C. Verónica de la Magdelena 40
OPEN LATE
www.barpoe.com
Poe may very well be the destination for the most delicious and least expensive meal in Granada. Walk in and snag a spot at the small loungey tables or at the wooden bar stools, then check out the warm yellow walls, woven grass lamps, and eclectic collection of African art. Chat with the British owner if you can catch him between his conversations with all the university regulars who come in and report about their recent exams, the latest soccer game, and even that special someone who’s stealing their heart. Order a beer (€1.50-4) or glass of wine (€1.50-2.70)—both of which are available in non-alcoholic versions (€1.50)—and take your pick of free tapas. The chicken with a sweet and spicy Thai sauce is their most popular option, but the Portuguese bacaloa and Brazilian black bean and pork stew are both pretty irresistible. If you can’t stop eating, just tack on an extra tapa for €1.20, a half-ration for €3.50, or a full ration for €6.
From Plaza Trinidad, take C. Alhondiaga to C. La Paz and turn right. Vegetarian options available. Beer €1.50-4. Wine €1.50-2.70. Open Tu-Su 8pm-2am.
LA CAMPERERIA
C. Duquesa, 3
BAR
958 294 173
Walking down C. Duquesa, it’s impossible to miss the sleek, metallic sign denoting La Campereria in all-bold caps—that, and the crowd of loud, young, socializing students overflowing out of its front door. This restaurant-bar has an extensive menu of meat, fish, and salad options but specializes in its camperos, or round, pressed sandwiches sliced up pizza-style for sharing. Although they’re pressed, it’s hard to flatten out these absolutely stuffed savories. The vegetarian (tomato, corn, pineapple, heart of palm, lettuce, fried onion, and mayo; €7.50) and the chef special (tomato, York-style ham, cheese, chicken or beef, egg, herbs, fried onion, lettuce, and mayo; €9) are two irresistable favorites. Order your drink at the white bar that glows with red lights and is lined with beer taps and bottles of champagne and get a free slice of campero matched with a hearty, hot side dish like fresh spinach tortellini.
From Plaza Trinidad, follow C. Duquesa and the restaurant is on the left. Camperos €6-9. Meat €10.50-18. Fish €12-14. Menú of the day €9.50. Dessert €2-4. Beer €1.90. Wine €2.50. Mixed drinks €4. Open M-Th 8am-1am, F-Sa 8am-2am, Su 8am-1am.
Elsewhere
CASA JUANILLO
Camino del Sacramonte, 81-83
TRADITIONAL
958 223 094
This one is definitely worth the hike up Sacramonte. Casa Juanillo serves some of the most traditional Granadan dishes with one of the best views in the city. While the owner and his children will greet you at the street-level terrace, walk up to the classic Andalucian patio for a real treat. The brick and clay construction borders the dollhouse-esque blue panes and huge windows that give you the perfect view of the Alhambra and Darro River Valley below. And it’s not just the design that’s classic: whether you go with tapas and share a big jar of sangria (€9) with your free small plates (cross your fingers for the top knotch albondigas) or taste the tortilla al monte, full of the traditional pig’s brains and purple peppers (€9), you will leave stuffed and smiling.
Take bus #34 or 35 to Camino del Sacramonte. Entrees €7-14. Beer €1.80. Wine €2-3. Free tapa with drink. Open Tu-Sa noon-4:30pm and 8pm-midnight, Su noon-4:30pm.
LA CHICOTÁ
C. Naves, 20
TAPAS
958 220 349 www.lachicota.es
We know it can be overwhelming to choose a place to eat on C. Navas; the street is lined with restaurants and packed with locals trying to take their pick. Should you draw straws? Spin a wheel? Have your llama sniff it out? While all three of those could work, you may just be better off taking our word for it and sitting down at La Chicotá. The meant-to-be-shared rations and oversized tapas taste as good as they look. Even the waiters are excited about the stunning presentation—some store pictures on their cell phones of the house favorite cremoso de queso con miel (€10), a plate of hefty cheese pieces dripping in fresh honey and accompanied by fresh veggies. The stuffed potatoes (€5.50) are cheap, filling, and always ordered. The patata relleno Chicotá is overflowing with ham, mushrooms, and the secret spicy sauce. Even if it requires a little squirming or a mid-meal jog, make room for the homemade profiteroles doused in chocolate and hazelnut sauce and freckled with powdered sugar (€5). While you can’t make reservations for those busy dinner hours, the speedy waiters won’t leave you hanging for more than a few minutes.
