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This tony gastro bar serves newfangled tapas that are well worth their higher-than-usual price tag. Spring for the tempura soft-shell crab bao with chive mayonnaise, garlicky artichoke flatbread, or any other tapa del día, but whatever you do, order the famous tortilla de patata, irresistible with its molten core and handfuls of caramelized onions. The dulce de leche "volcano," cooled off by a scoop of banana ice cream, may be Madrid's most craveable dessert.
Pl. de Puerta de Moros 4, Madrid, 28005, Spain
Known For
- Nueva cocina tapas done right
- Earth-shatteringly good tortilla de patata
- Cheek-by-jowl crowds
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Mon.
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La Catapa's tapas are classic but never old hat, inventive but never pretentious. The burst-in-your-mouth croquetas (croquettes) and garlicky razor clams may lure the crowds, but the hidden gems are in the vegetable section: it's hard to decide between the artichoke menestra with crisped jamón (dry-cured ham), ultra-creamy salmorejo (gazpacho's richer, more garlicky sibling), and umami-packed seared mushrooms. Be sure to ask about daily specials.
Calle de Menorca 14, Madrid, 28009, Spain
Known For
- Elevated tapas
- Decadent cream-filled pastry "cigars"
- A Retiro institution
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Sun. and Mon.
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$$$ | |
Duck into this cozy hole-in-the-wall and be treated like family—Ana, the owner, recites the nightly menu to each table and flits around with a smile until the last guest saunters out. Barrera's famous patatas revolconas (paprika-spiced mashed potatoes topped with crispy pork belly), are always on offer; they might be followed by roast suckling lamb, wine-braised meatballs, or seared dayboat fish depending on the night. Inquire about prices when ordering to avoid sticker shock.
Calle de Alonso Cano 25, Madrid, 28010, Spain
Known For
- Homey romantic atmosphere
- Terrific patatas revolconas and ensaladilla rusa
- Unhurried all-night dining
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Sun. No dinner Mon.
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$$$ | |
Fire is the secret ingredient at Roostiq, where pizzas sizzle and puff in a wood-burning oven and meat, fish, and vegetables char until tender over white-hot embers. Even the cheesecake is of the Basque "burnt" variety, brown and caramel-y on the outside and gooey within. The open-hearth technology may be older than the hills, but the buffed concrete walls, zany ceramic plates, and sturdy wooden and marble tables are unmistakably cutting-edge.
Calle de Augusto Figueroa 47, Madrid, 28004, Spain
Known For
- Open-hearth roasts and pizzas
- 150 champagnes to choose from
- Trendy industrial digs
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Triciclo serves inventive Spanish-style bistronomie—think baby Asturian favas with mushrooms and seaweed-and-spot-prawn ravioli with saffron and borage. Raciones (sharing dishes), in one-third portions as well as half and full ones, are ideal for creating your own tasting menu whether at the bar or in the dining room.
Calle de Santa María 28, Madrid, 28014, Spain
Known For
- Tapas with a modern twist
- Time-honored institution
- Excellent service
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Sun.
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Recommended Fodor’s Video
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$$$ | Chamartín |
Owner Norberto Jorge, a quirky, jolly gent, offers a produce-centric menu with painstakingly selected wines to match at this snug, book-lined restaurant. Rice dishes are the house specialty, and they're cooked in extra-flat paella pans specially manufactured for the restaurant.
Calle de Benigno Soto 9, Madrid, Madrid, 28002, Spain
Known For
- Fantastic paella
- Larger-than-life owner
- Homey atmosphere
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: No dinner Sun., Credit cards accepted, Reservations essential
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$$$ | |
Owner Norberto Jorge, a quirky, jolly gent, offers a produce-centric menu with painstakingly selected wines to match at this snug book-lined restaurant. Rice dishes are the house specialty, and they're cooked in extra-flat paella pans specially manufactured for the restaurant.
