ftrichard

Hi. I've got an early morning departure from MAD T4 and arriving from LHR the previous evening at 19.15 so I'm staying the night at the hotel in the basement of the terminal. My question is not about the wisdom of this or the ease of getting to/from any better hotel option around the airport or indeed any that's easily accessible in downtown Madrid. I just want to get up and walk airside to have breakfast in the Iberia lounge before my flight.

What I'd like to know is whether there is a decent restaurant landslide in T4 that I can spend a pleasant few hours in the evening having a nice Spanish meal after I've checked into the terminal hotel. It doesn't need a Michelin star but I'm looking for something a little better than a fast food burger.

I've Googled it and there are some lists on old travel blogs but I'm looking for recommendations based on personal experience. Thanks.

tom tulpe

Sorry, I don't have any positive recommendations, but I would not recommend "Bodega Tipico El Garnacho" in Valdebebas. I didn't like the place or the area, although it is of course very close to T4, and better than anything in the airport for less money. I'd probably be tempted to just take the train to central Madrid.

csycsycsy

There's nothing in T4 itself that's worthy of spending a few hours but if you take the metro one stop to Barajas (the stop in-between T4 and T123) there are much better options.

ftrichard

Ah, now, that may be doable. I have no local knowledge of MAD but this looks easy enough after I've dumped my bag at the terminal hotel. Thanks for the suggestion. I think even I will be able to navigate one stop there and back in the evening. Any recommendations in Barajas? Will be happy with anywhere that serves real food and lets me sit and graze alone for a few hours. Google Maps highlights there's a Tandoori there. Not that.

csycsycsy

From the T4 arrivals/hotel it's 2min walk to the metro station, there's just one line, and you just take one stop, same for the return, so it's do-able.
There is also the train but one stop from that line is Valdebebas which as tom tulpe wrote, is not nice.
I've not been to any of Barajas station restaurants (you asked for recommendations based on personal experience), but these look ok:

Castillian (northern spain) style roast meat (not open every night)
https://maps.app.goo.gl/gZwgrd4aNe9g3AQZ7
Modern Spanish ish small plates (also note the opening nights)
https://maps.app.goo.gl/rHzKr9mcLkwsy7pT9
Cheap n cheery
https://maps.app.goo.gl/WrebPEWYrqHrG99b6

Btw the Iberia lounges (both T4 & T4S) breakfast is really mediocre from 6a-10a, at 10ish they finally bring out some Spanish stuff.

LupineChemist

If it's in the evening, why not just spend an extra 15 minutes and take the train all the way to Nuevos Ministerios and have a ton of options and a stroll around the business district and the Bernabéu stadium?

ftrichard

This is a disaster for me. Monday night in Barajas is dead. Everywhere appears to be closed on Mondays according to Google. I'd set my heart on a simple meal and a stroll around the Plaza de Barajas. Maybe I'll have to head out further but I really didn't want to turn this layover into an expedition as I don't know Madrid at all and I really just want something relaxing, pleasant and straightforward on my long voyage home to Bangers.

csycsycsy

Sorry it didn't work out, where did you eat in the end?
How was the T4 hotel?

ftrichard

I'm passing through Monday next week. Appreciate the timing of my post makes it look like I was just there. My panic is caused by the info on restaurant opening times on Google Maps. I still have time to work this out. I have low expectations for the T4 airport hotel. But as my primary criteria is to be able to wake up, shower, walk calmly through security, and settle back with a Champagne for breakfast on the plane to Doha, I expect it will meet this requirement very well indeed. But I'll report back on the rest of it. Mixed reviews on line about the soundproofing etc.

csycsycsy

Phew.

https://maps.app.goo.gl/KBQiWhu8vqjXMEKTA decent
https://maps.app.goo.gl/1UveomCVsw18fjrc7 Argentian Steak
https://maps.app.goo.gl/NXhGofWJqXAR5J1t8 Peruvian
These are better but further away
https://maps.app.goo.gl/FV69gXXz2UbauKTt6
https://maps.app.goo.gl/z6HPbmAnVs48M6FQ6

I know you said "simple meal" and prefer to not venture (much) beyond the airport but if you were to take the train or metro to Nuevos Ministerios (as LupineChemist suggested above) you can have quite a nice time here:
https://maps.app.goo.gl/mubrchXX5tDxgXTg8
https://maps.app.goo.gl/Xftoo8NaEiSWPhXs8 the associated Gourmet area

LupineChemist

If you've never been to Madrid, just take the Metro to the end of the line. It's not a huge expedition and is literally just 15 minutes more to have many, many, many more options and interesting things to see on a quick stroll.

csycsycsy

I just assumed all BAEC Silvers like OP have been to Madrid hah

ftrichard

Haha. Actually, I just reacquired BAEC Silver in the last month after the last ten years as MAS Enrich Gold and then Cathay Gold but heading back to Europe to live so redirected my tier points last year when I realised BKK-DOH-LHR-DOH-BKK would get me 560 tier points but none of the required four metal flights. I fabricated a day trip to AMS - just the airport - last September for two of them.

I have been to Madrid for a weekend break as a common tourist from London about 25 years ago but that's it as far as familiarity goes. I'm moving to Lisbon so I expect I will become more familiar with Madrid over the next few years. I have an overnight in MAD on the way back from LHR to BKK via DOH because the BKK-MAD-BKK midweek fare was significantly cheaper than BKK-LHR-BKK and I needed to fit in two more BA/IB metal flights before March 8 to get Silver so I did this not-optimised BKK-DOH-MAD-VAL-MAD-LHR-MAD-DOH-BKK trip which could have been done BKK-LHR-BKK direct on BR and I really won't be in the festive mood to be in the slightest bit adventurous at MAD on the way home. But I do have time for dinner so that will be nice. csycsycsy Thank you so much for the restaurant suggestions open on a Monday there .

Next time, I promise I will spend some proper time in Madrid itself. I have my eye on a weekend break at The Westin Palace.

Palal

If you're flying through T4, I would suggest a 15-min train ride to Chamartín - plenty of stuff south of that.

csycsycsy

FYI I was at the lounge this morning and they only put out the cava 7:30ish so you don't have much time to drink before your 0830 to DOH