MADGuide
Where To Eat When You’re Visiting Madrid
photo credit: Alex Felder
You’re visiting Madrid, and you’ve packed your appetite. Where do you start? That’s a question we get asked a lot, and it’s a hard one to answer, especially because Madrid has more than 10,000 restaurants. But we’re gonna try so that you don’t return home having only eaten too-cold churros from San Ginés and a ham sandwich from Museo de Jamón—Iberian jamón is so good on its own that it’s practically a crime to smash it between bread.
Below isn’t meant to be a definitive list of the city’s best restaurants. It’s just a solid place to begin and get to know Madrid’s food scene.
THE SPOTS
photo credit: Sala de Despiece
Dinner at Sala de Despiece is a full-on event—servers carry around personal blowtorches and caramelize pretty much everything, from appetizers to desserts. The restaurant’s colorful tiled ceiling has massive dangling silver hooks, which may seem strange at first, but once you realize the space was a former butcher shop, it all starts to make sense. There’s eel with foie gras and apple that’s doused with their secret sauce, which the staff will lightly scorch directly in front of you, and the Rolex: a strip of egg yolk, pancetta, foie gras, truffle, and sauternes that’s infinitely more satisfying than a wristwatch. Sure, the plates may seem a bit odd, but the flavor combinations are so unique and the ingredients so fresh that you might be back twice in one trip.
photo credit: Aslin Castañeda
You’re in Madrid, so inevitably, you’re going to tapear (have some tapas)—and Emma Cocina is our first choice on where to do it. It’s one of the few tapas bars near the tourist-heavy Plaza Mayor and Mercado de San Miguel where you’ll find locals leisurely lunching or having quick croquetas alongside bewildered out-of-towners drawn in by the modest prices and hearty portions. Order a glass of wine from whatever’s on the daily chalkboard menu and pair it with some stewed pork cheek, cured lomo and chorizo, and platters of Spanish cheeses. This country takes jamón and queso as seriously as the French take champagne (manchego cheese has an official certification), and the owner Emma plates hers on top of pungent extra virgin olive oil alongside picos, bite-sized breadsticks.
Lhardy is the gaudiest, most regal luxury restaurant in town and one the city's oldest—it dates back to 1839. You’ll find stately chandeliers, heavy velvet drapes, stained glass, twisting staircases, and endless gold and silver throughout the two-story space. The Spanish-French food, which includes their hearty Madrileño stew and sauced up fishes and meats, doesn't quite live up to the grandiose upstairs dining, especially for the grandiose prices. The move is to stick to their more casual “tienda” (don’t worry, the old-school glamor carries over to this chandeliered bar area and shop) to throw back the house wine, cava, or sherry served in fancy crystal glasses, and buy some of it to take home. Pair your bubbles with their famed puff pastries stuffed with sausage, veal, or cheese before asking staff for a quick view of the showy upstairs.
photo credit: Kelly Hurd
The experience at this lively Madrileño tavern from 1892 isn’t for anyone who wants a quiet meal in a comfortable seat. It's always full of tourists, locals looking to let their hair down, and neighborhood abuelos, drinking pilsner shoulder-to-shoulder around wooden barrels (it's usually standing-room-only unless you’re lucky enough to snag a coveted stool). Although there’s a small back area more apt for dining (you’ll have to duck under the bar counter to get there), the front, where everyone is day drinking and hanging out with friends, is more fun. The walls are covered from floor to ceiling with dusty liquor bottles, vintage photos, and chalkboards scribbled with the day’s offerings—but don’t bother getting into the menu, and just order their historic tortilla de patata.
photo credit: Alex Felder
San Ginés is the tourist spot for chocolate and churros, but skip it—Chocolatería Valor in Salamanca is better: shorter waits, outdoor seating, and churros that are crunchy, warm, and ready to be dipped in the rich, gooey stuff. Valor is also a chocolate brand, so they’re experts when it comes to getting the taste and texture just right. The people-watching at this bright, always-busy spot might even be as good as the delicately fried churros—many of the Madrileños who come here mid-morning to slowly sip coffee and read the paper have lived in this neighborhood for decades. The menu also has more breakfast-y items, like a tosta con tomate, a long baguette topped with a blended tomato spread, generous extra virgin olive oil, and sea salt, which will fuel you until the city's late lunch hour, which starts around 2pm.