From C. Reyes Catolicos, walk through Plaza Carmen to C. Naves. Vegetable plates €7-12. Entrees €7.50-14. Desserts €2-5. Beer €1.70. Wine €2.50-3. Open daily noon-midnight.
MEKNES RAHMA
C. Peso de Harina, 1
MOROCCAN
958 227 430 www.restaurantemeknes.com
Meknes Rahma is as traditional as they come. Take one step through the door and the colorful drapes, tiled walls, patterned cushions, and carved ceiling immediately tell your stomach to prepare for some quality Moroccan cuisine. The waiters enthusiastically share their cultural knowledge as they recommend their couscous (€11-12.50), baked casseroles (tajins; €7.50-10), and vegetable soup harira (€3.50). Feel free to light up a hookah and snack on a massive bowl of hummus (€3.50), a fresh cup of Moroccan tea with peppermint, or the homemade Arabic pastry of the day (€1.50).
At the corner of Cuesta de Chapiz and where you turn for Camino del Sacramonte. Salads €3-4. Entrees €7.50-12.50. Teas €2.50. Hookah €10. Open daily noon-midnight.
extra virgin
A little-known fact about Spain is that it is the world’s leading producer of olive oil, squeezing out about 44% of the world’s oil. Therefore, you’ll find a lot of foods are cooked in the stuff: meats, potatoes, toast—whatever we in America might put butter on. In fact, it is estimated that each Spaniard consumes an average of 14 liters of olive oil per year.
NIGHTLIFE
GRANADA 10
C. Carcel Baja, 10
CLUB, THEATER
610 219 910 [email protected]
Granada 10 has got this double-life thing down better than Clark Kent; it’s a movie theater and cabaret by day (€4) and a hot dance club at night. Just because it transitions from screening small local films into a party haven, it doesn’t lose the underlying theme. When Granada 10 is packed (pretty much every night after 2am), party people fill up the huge theater space that’s converted into the dance floor. The decadent marble bar and golden couches line the different areas, and a fancy light show gets the energy up. The only simple thing about this spot is the drink menu: just beer (€3), soda (€2), and cocktails (€6). While you can’t expect tons of locals, you’ll be hanging with an enthusiastic, reckless, college-age crowd any night of the week. Be ready for salsa Sundays, ladies night Wednesdays, or student special Thursdays.
From C. Gran Vía, turn onto Carcel Baja; the club is on the right. Cover varies by night. Beer €3. Cocktails €6. Movie ticket €4. Open daily noon-6am; movie screenings in early evening.
CLUB AFRODESIA
C. Almona del Boqueron s/n
CLUB
www.afrodesiaclub.com
Time to shake your groove thing! Club Afrodesia, brought to you by the same owners as local favorite Booga Club (C. Santa Barbara 3 www.boogaclub.com), is one of Granada’s top spots to bump and grind without twiddling your thumbs until that 2am opening time. Check out hip-hop Tuesdays, Jamaican Club Wednesdays, or the Thursday through Saturday funk nights that energize the crowds. The party doesn’t really get started until 2 or 3am (even later in the summers), but come early and relax on leather couches near swanky wood paneling and a leopard-print DJ booth. Go for a simple beer (€3) or take the Afrodesia route and just mix something with a Redbull (€4.50).
Almona del Boqueron branches off Gran Vía at C. Cedran. Shots €2.50. Beer €2.50-3. Redbull €3. Mixed drinks €5-5.50. Open Tu-Th 11pm-3am, F-Sa 11pm-4am.
PERRA GORDA
&nbs
p; C. Almonda del Boqueron s/n
CLUB
It’s time to whip out those ripped jeans and studded leather jackets, because Perra Gorda is Granada’s hot spot for rock and roll. This dark, red-and-black-themed club centers on the massive square bar ringed by posters for local concerts. Whether you’re enjoying your cheap mojito (€3), taking advantage of the three Buds for €5, or making it in time for the happy hour where all mixed drinks are two for €3, your wallet will catch a ton of breaks. Check out Perra Gorda’s weekly entertainment—from throwing up your index and pinkie fingers at the Wednesday acoustic concerts, to playing your heart out in the Monday night foosball tourney (winner gets a free bottle of gin or rum in the fall), or dancing along the hallway with the late-night local crowd.
Almona del Boqueron branches off Gran Vía at C. Cedran. Shots €1-2. Beer €1.20-2.50. Mojitos €3. Mixed drinks €4. Open M-Th 10pm-3am, F-Sa 10pm-4am, Su 10pm-3am. Happy hour 10pm-midnight.
