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Casa Dani is a legendary bar in Mercado de la Paz whose tortilla de patata (potato omelet) is easily the best in town, and perhaps the country (if first place in the National Spanish Omelet Championship of 2019 is any indication). Each hefty wedge is packed with caramelized onions and served hot and slightly runny. Adventurous eaters should opt for the con callos version, topped with spicy tripe. The €13 prix fixe, which hinges on market ingredients, is a great lunch deal if you're not in a rush (prepare for long lines to be seated).
Calle de Ayala 28 (also Calle de Lagasca 49), Madrid, 28001, Spain
Known For
- Possibly world's best tortilla española
- Value prix-fixe lunch
- Long lines that are worth the wait
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Sun. No dinner
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Expertly pulled espressos, natural wines, and unexpectedly outstanding food—think velvety scrambled eggs, flavorful quiches, and homemade cakes and pastries—have made this café on Plaza del Biombo an instant hit with locals and expats, many of whom treat the roomy communal table like a coworking space (just be considerate and order more than a coffee if you plan on staying awhile).
Calle de Calderón de la Barca 8, Madrid, 28013, Spain
Known For
- €15 weekday prix fixe
- Genial bilingual staff
- Industrial-chic decor plus sunny patio seating
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Tues.
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Your reward for overlooking the soulless IKEA furnishings of this family-run dinette is honest home-cooked food served at exceptionally reasonable prices for the neighborhood. Try Cordoban-style flamenquines (ham-and-cheese-stuffed pork), salmon tartare, or (on Sunday) a crave-worthy paella Valenciana.
Reservations are a must for Sunday lunch; call ahead or visit the website to book a table and preorder your paella.
Calle del Noviciado 2, Madrid, 28015, Spain
Known For
- Budget weekday prix fixes
- Sunday paella
- Local crowd
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Mon. No dinner Sun.
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Cocido madrileño, Madrid's quintessential boiled dinner of rich consommé, butter-soft chickpeas, and some half-dozen cuts of meat, is the must-order item at this Salamanca institution, especially in the winter, when temperatures plummet. The wooden straight-back chairs, kitschy cotton bibs, and walls hung with black-and-white photos belie the fact that this lunch-only restaurant opened just two decades ago, but one taste of its famous cocido, and you might as well be at an abuela's kitchen table.
Calle de Padilla 54, Madrid, 28006, Spain
Known For
- Cocido madrileño served in three courses
- Old-timey interiors
- Warm service
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: No dinner
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$$$$ | Salamanca |
Locals flock to Casa Carola for one dish, cocido madrileño, Madrid's famous boiled dinner whose roots can be traced to a medieval Sephardic stew called adafina. Served ritualistically in three courses, or vuelcos—broth, then chickpeas and vegetables, then meats—it's an essential Madrid experience, especially in the cold-weather months. Madrid has several famous cocido restaurants, but Casa Carola stands out for its ultrabuttery garbanzos, nostalgic decor (think black-and-white photos and old newspaper clippings), and service with panache. Tie on your starched cloth bib and prepare to feast. Lunch only.
Calle de Padilla 54, Madrid, Madrid, 28006, Spain
Known For
- Cocido madrileño served in three courses
- Old-timey interiors
- Warm service
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: No dinner. Closed mid-June–mid-Sept.
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Recommended Fodor’s Video
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If you haven't tried Chinese food in Madrid, you're missing out—the city has some of the best Chinese restaurants in Europe thanks to a vibrant immigrant community. Casa Lafu, with its serene white-tablecloth dining room, stands out for its expertly prepared repertoire of regional dishes, from Sichuan-style málà (spicy) plates to Shanghainese wine-cooked meats and Cantonese dim sum. Well-priced tasting menus and hot pot options round out the offerings.
Calle de la Flor Baja 1, Madrid, 28013, Spain
Known For
- Hot pot
- Upscale Chinese cuisine at affordable prices
- Rare regional specialties
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When you ask a Madrileño about a remarkable food experience—something that stirs the senses beyond feeding one's appetite—DiverXO is the first name you'll hear. The take-no-prisoners tasting menu incorporates a dizzying array of international ingredients and chemical processes. Getting a table at this foodie shrine is akin to scoring a ticket for the Super Bowl, so plan well ahead—there's an online reservation system that requires that you to pay in full in advance.