photo credit: Álex Felder
Tablaos are bars and restaurants with live flamenco, and most of them in town are more about the performance than the food. This historic, family-owned La Latina spot not only features a show with some of the country’s most famous dancers and musicians but also prioritizes the food you’ll enjoy during it—quality, farm-to-table ingredients turn into dishes you remember long after the night ends. The menu is full of unexpected flavors that liven up traditional Spanish plates, like seasonal watermelon gazpacho that's exceptionally refreshing on balmy evenings. You’ll always find fresh seafood, usually just simply grilled but so naturally flavorful you may just shout “Olé” along with the performers. The secret to experiencing this place to the max is the sherry menu. Corral has more than 1,000 different types, including one-of-a-kind vintage bottles you likely won't find elsewhere.
photo credit: Pez Tortilla
In the Great Tortilla de Patata Debate, Madrileños fall into different camps: onion or no onion, golden crust or runny egg—there’s even debate on how to chop the potatoes or flip the omelet itself (historically, many a señora has chucked her homemade tortilla in the trash after even just slightly overcooking it). Figure out which side you fall on with a trip to Pez Tortilla, a safe space for you to decide how you like it, pressure-free. The casual joint is often packed with groups who want to chat, drink craft beer, and snack, so you might be relegated to standing, especially during crowded lunch and dinner hours. Choose from different kinds of tortillas that feature ingredients like caramelized peppers, ham, truffle, or goat cheese. No matter which you go for, Pez’s versions have a drippy, runny center versus a well-done crust, so if raw(ish) egg isn’t your thing, opt for the crispy croquettes instead.
Drinking wine at an ultra under-the-radar bar in Lavapiés is a citywide pastime, and the place to do it is at La Fisna. The cozy wine bar feels like a chill yet subtly cool Madrileño clubhouse with exposed brick, vintage posters, and chalkboard lists of wines. Beyond what you’ll find in chalk, their wine list is 37 pages long, so you’ve got near endless options for sipping the evening away, which is what the neighborhood residents tend to do. Pair your vino with strong Spanish cheeses, glazed meatballs, and the egg omelet with Catalonian sobrasada (a semi-spicy chorizo paste) and piparras, which are Basque sweet peppers. If you really love what you’re drinking, you can pick up a bottle to take home from the wine store in the back.
photo credit: Alex Felder
This former railway warehouse-turned-restaurant with sky-high ceilings and walls lined with sidra bottles and wooden barrels is a Madrid institution, and the reason why is the salty roast chicken and Asturian cider. The menu is short and sweet, with things like pollo asado (you’ll see the rotisserie chickens turning on spits as you walk in), spicy chorizo marinated in sidra, one of the most famous dishes hailing from the northerly Asturias region, and stinky Cabrales blue cheese. We love attempting the iconic Asturian pour, where you hold the bottle high in the air and your glass down below so the drink aerates, praying most of it doesn’t land on the floor—you’ll see puddles of cider everywhere, so don’t worry if you miss. This place is perfect for those who want to eat good food and have an energetic experience without fussing over reservations or complicated ordering.
If sipping sherry and popping olives where Ernest Hemingway once found inspiration sounds fun, head to La Venencia. Don’t expect to find soda or beer on the menu at this lively bar: it only offers sherry-by-the-glass, half-bottle, or bottle (varieties like Manzanilla, Fino, Palo Cortado, Oloroso, and Amontillado). This place is old-school—and actually old, nearly 100 years or so—meaning you’ll see vintage sherry bottles sitting under layers of dust and peeling paint on the walls. It adds to the charm, and is why it’s always crowded with locals and tourists drinking around dark wooden tables. Be prepared to shout to get the bartender's attention—don't bother with drawn-out, over-polite, or complicated orders after perusing the menu—there are no menus, just a small sign with the sherry and snack options like chorizo or cheese.
photo credit: Alex Felder
Madrid is full of mercados where you'll have to jostle through giant tour groups competing to take photos of dangling legs of jamón or buckets of olives, which is why we embrace Mercado de la Cebada. It's a more laid-back, local-centric spot in La Latina that dates back more than a century, but a recent renovation left the space cleaner, newer, and easier to navigate. It’s still home to many of its historic food and drink stalls, like Costa Gallega, a stand that sells seafood on weekdays but offers clandestine tastings of fresh pulpo and mussels on Saturdays (and former opening hours—it continues to close on Sundays and midday). While Cebada is renewed, it still feels traditional: those small bars where you can eat cocido for lunch or order vermouth with tapas or some Spanish potato chips remain busy.
