If you find yourself wandering through the grand boulevards and bustling plazas of Madrid, Spain, you may be surprised by the delightful culinary tapestry that awaits you. Far from the dreary fare you may expect, Madrid offers a vibrant and diverse food scene that will tantalize your taste buds. From traditional tapas bars to Michelin-starred restaurants, there is something to suit every palate. So, let us embark on a gastronomic journey through this charming city, where flavors collide and memories are made.
Best Restaurants in Madrid
Should you, for some reason, find yourself in the bustling city of Madrid, and further, should you develop an inexplicable craving for sustenance, it is recommended that you find time to eat at La Guíjar, Casa Revuelta, and Chocolatería San Ginés.
Local Specialties
Here are some traditional foods you should look forward to, seek out, and try when you visit Madrid.
- Cocido Madrileño is a hearty and flavorful stew that is a staple on cold winter days in Madrid. It is typically deconstructed and served in three courses. First, a light broth made from the stew’s cooking liquid is served with noodles or rice. Next, chickpeas and vegetables such as potatoes and cabbage are served. Finally, meat such as pork and chorizo is served. Lhardy is purported to make an excellent version.
- Bocadillo de Calamares is a popular street food sandwich in Madrid, consisting of a crusty baguette filled with fried calamari rings. You will find a great many of these peculiar treats at bars and restaurants on the side streets near Plaza Mayor. Just be sure to approach these with a measure of caution, for you may find that some of them are a sad waste of calories, indeed.
- Gambas al Ajillo, or garlic shrimp, is a classic Spanish dish that features plump, juicy shrimp cooked in a flavorful sauce made with garlic, olive oil, and sometimes chili peppers or paprika.
- Tortilla Española is a classic Spanish dish, often referred to as a “Spanish omelette” or “Spanish potato omelette.” It’s a savory dish made with eggs, potatoes, and typically onions, though variations can include other ingredients like peppers or ham. It can be served warm or cold.
- Croquetas typically consist of a thick binder like bechamel sauce or mashed potatoes, combined with a filling of meat, fish, vegetables, or cheese. The mixture is then breaded and deep-fried until golden brown. The result is delicious deep-fried balls with a creamy filling and a crispy outer layer.
- Huevos rotos, or broken eggs, is a classic Spanish dish that features fried eggs served over crispy potatoes. It’s often topped with chorizo or jamón (cured ham) for a savory and satisfying meal. The name comes from the act of breaking the yolk of the fried egg over the potatoes, allowing the runny yolk to mix with the potatoes and other toppings.
- Churros con Chocolate is a classic Spanish dessert that consists of long, crispy, deep-fried dough sticks (churros) served with a thick, rich chocolate dipping sauce.
Traditional Restaurants in Madrid
- Lhardy – For more than a century, Lhardy has been a purveyor of fine cuisine, the sort of place where things are not so much eaten as they are witnessed. It is a restaurant where one might find a stew and the secrets of a nation’s history stewing side-by-side. Look for the famous cocido madrileño, a traditional stew of chickpeas and meats, which has been perfected here.
- La Sanabresa – La Sanabresa is a humble place, a small and often crowded restaurant that has been in operation since 1964 and is known for its menu del día, a simple fixed-price meal that includes a starter, a main course, and a dessert. It is a menu that changes with the seasons, and the food is often described as being like a meal from a Spanish grandmother’s home. There is often a line of people waiting outside, a fact that is both a testament to its popularity and a warning to those who prefer to dine without a crowd. It is a place that promises a hearty meal at a reasonable price.
- Sobrino de Botín – This establishment, which is located in a narrow alleyway near Madrid’s main square, has been operating without interruption since 1725. This makes it, according to a book of records kept by a certain Irish brewery, the oldest restaurant in the world. Its interior is a maze of low ceilings, narrow staircases, and ancient, uneven floors. It is said that the fire in the wood-burning oven has never, not even once, been extinguished since the very beginning. The menu is not one of great variety, but rather a solemn and steadfast offering of its most famous dishes of whole suckling pigs and lambs. A place such as this should be approached with a certain amount of foresight. Disappointment can be avoided by making reservations or by arriving at least 30 minutes before the doors are opened. To do otherwise is to invite a long and tedious wait.
- Arroceria D’stapa Madrid – This is a restaurant in Madrid where one can acquire various rice dishes, for “arroceria” is merely a word for a place that serves rice. The central purpose of this place is the preparation of paella. One might find a seafood paella, a meat paella, or even one with both, a chaotic mixture that one can only hope is not as unsettling as it sounds.
