Spanish food

Had fabulous food when I was in Barcelona, Bilbao and San Sebastian 2 years ago and was hopping the food in Madrid will not disappoint. However, they did not seem to match my earlier experience. It was a pretty hit and miss affair with only grilled squid being a hit at most places. If done right, the Pilpo a la Gallega - Galician style octopus served with paprika and sea salt tastes wonderful just like abalone but it was a dish that was quite inconsistent at least in most of the food places we tried. Heard that the octopus had to be boiled first before serving so it was probably over cooked in some cases, making it rather tasteless. 

The fried stuff such as calamare and anchovies were really yummy but you can't really have fried food all the time. Wished there were more variety but tapas food dominates the food scene in Madrid. 

A platter of fried seafood - anchovies, calamaries and fish

Patatas bravas - potatoes (fried or boiled) served with salsa bravas , a spciy tomato sauce and mayo or aioli 

Boquerones fritos - fried anchovies 

A platter of bread and goat's cheese 

You can't go wrong with grilled squid , done to perfection in most restaurants 

Gambas - prawns sauteed with garlic 

Pulpo a la Gallega - Galician style octopus served with paprika and sea salt 

Meat balls with fritos