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When this centenary café—one of the oldest in Madrid—shuttered in 2015, ostensibly for good, the public outcry was so great that it inspired a local restaurant group to buy the property and give it a much-needed revamp. In a dining room that combines original elements (huge mirrors, carved wooden columns) with new high-design fixtures, feast on a menu that's a dance between Café Comercial classics, including ham croquetas and tuna-topped ensaladilla rusa (potato salad), and novel creations by chef Pepe Roch.
Glorieta de Bilbao 7, Madrid, 28004, Spain
Known For
- One of Madrid's first literary cafés
- Modern menus by Pepe Roch
- Outstanding seafood rice
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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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$$$ | |
Botín, established in 1725, is the world's oldest restaurant (according to Guinness World Records) and was a favorite of Ernest Hemingway—the final scene of The Sun Also Rises is set in this very place. The cochinillo asado (roast suckling pig), stuffed with aromatics, doused with wine, and crisped in the original wood-burning oven, is a must. There are four floors of tile and wood-beam dining rooms and, if you're seated upstairs, you'll pass the centuries-old ovens. Musical groups called tunas (mostly made up of students dressed in medieval costume) rove between tables. It's rumored Goya washed dishes here before starting out as a painter.
Calle de Cuchilleros 17, Madrid, 28005, Spain
Known For
- World's oldest restaurant
- Roast lamb and suckling pig
- Roving music ensembles
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$$$$ | |
Cocido madrileño, Madrid's quintessential boiled dinner of rich consommé, butter-soft chickpeas, and some half-dozen cuts of meat, is the must-order item at this Salamanca institution, especially in the winter, when temperatures plummet. The wooden straight-back chairs, kitschy cotton bibs, and walls hung with black-and-white photos belie the fact that this lunch-only restaurant opened just two decades ago, but one taste of its famous cocido, and you might as well be at an abuela's kitchen table.
Calle de Padilla 54, Madrid, 28006, Spain
Known For
- Cocido madrileño served in three courses
- Old-timey interiors
- Warm service
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: No dinner
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Recommended Fodor’s Video
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$$$$ | Salamanca |
Locals flock to Casa Carola for one dish, cocido madrileño, Madrid's famous boiled dinner whose roots can be traced to a medieval Sephardic stew called adafina. Served ritualistically in three courses, or vuelcos—broth, then chickpeas and vegetables, then meats—it's an essential Madrid experience, especially in the cold-weather months. Madrid has several famous cocido restaurants, but Casa Carola stands out for its ultrabuttery garbanzos, nostalgic decor (think black-and-white photos and old newspaper clippings), and service with panache. Tie on your starched cloth bib and prepare to feast. Lunch only.
Calle de Padilla 54, Madrid, Madrid, 28006, Spain
Known For
- Cocido madrileño served in three courses
- Old-timey interiors
- Warm service
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: No dinner. Closed mid-June–mid-Sept.
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$$ | |
Open for over a century, this Madrid institution is as famous for its callos a la madrileña (Madrid-style tripe) as it is for gallina en pepitoria, an old-school Spanish stew of wine-braised chicken thickened with hard-boiled yolks that's become increasingly hard to find.
Calle Mayor 84, Madrid, 28013, Spain
Known For
- Local comfort food
- A neighborhood institution
- Fame in Spanish literature
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: No dinner Sun. and Mon.
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$ | |
The traditional tapa at this old-fashioned bar is battered salt cod fritters. Have a tajada de bacalao here, then meander over to Casa Revuelta (in La Latina), Madrid's other famous cod corner, and decide for yourself whose is better.
Calle de Tetuán 12, Madrid, Spain
Known For
- Legendary fried cod
- One-time revolutionary hangout
- Open since 1860 (and hasn't changed much since)
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$ | |
Madrid's oldest sidrería (cider house) is a grand cathedral-like hall with barrel-lined walls, double-height ceilings, and creaky wooden chairs. The star menu item is roast chicken, hacked up unceremoniously and served in a puddle of cider jus—old-school bar food at its finest (the other dishes are nothing to write home about). Casa Mingo is an ideal spot for a nosh after strolling along Madrid Río or visiting Ermita de San Antonio de la Florida, located next door; it's also well-suited to large groups.