Calle de Benigno Soto 9, Madrid, 28002, Spain
Known For
- Fantastic paella
- Larger-than-life owner
- Homey atmosphere
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: No dinner Sun., Reservations essential
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$$$ | |
Botín, established in 1725, is the world's oldest restaurant (according to Guinness World Records) and was a favorite of Ernest Hemingway—the final scene of The Sun Also Rises is set in this very place. The cochinillo asado (roast suckling pig), stuffed with aromatics, doused with wine, and crisped in the original wood-burning oven, is a must. There are four floors of tile and wood-beam dining rooms and, if you're seated upstairs, you'll pass the centuries-old ovens. Musical groups called tunas (mostly made up of students dressed in medieval costume) rove between tables. It's rumored Goya washed dishes here before starting out as a painter.
Calle de Cuchilleros 17, Madrid, 28005, Spain
Known For
- World's oldest restaurant
- Roast lamb and suckling pig
- Roving music ensembles
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$$$ | | Spanish
Some go to El Escorial for the monastery; others go for Charolés. It's a landmark that attracts a crowd of its own for its noble bearing, with thick stone walls and vaulted ceilings, wooden beams and floors, and stuffy service; its summer terrace a block from the monastery; and its succulent dishes, such as the heavy beans with clams or mushrooms, and the game meats served grilled or in stews. The mammoth, four-course cocido offered on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, tests the endurance of even those with the heartiest appetites.
Calle Floridablanca 24, El Escorial, Madrid, 28200, Spain
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$$$ | |
Cinco Jotas ibérico ham is a sight to behold: translucent and shimmering like shards of red stained glass, a shade darker than prosciutto and twice as fragrant. That's because this famous producer uses only 100% purebred, acorn-fed Iberian hogs. Let the master ham cutters at this swanky indoor-outdoor restaurant guide you to porcine nirvana with a gorgeous charcuterie plate paired perfectly with a glass of bone-dry fino sherry.
Calle de Serrano 118, Madrid, 28006, Spain
Known For
- The Rolls Royce of jamón
- Tranquil and elegant patio
- Ibérico pork dishes beyond just ham
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Epitomizing old-world luxury, Cuenllas (KWEN-yas) is Moncloa's most venerable dining establishment, in business since 1939. After sitting down at the bar or in the dining room for a meal of Spanish bistro fare (think warm salt-cod brandade, Santoña anchovy canapés, and marinated partridge) accompanied by reserva wines, peruse the adjoining Ultramarinos gourmet shop for edible souvenirs including caviar, cheeses, wines, and homemade charcuterie.
Calle de Ferraz 5, Madrid, 28008, Spain
Known For
- Standout traditional wine list
- French-inflected Spanish dining
- Charmingly old-fashioned waiters
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Sun.
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$$$ | |
Diego Guerrero, the punk-rock chef of two-Michelin-star Dstage, also runs this more casual outpost. The menu turns classic Spanish dishes—for example, monkfish in salsa verde, Canarian wrinkly potatoes, stewed verdinas (baby favas)—on their heads by adding unorthodox ingredients like seaweed, kimchi, whey, and liquid-nitrogen-frozen fruit, and the result is thrilling. A quirky wine list heavy on natural and low-yield producers complements the cuisine nicely. Take the stairs one flight down to the cocktail bar for a preprandial personality drink or nightcap.
Calle de Fernando VI 6, Madrid, 28004, Spain
Known For
- Experimental Spanish dining
- Big-name chef
- Buzzy subterranean cocktail bar
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Mon. No dinner Sun.
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$$$ | |
Seafood lovers shouldn't miss this modern, Ibiza-chic marisquería (seafood restaurant) with original wrought-iron columns, white tablecloths, and ample alfresco seating. The griddled prawns from Dénia are always a treat, as are the cloudlike roasted sole and any number of rice dishes.
