. Tastes just as good to me. Upon leaving, I've always been given a voucher for a free 'chato' of the delicious sticky house wine at one of their other restaurants. Ask if they don't volunteer it.

12, c/ Victoria, metro Sol

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