Restaurants & dining – All our local tips

Best visited in warmer weather, this tiny pedestrian street near Conde Duque has several tapa restaurants to choose from. My favorite sight is seeing a group of older Spanish women enjoying their afternoon cañas (beers), a tradition that starts in teir youth and never stops. You’ll also find couples smooching and families pushing strollers.

For restaurants, you can choose from the more contemporary Canela that has brie and foie options, or Taberna de la Canasta and Tabernilla del Leon which offer more standard croquettas and fried potatoes. Calle Cristo is perfect to have a late afternoon or early evening snack before hitting the bars nearby or strolling down Gran Via.

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Calle Cristo | Bars, Coffee & tea, Snacks, Restaurants | Tapa € 8.00
Calle Cristo | Gran Via & Princesa
10:00 – 23:00 daily

I love the gregarious waiters at Casa Mingo – some of whom have been working there for over 25 years. They help set the jovial mood of this sprawling restaurant which gets even bigger in warmer weather with a sidewalk and rooftop terrace.

Casa Mingo is famous for its home-brewed (sweet, apple, alcoholic) 5-euro-a-bottle cider which comes from the Asturian region of Spain, but everyone will tell you that the real house specialty is the roasted chicken. The menu only has a handful of options for sharing like the whole roasted chicken, tortilla de patata (potato omlette), “cabrales” cheese (like blue cheese) and delicious cider-cooked chorizo sausage. For dessert they even have a cider-made cheese cake, but I prefer the almondy Tarta de Santiago which also comes from the North of Spain.

Of note, the indoor tavern is non-smoking, they only accept cash and they don’t take reservations. Casa Mingo is a bit off the beaten path, a 10-15

minute walk from the Principe Pío metro stop, but the economical and tasty meal is worth it. For an added bonus, don’t miss the Ermita de San Antonio de la Floridanext door with Goya’s frescos and tomb.

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Casa Mingo | Restaurants (Asturian) | Whole roasted chicken € 9.50
Paseo de La Florida, 34 | Gran Via & Princesa | +34915477918
11:00 – 00:00 daily

There is a 1 euro charge per person to enter the café which seems ridiculous at first, but the food prices are reasonable and I always leave thinking I got the bargain. On weekends, pay another euro and go up to the rooftop terrace to enjoy a spectacular view of Madrid. It’s breathtaking.

The Circulo de Bellas Artes (The Circle of Fine Arts) is a beautiful old building from 1880; back in the day there was a student named Pablo Picasso who took painting classes. Now they offer daily events ranging from classical to contemporary music concerts, dance performances, art exhibits and films, but my favorite part is the cafe because it sums up all of the modern “artsiness” and classic glamour.

It’s a cool place to hang out and talk about art, or if you don’t know about art, the things that you like.

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Circulo de Bellas Artes | Art & culture, Bars, Restaurants (Spanish) | Entry € 1.00
C/ Alacala 42 | Gran Via & Princesa | +34913605400
Mon – Thu 09:00 – 01:00, Sat – Sun 09:00 – 03:00

It looks like a crappy bar at first sight and it has very few tables but oh sweet Lord!! Try the garlicky boletus topped with a fried egg. They have a short list of wines but well selected. They have all varieties of mushrooms, wild fungus and amazing steak from the north part of Spain (Galicia). Many of the wild fungus are picked by the owners at weekends in Madrid’s surrounding mountains.

They don’t have deserts but you will be so full with the main courses that you will forget about them!

It is worth to eat there but after the diner wash all your clothes and yourself too because you will smell as if you have been cooked too!!

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Cisne Azul | Restaurants (Muchrooms) | Meal € 35.00
Calle de Gravina, 19 | Chueca & Malasaña | +34915213799
Mon – Sat 12:00 – 16:00 & 20:00 – 00:30

This restaurant is truly recommended for its authenticity and for being one of the eldest Arab restaurants in Madrid. The place is very modest, not fashionable; you can have dinner at the floor sitting on cushions.

The meals are really tasty, the servings are big, and the service is splendid. Furthermore, if we realise that the final price -drink, tea, and more dishes than you’d eat- add up to €15 per person, it becomes to be the best recommendation if you like this kind of cuisine.

Cuscus, hummus, nefinsa, pastela,… All delightful! You must book a table if you want to eat here. Remember it!