- Moratin – Moratin is a relatively modern and rather unassuming Michelin-listed bistro known for market-fresh ingredients and a concise, focused menu. One of its most celebrated items is the grilled octopus, a dish that, in less capable hands, could be a sad and chewy thing. It is a place to be sought out, but with a certain amount of foresight, as one must make a reservation to secure a seat at this particularly well-regarded spot.
- Casa Dani – Casa Dani is a small stall inside a larger, bustling market known as Mercado de la Paz. Casa Dani is not known for its extravagant décor or its quiet, dignified service. It is known for its tortilla de patata, a simple omelet made from eggs and potatoes. This particular omelet, for reasons that a great many people have pondered, is considered by some to be the very best in all of Spain. It is served in a manner that might displease some, as its center is often soft, runny, and rather liquid. There are no reservations, and one must often stand to eat, a fact that suggests that the quality of the food is far more important than the dignity of the diner.
- Restaurante La Montería – La Montería is a Michelin-listed restaurant known for its game dishes. One might encounter venison and wild boar on the menu, for example. Such things are not for those with a delicate constitution, but for those who believe that food should be a serious and substantial matter. The menu also offers simpler, though no less substantial, items such as a rather unique kind of battered shrimp and traditional stews, a fact that may be a comfort to those who do not wish to encounter something from the woods on their plate. There is a bar area, where people stand and consume various tapas and raciones, and a more formal dining room for a more serious meal with excellent set menus.
- TABERNA ÚBEDA – Unlike many dining establishments in Madrid, Taberna Úbeda is not a place of great historical import. Instead, it is known for its quiet excellence. The cuisine is what one might call traditional with a personal touch. There are a great many delicacies to be found here, from grilled artichokes to stewed meats to cheesecake. It has, for reasons that have a great deal to do with its simple and honest food, been recognized by the Michelin Guide. The establishment is small, with only a handful of tables, which means that one must plan ahead if one wishes to secure a seat.
Good Spots for Drinks and Tapas in Madrid
- La Guíjar – This is a simple and rather amiable place of sustenance, a sort of neighborhood bar. Here, one may acquire excellent tapas and drinks. This is the sort of place where everyone is made to feel like a regular and where one is not subject to the usual cold and impersonal nature of the outside world.
- Bar Santurce – Bar Santurce is a casual spot known for its sardines, a humble fish that is here treated with a great and specific dignity. The sardines are grilled but to a state of ideal succulence, and served with a simple sprinkling of salt. It is a place that does not cater to tourists, but rather to a certain kind of person who knows precisely what they want. And what they want, it seems, is a good sardine, perhaps with a side of Padrón peppers.
- La Gildería – A gilda, for those who have not had the dubious pleasure, is a simple concoction of an olive, a pickled pepper, and an anchovy, all speared on a wooden stick. One would think such a thing a trivial snack, but at La Gildería, it is elevated to an art form. The bar is small, with high stools and a certain vintage charm. Choose from a great many varieties of the gilda, from the classic to more elaborate versions, all of which pair perfectly with Vermouth.
- La Venencia – La Venencia is an establishment dedicated to sherry, a peculiar sort of fortified wine that comes in many varieties, from the light and crisp to the dark and brooding. The bar itself is a dim and dusty place, filled with old barrels and faded posters, and appears to have changed very little since it opened in the 1930s. You will also find that no photographs are permitted inside, a policy that dates back to the Spanish Civil War, when it was a meeting place for a certain kind of person who preferred not to be documented. Your bill, a simple accounting of your drinks and perhaps some olives or salty meat, is tallied in chalk on the bar itself. This is a place that does not welcome tourists so much as it tolerates them.
- Casa Revuelta – Some establishments are known for a great many things, but Casa Revuelta is known for one thing, and one thing only. This tavern has perfected the art of a single culinary item: fried cod. One would think that a simple piece of battered fish is not something to build a reputation upon, but in this small and often crowded place, it is treated with a grave solemnity. The cod is served as a slice – perfectly crispy on the outside, and tender on the inside. The establishment itself is often bustling, particularly on the weekends, with people standing at the bar, and there is little room to do anything but consume your portion of fish and your glass of beer.