SALA VOGUE
C. Duquesa, 35
CLUB
www.salavogue.es
Sala Vogue is a double-trouble student favorite: you’ve got two dance floors, two DJs, and two absolutely massive bars surrounding each dance floor. With all these options, Vogue can feed your partier soul no matter what mood you’re in. Sala 1 will be spinning indie, pop, rock, and ’80s hits, while Sala 2 can soothe your cravings for electronic and house. While you may have to pay a little extra for the guest DJs (Vogue rakes in some international hot shots), you can enjoy the 3 beers for €5 during the week, or the one-mixed-drink or two-beer deal with your cover on the weekends. You’ll bump into your university buddies like Lucy from Psych 101 and Ricky from Rocks for Jocks year-round, and the tourists swarm in during the summer months. However, don’t expect a crowd until 3 or 4am at least—they’ll be finishing their homework first, right?
On C. Duquesa between Gran Capitan and Horno de Abad Málaga. Cover Th-Sa €6; includes 1 mixed drink or 2 beers. Beer €3. Mixed drink €5. Open M-Th midnight-6am, F-Sa midnight-7am, Su midnight-6am.
Elsewhere
Along Camino del Sacromonte in the evenings, you’ll find bar upon bar offering cheap drinks (with free tapas, of course) and even cheaper flamenco, jazz, and poetry readings. Pena las Cuevas de Sacromonte (Camino de Sacromonte, 21 920 182 663 www.erasmusgranada.com) has free shows every night (11pm) and special flamenco-poetry combos on Fridays and Saturdays (10pm). Museo Cuevas del Sacromonte screens open-air independent films Tuesdays and Thursdays (10pm; €3) and has flamenco shows on Wednesdays (10pm; €12) throughout July and August.
ARTS AND CULTURE
Flamenco and Jazz
VENTA EL GALLO
Barranco Los Negros, 5
BAR, RESTAURANT, FLAMENCO
958 228 476 www.ventaelgallo.com
Though pricier than many of the divier flamenco-jazz bars around Granada, Venta el Gallo is known for being one of the highest-quality options for traditional Granadan flamenco. Since it’s located in Sacromonte, you know you’re getting the authentic thing—you’re where the zambra dance style started, for goodness’s sake! This classic Andalucian house has an arched clay stage decorated with hanging pots and pans that supports a full band and multiple performers.You and over 100 other audience members can enjoy the show with a classy drink or stuff yourself with the multi-course menu of classic Granadan recipes and “El Gallo” specialty preparations. Since they know their location is only convenient for cave dwellers, they offer a pickup and dropoff service (€6) if you don’t feel like taking the bus.
Take bus #34 or 35 to the base of C. del Sacromonte and follow the signs. Pickup and dropoff €6. Dinner and show €52. Drink and show €22. Restaurant open daily 1-4:30pm and 7:30pm-midnight. Dinner with show 8:30pm. Shows 9:30 and 10:30pm.
Festivals
CORPUS CHRISTI
SPRING
While this citywide party is technically intended to celebrate the presence of Jesus Christ in Holy Communion, Corpus Christi has become more debaucherous than religious over the years. The Catholic monarchs brought the festivities to Granada hoping to use the excitement to win over the large Muslim and Jewish populations. Some say that the royalty even urged the local government to invest huge sums of money in the celebrations and make this party as wild, crazy, and fun as possible—you’ll be glad that these “suggestions” were taken seriously. The Thursday of the festival, when the Corpus Christi Parade is held and the throne created by Miguel Moreno is carried through the streets, is the most important day of the event and is always 60 days after Easter. In its entirety, the festival lasts from the Encendio, or lighting of all the city lights Monday at midnight, until the fireworks extravaganza the following Sunday. Over the course of the week, casetas and a fun fair are set up on the outskirts of the city, and Carocas, or satirical cartoons depicting the events of the past year, are played in Plaza Bibrambla. Direct bus lines run to the festival grounds for €1.40. Hostels and hotels tend to fill up, so book in advance.
60 days after Easter.
FESTIVAL INTERNACIONAL DE MÚSICA Y DANZA
SUMMER
The Festival Internacional de Música y Danza is one of Granada’s most prized events. Held now for over 50 years, this summertime festivity brings together a wide variety of music and dance forms, including flamenco, piano, zarzuela, orchestral, and vocals. Performances are held all over the city, including such awe-inspiring spots as the outdoor theater of the Generalife and the Alhambra’s Palacio de Carlos V. For tickets and the festival program of events, contact the festival box office at the Corral del Carbón. (C. Mariana Pineda s/n 958 221 844 [email protected]) or Ticketmaster (902 150 025 www.ticketmaster.es/granadafestival).