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Cocina del Desierto | Restaurants (Arab) | Main meal € 15.00
Calle Barbieri 1 | Gran Via & Princesa | +34915231142
13:30 – 16:00 & 21:00 – 00:00 daily

Located just off Gran Via, Curry’s is one of the nicer traditional Indian spots in Madrid offering a variety of Indian styles from vegetarian to meat and fish dishes.

The menu is Spanish-ized, ie:not spicey, but if you ask the waiter, they’ll spice things up for you.

Aside from charming waiters, the food is spectacular as well – from the sizzling tandoori platters to the garlic naan. I especially like the dishes with the Korma (creamy almond) sauces and the Punjabi Tikka Masala (lamb with yogurt sauce) and the Palak Paneer (spinach with homemade cheese) AND the Butter Chicken.

They have a fixed price lunch option and give a 10% discount for take-away orders. Don’t forget to try a Taj Mahal or Kingfisher beer and to order dishes for sharing.

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Curry’s | Restaurants (Pan-Indian) | Lunch menu € 10.95
Calle Silva 16 | Gran Via & Princesa | +34915234570
13:00 -16:00 & 20:00 – 01:00 daily, Sun closed in summer

A bit tricky to find the first time, EcoCentro is one of the only and in my opinion, the best vegetarian and natural food offerings that Madrid has.

It has one store for dried goods and household items, another for produce/dairy and then a restaurant downstairs and the café on the ground floor.

In the café they offer a great menu for lunch during the week, but you can also create your own salad at the salad bar which has an amazing variety of fresh stuff that you can’t find elsewhere; quinoa, brown rice, fresh beets, seaweed, etc.

The place is perfect for people with food allergies or if you just need a break from fried tapa-dom. For dessert they often have a dulce de leche yogurt which is to die for and you can’t feel too bad because it’s yogurt!

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EcoCentro | Shopping, Restaurants (Vegetarian) | pre-fixed lunch in the cafe € 8.50
Calle Esquilache 2- 6 | Chamberi | +34915535502
Store & cafe 10:00 – 00:00 daily
Restaurant 13:00 – 17:00 & 21:00 – 00:00 daily

For those from the centre of Europe staying in Madrid for quite a while, to remember the essence of their origins; and for those from the south of Europe or the rest of the world, Edelweiss is a German restaurant selected to represent the gastronomy of central Europe in the centre of Madrid.

There are many opinions about this place with an interesting history.  It was inaugurated in the late thirties and forties, after the emigration of some German Nazis to Madrid with the protection of Franco’s dictatorship. With the years, it has come to be one of the most famous German restaurants in Madrid.

The meals served give you the chance to try the multiple German sausages, the “arenques bismark” and the Russian-typical Spanish salad. But the king of the dishes there is the “codillo with chucrut”, marvellous for some and awesome for the rest.

The restaurant is supposed to be a little bit expensive, but some people think is worth it. Don’t forget to consider the taxes besides the bill that you would have to pay, as the I.V.A. is not included!

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Edelweiss | Restaurants (German) | Main course from € 12.00
Calle de Jovellanos 7 | Sol | +34915323383
13:00 – 16:00 & 20:00 – 00:00 daily

This is one of the best Madrid typical ‘tapas bars’. There are two El Brillante restaurants in Madrid, but the most popular one is near Reina Sofia Museum and Atocha train station.

The first thing you must ask is the peerless ‘bocadillo de calamares’, a sort of squid fried roll , the best one in the city… Also don´t forget to taste the ‘patatas bravas’ (fried potatoes with a hot sauce), russian salad, ‘pescadito adobado’ (pickled small fish), ‘pulpo a la gallega’ (octupus), ‘croquetas de jamón’ (ham croquettes), ‘tortilla a la española’ (potatoes omelette) and tens of  more ‘tapas’.

When you enter you will find a waiter immediately asking you what are you are going to drink. I suggest you start with a good beer and choose which of the whole fantastic ‘tapas’ you will start with.

I’m sure you will enjoy it!

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El Brillante | Snacks, Restaurants (Tapas)
Glorieta del Emperador Carlos V 8 | Lavapies & Latina | +34915392806
06:30 – 02:30 daily

For being a Michelin-ranked restaurant, El Buey is surprisingly affordable and makes for a fun interactive meal!