Paseo de la Florida 34, Madrid, 28008, Spain
Known For
- Asturian cider
- Roast chicken
- A Madrid institution
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$$$ | | Spanish
Some go to El Escorial for the monastery; others go for Charolés. It's a landmark that attracts a crowd of its own for its noble bearing, with thick stone walls and vaulted ceilings, wooden beams and floors, and stuffy service; its summer terrace a block from the monastery; and its succulent dishes, such as the heavy beans with clams or mushrooms, and the game meats served grilled or in stews. The mammoth, four-course cocido offered on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, tests the endurance of even those with the heartiest appetites.
Calle Floridablanca 24, El Escorial, Madrid, 28200, Spain
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$$ | Chueca | Spanish
You may wonder why bland-looking Cisne Azul is crowded with locals in this style-obsessed neighborhood. The reason is simple: wild mushrooms. In Spain there are more than 2,000 different species, and here you can sample the best from the province of León, grilled with a bit of olive oil, and served perhaps with a fried egg yolk, scallops, or foie gras. Elbow up to the bar and order the popular mezcla de setas (mushroom sampler).
Calle Gravina 19, Madrid, Madrid, 28004, Spain
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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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$$$ | |
This old-timey restaurant, with dark wood-paneled walls lined with bottles of wine, serves classic Spanish food like huevos estrellados, grilled meats, and fish (sea bass, haddock, grouper, and more) in various preparations. Check out the pictures of famous celebrities who've eaten at this typically noisy landmark; they line the staircase that leads to the main dining area.
Pl. de Gabriel Miró 8, Madrid, 28005, Spain
Known For
- Castizo ambience
- Huevos estrellados and top-shelf Extremaduran ham
- Impeccably cooked seafood
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: No dinner Sun.
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$$ | |
This Andalusian taberna evokes the raucous energy and down-home cuisine of that sunny region. Start with pescaíto frito, a mix of seafood that's lightly fried and served with lemon halves, before moving on to more substantial dishes like the peeled tomato salad topped with oil-cured tuna belly (easily one of the best salads in town) and whole roasted fish and braised meats. There are two other locations, both in Salamanca, at Avenida de Camilo José Cela 11 and Calle del Doctor Gómez Ulla 6.
Calle de Don Ramón de la Cruz 88, Madrid, 28006, Spain
Known For
- Andalusian joie de vivre
- Tomato and tuna salad
- Complimentary tapas with drinks
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Cheese geeks unite at this pocket queso bar with enough Manchego, Idiazabal, Mahón, and other delectable national varieties to make you an armchair expert on Spanish cheeses. There's another, newer, location in Barrio Salamanca at Calle de Castelló 38.
Calle de Bernardo López García 11, Madrid, Spain
Known For
- Intimate, romantic dining room
- Excellent cheeses
- Tasty Spanish fusion dishes
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Sun. and Mon.
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$$ | | Spanish
Away from town and surrounded by trees in what used to be a mountain cabin, this family-oriented restaurant is coveted by madrileños, who come here to enjoy the terrace in summer and the cozy bar area with a fireplace in winter. It has a good selection of fish and rice dishes, but the meats and seasonal plates are what draw the large following. Take Paseo Juan de Borbón, which surrounds the monastery, exit through the arches and pass the casita del infante (Prince's Quarters) on your way up to the Monte Abantos, or get a cab at the taxi station on Calle Floridablanca.
C. del Horizontal s/n, El Escorial, Madrid, 28200, Spain
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: No dinner Mon.–Wed. Oct.–Apr.
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$$ | |
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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$ | |
The average customer age in this time-warpy tavern is pushing 70, which is always a good sign—Madrid's abuelos and abuelas never settle for subpar Spanish cooking. In the snug tile-walled dining room, tuck into disappearing classics like braised squid in ink sauce and stewed baby fava beans (verdinas) with prawns; then satisfy your sweet tooth with a custardy fried torrija (Spanish "French" toast).
Calle del Rey Francisco 28, Madrid, 28008, Spain
Known For
- Kitschy Spanish décor
- Lots of local clientele
- Dependable down-home cooking
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Mon. No dinner Sun.
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$$ | |
A modern urban interpretation of a traditional Galician pulpería (octopus restaurant), this casual spot specializes in polbo á feira, boiled octopus cut into coins, drizzled with olive oil, and dusted with smoked paprika. Pair it with an icy glass of Albariño and a heap of blistered padrón peppers.
Calle de la Victoria 2, Madrid, 28012, Spain
Known For
- Galician-style octopus
- Ocean-fresh shellfish
- Variety of Galician wines
