Dana F.
Yelp
Break out the SAT review books, because I'm about to pose an analogy:
Tortilla Española: Bar Santos:: Pizza: Famous Ray's "The Original"
Yeah. After reading an onslaught of glowing reviews on Tripadvisor [1], I really wanted to try this "famous" tortilla. The bar itself is plastered with local newspaper snippets circa 1966, when the bar first opened and the tortilla became an instant-hit.
Well, guess what. It's not 1966 anymore and this tortilla was horrible. Yes, it is approximately 3 kilometers high, but I think that is part of the gimmick. The tortilla is all potato, with a very thin encasing of egg. (Break out your Regents Biology book: the egg was like the "nuclear membrane" of the tortilla.)
Although "What Constitutes a Good Tortilla" is a divisive issue [2], I believe it is the balance of egg and potato (and maybe a little onion?) along with fluffiness, consistency, and texture that makes the perfect tortilla. And because I was simply served a stack of dense potatoes, there was not much to motivate me to ask for a second caña and stay a while [3].
The Law of Restaurant Proximity holds true: The closer the bar/restaurant/dining establishment is to a tourist attraction, the more horrific and horrifically expensive it will be. Bar Santos is along the square of the Mesquita-Catedral.
[1] I've noticed that there is typically a huge dissonance between my tastes and what Tripadvisor tells me I should like. Thank God for Yelp Spain!
[2] And one I will have to address in the form of a list on Yelp.
[3] On this particular day, it was 45 degrees centigrade. That beer was really nice, hence the second star.