A Traditional Menu del Dia at El Vidueño, Madrid

El Vidueño is another restaurant we often eat at when staying with my auntie and uncle – and it’s consistently good. The highlight is undoubtedly their menu del dia (menu of the day), which is available at lunchtime and dinner and is priced at a more-than-reasonable 16.80€ per person. We ate here on our penultimate night, before walking to the opening night of the fiestas to see the firework display.

The restaurant is family-friendly and you’ll more than likely see local families dining together, both inside and out. There is a park around the corner, which is perfect for when the children get bored or irritable – and Ashley took Alfie there before the food even came out. We were provided with a high chair, too. I didn’t get any photos of the decor (or many of the food, either!) but it’s so homely and tavern-like... almost as if you’re dining at a Spaniard’s house. It’s very traditional.

Again, that tradition is reflected in the food which I’m going straight into – as we all ordered the menu del dia. Consisting of three starters (to share among the table), a main course, dessert or coffee (of course you can order both and be charged for the additional) and wine and water, it’s a complete steal.

The starters were pan con tomate y jamon (bread topped with tomato and serrano ham), gambas a la plancha (grilled prawns) and croquetas caseras (homemade croquettes) – all very tasty and among my favourite Spanish foods. Between our table of seven, we had two plates of each starter and there was more than enough – I think I had five croquetas, alone!

The main courses were simply meat or fish of the day. Unfortunately, I don’t remember what the fish was, or what it was served with. I ordered the meat – having opted for fish the night before at La Figal – which was lomo (pork tenderloin). The fish eaters were served individually; however, our pork and chips was brought out on a serving platter for us to help ourselves. I was busy changing Alfie so Ashley acted as server. The pork was cooked well, but a little salty for my taste (I never add salt to anything!) and the chips were good... but once again, I filled up on starters so really struggled to eat it all.

But, of course, I had room for dessert! The selection were all items you’d expect to find on a traditional Spanish menu (fruit, arroz con leche, tarta de queso, etc) – but there was also a white chocolate cake, which Ashley and Carolyn both chose. I’m not sure it what was either of them expected. I chose the cheesecake, which I had no time to photograph because I wanted to dig in. There were two slices and it was very rich. Cheesecake in Spain is different to what we’re used to and for starters, there is no biscuit base. Thankfully, it was accompanied with a coulis, so wasn’t too dry and added a fruity flavour. I surprised myself and managed to eat it all, though!

The service was good; the atmosphere was relaxed; the food and drink were plentiful; and I had a lovely evening with no complaints. Again, it’s a place we are bound to frequent next time we are in SanSe.

Love, Lucy xx

El Vidueño - Avenida Andalucia 2, 28702 San Sebastian de los Reyes
Trip Advisor
Facebook