Spots Good for Sweets in Madrid
- Chocolatería San Ginés – Chocolatería San Ginés operates at all hours, as if the concept of day and night were nothing but a tiresome suggestion. Established in 1894, it is a rather famous establishment located in a small passageway near the church of the same name. It is not a place of great fanfare or elaborate decoration, but rather a simple affair. Its entire existence is built upon two things: a thick, dark hot chocolate and churros. The chorros are made for the express purpose of being dipped into the accompanying hot, puddling-like chocolate. It is a common sight to find a long line of people waiting to enter, for the establishment is rarely, if ever, empty. But a word of advice, which I offer with a great deal of solemnity, is to avoid this establishment on a Saturday afternoon. The line, which can extend for a great many paces down the block, is a testament to the unfortunate human tendency to flock to things at the same time. You will find that on most other occasions, the crowd is far more manageable, and your consumption of churros can be conducted with a great deal more dignity.
- Maestro Churrero – Maestro Churrero, a name which translates to “Master of Churros,” is a stark promise. Here, one may acquire churros and hot dipping chocolate. This place, like many others of its kind, is a popular spot, with both locals and visitors alike. One might have to wait in a queue, a tedious and unpleasant activity, merely to acquire an excellent quality fried pastry and a cup of chocolate that is merely passable, a fact that is, in its way, a small tragedy.
- Alex Cordobés – This business is built on a single, solemn foundation: the cheesecake. This is not the kind of airy, insubstantial dessert one might find in less serious places. It is a cheesecake known for its remarkable creaminess, so much so that it has gained a great deal of notoriety. This takeaway bakery is not a place for leisurely contemplation, as it has no chairs or tables. One must acquire their delicacy and depart, a fact that suggests that the pursuit of this particular treat is a serious and solitary endeavor. You will often find a line of people extending from its door, a fact that can be either a testament to its popularity or a dire warning, depending on one’s current disposition.
Non-Traditional Restaurants
- Chuka Ramen Bar – Chuka Ramen Bar is known for its various bowls of ramen, from the traditional to the more inventive. It is a place that, like a great many places in this world, is small and often crowded, with a bar and a few tables. A wait is often required, which is a fact that one should consider carefully before showing up without a reservation.
- Salmon Guru – Salmon Guru is a cocktail bar that has earned a great many accolades in certain lists of the world’s best bars. This is a place that believes in a great deal of spectacle, and the drinks themselves are often served in peculiar, custom-made vessels that might smoke, foam, or be shaped like various strange creatures. Its menu is a thing of careful and surprising construction, with concoctions that mix a great many things, from pisco and fish sauce to gin and fermented strawberries. There is also a small menu of food, designed to be eaten with one’s peculiar beverage.
- StreetXO – StreetXO, on the top floor of a large and rather impersonal department store, is filled with a disorienting spectacle of red lights, graffiti, and loud music, designed to overwhelm the senses. It is a project of Chef Dabiz Muñoz, who has a great deal of fame and a certain number of accolades for his other, more formal establishments. The menu is a collection of dishes with a great many influences, particularly from Asia, but reinterpreted in a way that is both clever and perplexing. There are no reservations, and the line for entry can be a long and tedious thing.
Markets and Foodie Neighborhoods
Mercado de San Miguel – The Mercado de San Miguel is a magnificent building of iron and glass, a monument to a time when architects believed that even a humble market should be a work of art. On the other hand, it is no longer a place for the simple act of grocery shopping. It has been transformed, for reasons that have a great deal to do with modern tastes and the economics of daily life, into a food hall. It is now filled with dozens of small stalls, each one offering a different delicacy, from plates of sliced ham to fresh seafood, and you will see a great many people – so many, in fact, that one can barely move – standing with small plates and glasses of wine. It is a place where one can taste a great many things, but one should do so with a measure of caution and with a firm grip on one’s wallet.
Don’t know where to start? A food tour presents itself as a rather convenient option that allows you to sample an assortment of edibles over the span of a few hours. Here are a few highly rated options:
- Madrid Local Tapas Tour with Private Dinner and Bottomless Wine
- Madrid Tapas Tour with Food and Drink
- Madrid Food Tasting Tour of Hidden Gems
¡Provecho!
Don’t miss out on this! This article is also featured on GPSmyCity. To download this article for offline reading or create a self-guided walking tour to visit the attractions highlighted in this article, go to Walking Tours and Articles in Madrid.
I hope you’ve enjoyed this Madrid food and restaurants guide. Here’s a link to save this list to Google Maps for later. If you want more, here’s everything I’ve written about Spain.
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