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One of Madrid’s great cultural institutions, the Ateneo was founded in 1835 to promote the arts and sciences. The building contains a library of half a million volumes.

It is said that there are as many ways of cooking this Mediterranean staple of salted cod as there are days in the year. The American writer Ernest Hemingway relished bacalao al ajoarriero , a cod stew made with tomatoes, peppers and garlic.

The name refers to the orchards that flourished here in the 17th century. Today the street is better known for its nightlife.

Tripe may not be to everyone’s taste, but try it “Madrid-style” in a typical taberna and you may change your mind. The ingredients of this tasty stew include chorizo (Spanish sausage), tomatoes, onions and paprika.

A fresh, sparkling wine; the name Cava (cellar) was adopted after the French disallowed use of the word champagne.

This popular beer and tapas bar was founded in 1904 and is still going strong (see Cervecería Alemana).

The cinematograph was introduced to a Madrid audience from a booth on the site of what is now, fittingly, the cinema house Cine Doré.

The Castilian countryside is famous for its roasts. To be authentic, suckling pig should be cooked slowly in a wood-fired oven until the flesh is tender and the skin golden. Lamb (cordero ) and game such as partridge (perdiz ) and pheasant (faisán ) are equally delicious when roasted in the traditional way.

This classic Madrid stew goes back to the days when the working-class housewives of (see Lavapiés) and (see La Latina) would keep a cooking pot simmering on the stove, adding whatever ingredients came to hand. Today’s typical cocido might include pigs’ trotters, beef shank, chicken, sausage, chickpeas and vegetables. Served in stages, first the broth, then the vegetables and meats, it can be a meal in itself. For an up-market version, try La Bola (see La Bola).

This imposing church was built in 1622 by the Jesuits. In 1768 the remains of Madrid’s patron saint, San Isidro, were interred here.