Calle del Padre Damián 23, Madrid, 28036, Spain
Known For
- Punk-rock fine dining
- Courses that use the whole table as a canvas
- Madrid's only Michelin three-star
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Sun.–Tues., Reservations essential
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$$$$ | Chamberí |
Kappo delivers a classic, ultrarefined omakase experience free of fusion fripperies—a reminder that when the quality of fish is this good, there's no need for showy garnishes and tableside pyrotechnics. On a given night, chef Mario Payán might grace your chopsticks with grouper, yellowtail, horse mackerel, or scallop anointed with, say, a drop of ponzu or a scraggle of pickled daikon. Spanish line-caught tuna often figures heavily on the menu, which has a set price of €58 and includes a starter, 15 pieces of sushi, and dessert. If you're feeling social, sit at the u-shape bar, where you can watch the sushi masters work their magic; for a quiet meal, request a table.
Calle de Bretón de los Herreros 54, Madrid, Madrid, 28003, Spain
Known For
- Multihour omakase experience
- Impeccably fresh fish
- Exclusive atmosphere
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Sun. and Mon.
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Kappo delivers a classic, ultra-refined omakase experience free of fusion fripperies—a reminder that when the quality of fish is this good, there's no need for showy garnishes and tableside pyrotechnics. On a given night, chef Mario Payán might grace your chopsticks with grouper, yellowtail, horse mackerel, or scallop anointed with a drop of ponzu or a scraggle of pickled daikon. Spanish line-caught tuna often figures heavily on the set menu, which includes a starter, 15 pieces of sushi, and dessert. If you're feeling social, sit at the u-shape bar, where you can watch the sushi masters work their magic; for a quiet meal, request a table.
Calle de Bretón de los Herreros 54, Madrid, 28003, Spain
Known For
- Multihour omakase experience
- Impeccably fresh fish
- Exclusive atmosphere
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Sun. and Mon.
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Real talk: it can be hard to find a vegetable in Madrid. But in Navarra, the region this restaurant looks to for inspiration, there's never a shortage of asparagus, artichokes, cardoons, piquillo peppers, and other seasonal delicacies. Savor a vegetable-centric tasting menu that hinges on ingredients from the owners' family farm for €42, a steal in this increasingly overpriced neighborhood.
Calle del Prado 15, Madrid, 28014, Spain
Known For
- Vegetarian- and celiac-friendly cuisine
- Many bottles of wine under €20
- Delectable crispy artichokes
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Most budget prix fixes in Madrid are limited to lunch, but La Sanabresa offers a budget three-course dinner as well. Choose from over 20 appetizers and 40 entrées that comprise a highlight reel of grandmotherly Spanish cuisine: gazpacho, ensaladilla rusa, fried anchovies, chicken cutlets, and on and on. Service is old-school and no-nonsense, just like the decor (think white paper tablecloths and wooden straight-back chairs).
Calle del Amor de Dios 12, Madrid, 28014, Spain
Known For
- Prix fixes are a steal
- Traditional holdout in a gentrified area
- Satisfying soups and stews
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Sun.
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This mom-and-pop lunch-only staple has paper tablecloths, walls hung with ceramic plates, and a chalked menu. The ever-rotating prix fixe menu is the move here—for €15 (or €18 on weekends), choose from, say, rustic bean stew, a huge T-bone steak, or a wild-mushroom scramble, followed by homemade chocolate cake.
Calle de San Pedro Mártir 6, Madrid, 28012, Spain
Known For
- Great-value prix fixe
- Lovingly made modern Spanish food
- Bubbly staff
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: No dinner
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Chef Roberto Martínez Foronda turns food critics' heads with his Spanish-fusion restaurant hidden inside the Mercado de Vallehermoso, Chamberí's traditional market. The ever-changing tasting menu—a steal at €45—takes cues from chifa (Peruvian-Chinese) and nikkei (Peruvian-Japanese) culinary canons and incorporates fresh ingredients from the market.
Calle de Vallehermoso 36, Madrid, 28015, Spain
Known For
- Experimental tasting menus
- Spanish-fusion cuisine
- Foodie buzz
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Sun. and Mon.
