From what I understand, dinner is generally at night, after 9pm. We will be there with kids and would most likely want to eat no later than 7pm. Might this be a problem. What can we expect as far as eating options in the early evening?

Thanks.

MFNYC,
Yes, many Madrid restaurants open at 9 for dinner (some actually not until 9:30-I have a list), and madrileños won't even think about dinner until 10, BUT there are also some restaurants in the heavily touristed areas that do open at 8, such as Sobrinos de Botín, the classic madrileño roasting tavern, and La Barraca for paella.

However, with kids you have several options.
First you have VIPS, an American type soda fountain/restaurant/bar/7-11 type store, which has uninterrupted hours. There's an upstairs branch on the Gran Vía and also one next to the Planet Hollywood below the Hotel Westin Palace. And speaking of Planet Hollywood type places, there's also the Hard Rock Cafe at Plaza Colón and Castellana Blvd. plus Chicago Ribs next door.
There there are the various dining venues of the huge El Corte Inglés department store complex at the Puerta del Sol. They have a soda fountain counter, a self service cafeteria, a sit down restaurant, etc.
Also for on-the-run eating, there's the Spanish fast food, Pans & Co. with branches everywhere (their crunchy baguette "bocadillos" are actually quite good-it's a catalán co.), and also Rodilla, which makes good sandwiches.
Also on the Gran Vía and elsewhere there are the cafeterías (not self-service but instead like coffee shops) with names like Nebraska, Manila, California (my fav.) that serve all day. I even eat at the cafeterías California (there's one on Goya), as they offer sandwiches, desserts, salads, blue plate specials, soups, just about everything all day and night long.
Or you could go the "tapas" route, and take them to the many tapas bars in Old Madrid, down the Cava Baja or around the Plaza Santa Ana, but even many of them won't open until 7:30-8.
But the Museo del Jamón, with a big branch in the Puerta del Sol area has long hours and is a hit among tourists.

If you need a list of restaurants that open at 8, just yell. I do have a list for visitors who want or need to avoid that very late Madrid dining.

Most places start serving at 7pm. Other than eating in a mostly empty restaurant, you shouldn't have any problem.

MFNYC,
Another great option that I forgot, and one I recommend to everyone traveling to Madrid is the handy Cafe del Oriente on the Plaza del Oriente across from the Royal Palace. There you have a number of dining venues-an outdoor terrace, an informal cafe upstairs, around the corner the Botillería which serves breakfast, pastries, snacks and of course more formal dining in the Aljibe. It's very popular among visitors as it just hits the spot for dining between the classic hours of 2 p.m. (lunch) and 10 p.m. (dinner). And the food is quite good. I really like their huge salads. It's part of the priest Luis de Lezama's ever-expanding empire, called the Grupo Lezama. He also owns the terrific Taberna del Alabardero (opens at 8:30 but you can have delicious and filling tapas at the bar before then, as we often do) and the Italian restaurant next door which are on a side street, Felipe V, next to the Teatro Real in this same vicinity.
www.grupolezama.com

MFNYC,
Sorry, me again. Just one more idea:
Speaking of tapas bars, I don't know of anyone (teens included) who doesn't like the spicy deep fried potato chunks that are the specialty at "Las Bravas". Th recipe for these "patatas bravas" is even patented. Las Bravas, now with several branches, is a Madrid institution. These 3 bars open at 7 because they're in all the guidebooks. Here are the addresses, all in Old Madrid:
Alvarez Gato 3
Espoz y Mina 13
Paaje Matheu 5

Wow Maribel, you are a wealth of information! Thank you.

My son is on the pickey side, but I gave up on trying to accommodate his needs. My daughter is more flexible and more willing to try new and different food. We like to eat 'local' food when on vacation. If my son can't find something to eat, we'll stop and pick him up food on the go (in a grocer or fastfood). I don't want him to go hungry, but I also don't want to eat in Planet Hollywood. He does eat chicken and rice so hopefully that will make life a bit easier.

We will be staying in the Carlos V hotel near Plaza Mayor so I would imagine this is a very touristy area.

We've never been to Spain so are liiking forward to this trip.

MFNYC,
If your son likes chicken, then I have another very casual place that would be perfect for you to "eat local" and extremely easy on the wallet. It's our staple for very informal Sunday dining. and another Madrid institution- From my Madrid file:

"Casa Mingo" (Paseo de la Florida #2-metro: Norte)-a bustling, noisy (like a German beer hall), very rustic Asturian cider house, built into a stone wall, which is a legend among madrileños. Serves only spit roasted whole chicken, chorizo sausage braised in red wine, Cabrales (blue) cheese, pre-packaged house salad and bottles of cider or soft drinks. Extremely popular on Sun. among the working class families who live in the area, those who want a quick, inexpensive Sunday al fresco dinner and poor U. students. To find a seat, unwritten etiquette is to approach a table of patrons about ready to leave and ask if you can have their table when they've finished then keep hovering until they do-don't expect a maitre d' to seat you!-first come, first served, survival of the fittest. Fun-good for kids and those on a tight budget.

Also many supermarkets, including the one in the basement of El Corte Inglés, sell spit roasted chickens to go. When I was a poor student living in Madrid with little time to cook, it was my salvation.
In the vicinity of the Carlos V, "tourist central", you'll find many places for a quick sandwich or "plato combinado" (a platter) with longer opening hours for tourists.

And one more idea: there's also a casual and moderately priced but upscale group called "Pinocchio" that teenagers love, and very few tourists know about, so it's filled with locals, not foreigners. It serves great homemade pastas. I take kids to the branch on Eduardo Dato 5 (metro: Ruben Dario) called "L'Osteria Pinocchio". There's also a branch near the Plaza Colón on Zurbano 6.

Maribel, rumor has it that you have a file on madrid. Could you please email me a copy ([email protected]).

Thank you so much