International Lodging Corporation

Customized travel services in Spain & Portugal since 1983

On the Menu…Ultramarinos Quintín Restaurante, Madrid (Spain)

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Ultramarinos Quintín is a local favorite restaurant that is part market, part restaurant and bar. It is located on the corner of a lovely tree-lined street in Madrid’s upscale Salamanca neighborhood. Prior to being converted into a restaurant, the building had been home to a grocery store – ultramarinos in Spanish – so the name is a nod to the store that had long-occupied the space, as well as a reference to the market offerings found inside of the building today.

Quintín’s inviting interior is lined with food counters and shelves offering a wide variety of fresh fruits, vegetables, cured meats, freshly baked bread, prepared dishes and much more. Tables are spread throughout the large space surrounded by exposed brick walls. The ambiance of this trendy restaurant is lively and vibrant, but there is also a cozy feel to this trendy restaurant that attracts a nice mix of neighborhood locals and visitors from near and far.

The cuisine at Quintín highlights a broad selection of Spanish dishes made with locally sourced ingredients. The menu includes a variety of small dishes to share, salads, a selection of hams that includes their own Jamón Ibérico (cured ham), and main entrees of meat, fish and traditional stews. There is even a selection of pasta dishes and pizzas to choose from.

  • Calle Jorge Juan, 17
  • Madrid, Spain
  • Phone: +34 (91) 786 46 24 / +34 (91) 431 71 03
  • Website: Ultramarinos Quintín

Photo Credit: Ultramarinos Quintín Restaurante

For assistance with your travel plans, including hotel and private tour reservations, click here.

Cheers…Alella Wine Region, Barcelona (Spain)

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Wine enthusiasts who travel to Barcelona and want to explore the local wineries in the region would probably be surprised to find out that they don’t have to venture too far away to find one. Located just 20 minutes outside of the city center (15 kms.), Alella is the closest wine region to the city and one of the best kept secrets in the area. With just 9 wineries and a little over 300 hectares of vineyards, the wine appellation (Denominación de Origen DO) Alella is the smallest DO in Spain.

Alella is a coastal town that has a long tradition of winemaking that dates back to Roman times. The town itself overlooks the Mediterranean and is charming, with architectural highlights from the ancient Roman, Baroque and Modernist periods. The combination of terraced landscapes, layers of limestone, and cooling breezes from the sea produce a wide variety of grapes, including the Pansa Blanca grape (also known as Xarel·lo) that goes into most of the white wines produced in the area. Cava (Spanish sparkling wine) and rustic red wines are also produced in the region.

Alella was designated a DO in 1956. Since then it has shrunk to about a third of its original size, due to the urban expansion that has taken place in the past decades. There do still remain a number of the original farmhouses (called masies in Catalan) that have been passed down through the generations in the families that continue the winemaking tradition to this day. A number of them are open to the public and welcome visitors to tour their wineries and enjoy tastings.

For assistance with your travel plans, including hotel and private tour reservations, click here.

U.S. Travelers Are Restricted from Entering Europe – Updated July 30, 2020 (no further update has been given)

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The European Union announced on June 30th that it would not admit visitors from the U.S. when it opens its borders on July 1, 2020. The 27 member countries of the E.U., which include Portugal and Spain, are expected to comply with the standards that were adopted. The decision to exclude the U.S. from its list of countries that are permitted to enter was based on the increase in coronavirus cases. The criteria used to establish the list of countries includes data such as infection rates, which must be equal to or better than the E.U., and there must also be reciprocal arrangements that allow E.U. citizens to enter the country. E.U. citizens are currently banned from entering the U.S.

There were a total of 15 countries on the initial list of “safe countries.” The E.U. said it would review the data every 2 weeks to add/remove countries from the list based on changes in their infection rates and travel restrictions. We will update the status of U.S. travel to Portugal and Spain as new info is reported – see below.

Update as of July 30, 2020 (no further update has been given):

The U.S. continues to be excluded from the list of countries that are allowed entry to the E.U.

The list of “safe countries” was updated on July 30, 2020, with the total dropping from 15 to 12 countries. For a list of the 12 countries that are permitted entry to the E.U. click here.