ESSENTIALS
Practicalities
• TOURIST OFFICES : There are over 25 tourist offices in the greater Granada area, including one at the airport (958 245 269 [email protected]), at Plaza del Carmen (958 248 280 [email protected]), and in the Alhambra (Avda. Generalife s/n 958 544 002 www.andalucia.org).
• TOURS: The tourist bus line for Granada runs year-round English tours ( www.citysightseeing-spain.com/html/es/tour €10. 1hr. 15min., every 15min.) that stop at 10 major sights. You can also hop on the free walking tour, officially run out of Oasis Granada, that leaves from the fountain at Plaza Nueva every day at 11am (€3-5 tip recommended).
• CURRENCY EXCHANGE: Interchange (C. Reyes Católicos 31 958 224 512 Open M-Sa 9am-10pm, Su 11am-3pm and 4-9pm.) is a money-exchange office that provides services with all major credit cards, including American Express.
• INTERNET: The Biblioteca de Andalucía (Profesor Sainz Cantero, 6 958 026 900 www.juntadeandalucia.es/cultura/ba Open M-F 9am-9pm, Sa 9am-2pm.) has eight computers that you can use for free for up to an hour. You can also use the facilities at the university, including the free Wi-Fi. Idolos and Fans is an internet cafe (Camino de Ronda, 80 958 265 725 Open daily 10am-midnight. €1.80 per hr., €9 per 6hr., €12 per 10hr.) that has facilities for photocopying, fax, scanning, video chat, computer use, Wi-Fi, and even a Playstation 3.
• POST OFFICE: The closest post office is at Puerta Real (intersection of C. Reyes Católicos and Acera del Darro 958 224 835 Open M-F 8:30am-8:30pm, Sa 9:30am-2pm.)
Emergency!
• EMERGENCY NUMBERS: Municipal police: 092. National police: 091.
• LATE-NIGHT PHARMACIES: You’ll find a few 24hr. pharmacies around the intersection of C. Reyes Catolicos and C. Acera del Darro, including Farmacia Martin Valverde (C. Reyes Catolicos, 5 958 262 664).
• HOSPITALS/MEDICAL SERVICES: Call the Hospital Universitario Vírgen de las Nieves (Av. Fuerza de las Armadas, 2 958 020 002) or the Hospital San Juan de Dios (C. San Juan de Dios s/n 958 022 904). For an ambulance, contact a local emergency team (958 282 000).
Getting There
By Air
Airport Federico García Lorca (958 245 200) is located about 15km outside the city in Chauchina and can be accessed along the A-92 highway.
It connects to the Madrid, Barcelona, and Mallorca airports domestically as well as Britain’s London-Stansted and Liverpool Airports, Germany’s Frankfurt-Hahn Airport, and Italy’s Bologna and Milano Bergamo Airports. Air Europa, Iberia, SpainAir, RyanAir, and Vueling Airlines all fly through Granada.
By Train
The main train station (Av. de Andaluces s/n 958 204 000) runs Renfe trains (www.renfe.es) to and from Barcelona ( €60.50. 11½hr.; 8am, 9:30pm.), Madrid ( €66.80. 4hr. 25min.; 9:05am, 5:05pm.), Sevilla ( €23.90. 3hr., 4 per day 7am-6pm.), and Algeciras ( €20.40. 4½hr.; 7am, 12:15, 3:45pm.), as well as many other smaller cities.
By Bus
The bus station (Caretera Jaén s/n 958 185 480) runs Alsa buses ( www.alsa.es) around Andalucia (958 185 480 for the regional line), as well as connecting to Madrid (958 185 480) and the Valencia-Barcelona (902 422 242) lines. You can arrive from Sevilla ( €20. 3hr., 9 per day 8am-11pm.), Cadiz ( €31. 5hr., 4 per day 9am-9pm.), Madrid Estación Sur ( €17. 5hr., 15 per day 1am-11:30pm.), or Málaga ( €10. 1½hr., 15 per day 7am-9:30pm.), as well as many other destinations. Autocares Bonal (958 46 50 22) also runs a direct route to and from Sierra Nevada ski resorts ( 25min.; M-F 3 per day, Sa-Su 4 per day.) during ski season.
Let's Go Europe 2011: The Student Travel Guide Page 197