Eating at Mercado Vallehermoso

Basics
Location
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Per Person
Depends on where you're eating.
Asturian: 3 cheeses + bottle of cider €12 total.
La Graciana: Empanadas, each, €2.30

In Pictures
On Google images

In not so many words
Hopes?
Something different.
Reality?
A terrific exploitation of an existing space, that should help keep the fresh food stalls open.
First Impressions?
At 9pm, it looks a bit shut from outside. Strip lighting is a bit garish.
A USP?
A hint of the South East Asia night market experience, in Chamberi.
The food in three words?
Spoilt for choice.
Can they get the staff?
Three stalls tried, no hold ups or issues at all.
Service with a smile?
Lots of friendly faces.
Would you take your friends?
Needs a recce, then a booking, really.
Rating for a dating?
B: Probably a goer, if you know something of your date's tastes.
H: plenty of choice, but a bit of a gamble with seating. I'm not sure mercados are date friendly, unless you really are both there for the food.
Tip?
At the cheese place, for sure.
If you could change one thing, what would it be?
More seating and table space. Probably some communal areas.
Going back?
Oh yes, almost certainly - but armed with a booking.

In not so few words
So then. Market eating. You probably know the drill. Stalls, communal eating areas. Litre bottles of beer - Singha, Tiger or similar. Entire meals the price you'd normally pay for a single tapa. But that's SE Asia, and around. For Spain, adjust your expectations. If you can, you're in for a rewarding experience.

Vallehermoso's been there decades, of course. 10 years ago it looked on its last legs, with maybe half the stalls still in business. It's municipal not private, but that was no guarantee of survival. Now, that half are still open but the rest seem to be thriving. They serve food, some fast, from all over and it's a rather exciting place to stroll around.

Word of advice. This is Madrid, not Bangkok. Eating habits die hard, and there's not much space for turn-up-and-try ad hoc guzzling. Many places were fully booked at 8.45 on Saturday. Dinner time. The fact you can - have to - book stools to sit at a counter tells you how well things are going. (For one Asian street food inspired stall in particular)

We found three with space to sit and try.

Spot one. Asturian. Lots of meats available, but we stuck to a plate of three cheeses and a bottle of cider. Faults? Supermarket bread and no gizmo in the cider bottle to let you pour cleanly, making things a bit splashtastic. A mild goat's, smooth sheep's and some powerful cabrales all at the right temperature and terrific. We had 150-200g of each, at a guess. Some might like a preserve or two, but that's not really traditional, so no complaints. That little lot cost just €12. Bargain.

Spot two. La Virgen. Certainly one of Madrid's fastest-growing beermakers which is giving Mahou a run for its money. The brews are great here, although they'd run out of the trigo/wheat one. Still, that's success for you. Foodwise, there were chunky chips and plumptious hotdogs that could encourage the worst kind of double-entendre. If you want, I can give you one. They came with suitably gloopy sauce. But, keeping the V-minded happy, we'd spotted the guy from the Argentinian place across the aisle delivering next to us, so went for eat-in takeaway.

So, spot three: time for Argentine Cornish Pasties! Well, OK, empanadas - we tried out spinach, and lamb. Happily, we had H along for an expert view on the former;

The 'Popeye' empanadas were some of the best we'd had; perfectly proportioned with more spinach and bechamel filling than light, crisp pastry.

Over in the meat department, the lamb one was suitable juicy, with a touch of spice. Could have done with a smidge more oomph, but very good, all in all.

No desserts tonight, but a load of places to look up and come back to in the future, so this ranks as a hit. An essentially monolingual crowd of all ages; incredibly reasonable prices, it's a must-visit.

B.

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