41 Best Restaurants in Madrid, Spain

Textbook-perfect paella in...Latina? Madrid is a notoriously disappointing city when it comes to the rice dishes popular on the Mediterranean coast, but Aynaelda slam-dunks with its sizzling paellas flavored with heady aromatics and concentrated stock. Be sure to scrape up the socarrat, that swoon-worthy layer of crisp rice that sticks to the bottom of the pan. Avoid Sunday lunch as there's usually a waitlist.

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 a recent National Spanish Omelet Championship 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.

Carabanchel's best-known bar, Los Minutejos, is synonymous with distressingly inhalable griddled sandwiches of crispy pig ear doused in fiery brava sauce. Tamer tapas are available for the squeamish. To drink? An ice-cold Mahou, of course.

Approximate a vacation to northern Spain by dining at this true-blue Asturian restaurant (or at the more casual sidrería in the bar area), where that region's unsung comfort-food dishes—such as fabada (pork-and-bean stew), Cabrales cheese, and cachopo (cheese-stuffed beef cutlets)—take center stage. The obligatory tipple is sidra, bone-dry Asturian cider that's aerated using a battery-powered gadget designed for this task.

Whether you pull up a stool at at the marble bar or sit down for a soup-to-nuts feast in the azulejo-lined dining room, you're in for some of Madrid's finest traditional tapas with a twist here. Madrileños come from far and wide to share heaped plates of ensaladilla rusa, a house specialty, as well as textbook-perfect croquetas and hefty steaks served with sherry gravy and house-cut fries. Vermouth (on tap) is the nonnegotiable aperitif, and there are always several Spanish wines to try by the glass.

Always crisp and never greasy—that's the mark of a well-made churro, and Madrid Chocolat's piping-hot baskets of fried dough always hit the spot.

In the heart of the tourist fray but blissfully under the radar, this teensy lunch-only restaurant with an old tin bar serves all the Asturian favorites, from fabada (bean stew) to cachopo (ham-and-cheese-stuffed cutlets) to creamy rice pudding. Asturian cider is the requisite beverage.

To get a literal taste of Lavapiés's vibrant West African community, step into this family-run Senegalese hole-in-the-wall that serves the neighborhood's best mafé (meat-and-peanut stew), samousas (spicy meat-filled turnovers), and thieboudienne (Senegal's national dish, made with fish and vegetables)—at exceptionally affordable prices.

This laid-back Andalusian barroom embodies the joyful spirit of that sunny region. Let the cheerful waitstaff guide you through the extensive menu, which includes specialties from Cádiz such as fried seafood, unconventional croquetas (flecked with garlicky shrimp, for instance), and heftier shareables like creamy oxtail rice and seared Barbate tuna loin. The ensaladilla rusa (tuna-and-potato salad) is one of Madrid's best. In summer, outdoor seating is in high demand.

Plan on a siesta after dining at this phenomenal down-home restaurant that hasn't changed a lick since opening a half-century ago. Whether you're in the boisterous downstairs bar or cozy upstairs dining room with cloth napkins and popcorn walls, you'll be blown away by Sylkar's lovingly prepared specialties including creamy ham croquettes, braised squid in ink sauce, battered hake, and the best tortilla española in Madrid for those in the runnier-the-better camp. If the torrijas (custardy Spanish "French" toast) aren't sold out by the time you order dessert, don't miss them.

Scarfing down a hot calamari-filled baguette (bocadillo de calamares) while strolling through the Plaza Mayor is a Madrid tradition, and this bar's rendition is a cut above the rest.

Overlook the soulless IKEA furnishings of this family-run dinette and instead focus on the honest home-cooked food served at exceptionally reasonable prices. 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.

Thanks to independently owned gems like Toboggan, La Chopera neighborhood is beginning to attract a younger, cooler crowd. This corner bar with outdoor seating serves well-priced international tapas ranging from tacos to tortilla to homemade hummus, all in a sunlit space. It's a five-minute walk from Matadero.

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 cold weather. 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.

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.

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. 

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 rib-sticking bar food (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.

San Ginés is to Madrid what Café du Monde is to New Orleans: a historical fried-dough mecca. For generations this 19th-century café has been frying spirals of piping-hot churros and porras (the churro's fatter, chewier cousin—try them!) day and night. Dunk your breakfast in café con leche or Cola Cao (Spanish chocolate milk) since the melted dark chocolate, which tastes processed, isn't what it used to be.

Trace the western side of the Monasterio de las Descalzas Reales until you reach Chocolatería Valor, an ideal spot to indulge in piping-hot churros dipped in thick hot chocolate. Valor's churros are chewy, puffy, and snipped into batons, more akin to porras (churros' baking-soda-leavened sibling) than to standard crispy churros.

The opulent Confitería El Riojano was founded in 1855 by Dámaso Maza, the personal pastry chef of Queen Maria Christina of Austria, and the original mahogany counters and ornate display cases are still in use. The pastries are hit-or-miss these days, but the ladyfingers (soletillas) dunked in hot chocolate are a safe bet and the historical ambience compensates for any culinary foibles.

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 three other locations nearby at Avenida de Camilo José Cela 11, Calle de Don Ramón de la Cruz 101, and Calle del Doctor Gómez Ulla 6.

Step straight into Havana at this hidden Cuban bar and restaurant where rumbas and sones flow from the speakers and regulars burst into impromptu dance parties. Whatever you end up eating—a €7 ropa vieja (cumin-scented beef stew), or perhaps the heftier €10 picapollo (fried chicken)—be sure to nab an order or two of fried plantains for the table.

Expertly pulled espressos, natural wines, and standout food—think velvety scrambled eggs, Korean fried chicken sandwiches, 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). At the time of writing, the café was gearing up to launch dinner service.

Hot griddled flatbreads (shao bing) filled with soy-scented beef will set you back just €2 a pop at this hole-in-the-wall specializing in this northern Chinese delicacy. Noodle and wonton soups (average price: €5) hit the spot when it's cold out.

This rustic tapas hall is the oldest of three branches of a beloved local chain, and it has barely changed since it was founded in 1906. The tapa to try here is gambas al ajillo, shrimp sautéed with garlic. Enjoy them with the house red from Toro or branch out with a vino del abuelo, a throwback off-dry red from Alicante.

Blocks from El Retiro Park, this 34-year-old tapas spot is always teeming with locals clamoring over plates of sautéed wild mushrooms, tuna ventresca (tuna belly) and roasted pepper salad, and stewed chickpeas with langoustines. Stop in for a quick bite at the bar—they'll serve you a free tapa with every drink—or enjoy heartier choices in the homey dining room at the back.

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).

Tetuán is the unlikely location of this outstanding (and extremely well-priced) Italian restaurant run by a Naples native. Homemade pastas are the star of the show—try the ricotta-stuffed tortellini alla nerano topped with fresh basil and Parmiggiano or the paccheri al ragù swimming in a 10-hour meat sauce.

A modern urban interpretation of a traditional 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.