Calle de Cervantes 28, Madrid, 28014, Spain
Known For
- Romantic ambience
- Impeccable seafood
- Outdoor dining
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This old-timey restaurant, with dark wood-paneled walls lined with bottles of wine, serves classic Spanish food like huevos estrellados, grilled meats, and fish (sea bass, haddock, grouper, and more) in various preparations. Check out the pictures of famous celebrities who've eaten at this typically noisy landmark; they line the staircase that leads to the main dining area.
Pl. de Gabriel Miró 8, Madrid, 28005, Spain
Known For
- Castizo ambience
- Huevos estrellados and top-shelf Extremaduran ham
- Impeccably cooked seafood
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: No dinner Sun.
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$$$ | |
Owned by the proprietors of one the best fish markets in town, Pescaderías Coruñesas, this seafood restaurant with a warm modern interior welcomes guests with an impressive window display of fresh seafood—red and white prawns, Kumamoto oysters, goose barnacles, and the renowned Galician Carril clams are just some of what you might see. Fish (including turbot, sole, grouper, and sea bass) is cooked to your liking in the oven, on the grill, in a pan with garlic, or battered and fried.
Calle de José Ortega y Gasset 75, Madrid, 28006, Spain
Known For
- Extravagant seafood displays
- Dayboat fish
- Crisp Galician wines
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Sun.
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Basque chef César Martín has a devoted local following for his hyperseasonal menus that show a sincere dedication to food sustainability. Lakasa may have moved into a bigger, more modern space, but Martín's specialties haven't wavered; be sure to indulge in the Idiazabal fritters, crisp orbs redolent of smoky sheep's cheese.
Pl. del Descubridor Diego de Ordás 1, Madrid, 28003, Spain
Known For
- Experimental Basque cuisine
- Quiet dining
- Pristine seafood
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Sat. and Sun.
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At this lively restaurant you'll find crowds of Spaniards gobbling up one of the city's finest, most upscale renditions of tortilla española (Spanish omelet) with unconventional add-ins like octopus, potato chips, and truffles. The menu also includes plenty of equally succulent non-egg choices (the rice dishes stand out).
Calle de Rafael Calvo 20, Madrid, 28010, Spain
Known For
- Fancy tortillas
- Date-night ambience
- Carefully selected wines
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Sun.
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$$$ | |
For a country that borders France, Spain has a surprising dearth of good French restaurants, which makes Le Bistroman all the more remarkable—not only is the food good by Spanish standards, it would be a hit in Paris with its homemade everything, from terrines to breads to pastries. Wild game (venison, squab) features prominently on the menu, and other highlights include an old-school cheese cart and throwback desserts like babas au rhum and vanilla bean soufflé.
Calle de la Amnistia 10, Madrid, 28013, Spain
Known For
- Exquisite bouillabaisse (call in advance to order)
- Varied French wine list
- Elevated bistro cooking
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Mon.
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$$$ | |
Hand-rolled pastas, craveable vegetable dishes, and reimagined Italian classics keep Salamanca prepsters pouring in night after night. Wow your date, boss—or simply your hungry self—with dishes like leeks and cockles swimming in saffron cream, tagliatelle tossed in arugula ragù, and crunchy broccoli and beef lasagna. Don't skip dessert: the cocoa-dusted tiramisu orb is the stuff of foodies' dreams (and, shh, Italian nonnas' nightmares).
Calle de Recoletos 6, Madrid, 28001, Spain
Known For
- Inventive Italian cooking
- Salamanca hot spot
- Colorful Instagram-ready interiors
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Sun. and Mon.
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$$$ | |
This upmarket Argentine asador (steak house) hits all the high notes with its daintily crimped empanadas, regional breads, gutsy South American wines, and flame-licked vegetables and steaks airlifted in from La Pampa with just the right amount of char. In 2023, another location, Piantao Chamberí, opened by the Alonso Martínez metro station.
Paseo de la Chopera 69, Madrid, 28045, Spain
Known For
- Industrial yet refined digs
- Attentive and knowledgeable service
- Gooey dulce de leche cheesecake
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: No dinner Sun.