The restaurant, one of two in Madrid, is famous for the high quality of ox meat which you can order in a stew or in raw slices to cook on a hot ceramic plate. The ox-tail stew, though spectacular, is nothing compared to the raw meat with big grains of salt, seared on your plate. Don’t rush and try to cook all of the meat slices at once, if your plate gets cool, ask the attentive waiter for another one.

The menu is short, with some fish and vegetable options and the waiter will also tell you about any daily specials as well. Added bonuses are the excellent house wine (which you can buy on your way out) and aged cheese that is served as you sit down at the table. My only complaint would be that the fried potatoes served with most of the dishes are unimpressive in comparison with the rest of the food.

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El Buey | Restaurants (Spanish) | Dinner € 25.00
Plaza de la Marina Española, 1 | Gran Via & Princesa | +34915413041
Mon – Sat 13:00 – 16:00 & 21:00 – 00:00

El Jardín Secreto has long been one of my favorite tea and dessert spots because they have a huge menu of chocolate drinks and desserts and rich tea flavors.

The decor is ample as well; full of knick-knacks and mismatched furniture items, funky garage-sale sculptures and Hawaiian luau lamps (most of which are for sale). It can be overwhelming at first look, but the atmosphere is fun and the food is great.

For savory options, they have exotic oddities like Carpaccio de Reino (reindeer!), fish patés and vegetable ravioli – all on big sharable platters. The desserts rate high in my book and not only because some mention death by chocolate or chocolate orgasm (imagine!), but because they are obviously homemade and well thought out combinations.

My only complaints are the smoking (in warmer weather the big side windows open) and sometimes you get stuck with an uncomfortable chair, but El Jardín Secreto is unique and memorable.

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El Jardin Secreto | Restaurants (Eclectic) | Desserts € 5.00
Calle de Conde Duque 2 | Gran Via & Princesa | +34915418023
Mon – Thu 18:30 – 01:30, Fri – Sat 18:30 – 02:30, Sun 17:30 – 00:30

This restaurant brings back the traditional flavors that makes eating out a really enjoyable experience. It is 100% Spanish food and wants to honor the quality of the Mediterranean products such as the olive oil. You can find traditional recipes such as meat balls and or soups. The kitchen is in view so you can watch the cooks prepare all the meals. Please try the hamburger with “Manchego” cheese!

In the afternoon, downstairs, you’ll find the GIN CLUB, situated at De La Reina Street. The Gin tonics are supposed to be really good. Unfortunately I can’t test that since I don’t like them. They have nice wines by the glass too!

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El Mercado de la Reina | Restaurants (Spanish) | Main meal € 15.00
C/ Gran Vía, 12 | Gran Via & Princesa | +34915213198
Mon – Fri 09:00 – 00:00, Sat 10:00 – 01:00, Sun 10:00 – 00:00

This bar is ideal for young people and for everyone who wants to have a great time with friends. The reason? Because is a little and narrow place that is constructed in a kind of basement, so the roof is not high at all and this increases the feeling of overwhelmed.

On the menu you can find the classical Spanish omelet – or how we call it here “Tortilla de patatas“- with a lot of sauces and varieties. Also you can eat tapas (Spanish traditional food). But you must taste at least their tortilla de patatas.

There is a reason they call it The King!

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El Rey de las Tortillas | Bars, Restaurants (Tapas)
Andrés Mellado 16 | Moncloa & Arguelles | +34915540250
13:30 – 16:30 & 21:00 – 00:00 daily

I’m almost afraid to post my secret jamón supply online, but jamón is for sharing, so here goes.

Deep in the center of Madrid, El Rincón Iberico has some of the best Extremaduran ham, cheese and wine at very reasonable prices. The place itself doesn’t look like much and it can fill up with smoke and a crowd if there is a big show at Sala El Sol (check the Sala El Sol article) next door, but most of the time it’s pretty mellow with a few locals hanging out at the bar.

The lunch specials are a good deal for enjoying at one of the few tables in the cramped dining area, but my favorite jamón de bellota (ham made from pigs that ate only acorns) is amazing and goes well with a glass of red wine – and it’s all priced very reasonably.

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El Rincón Iberico | Bars, Snacks, Restaurants (Spanish) | Plate of ham € 7.00
Calle de los Jardines 7 | Sol | +34915233917
Mon – Fri 09:00 – 00:30, Sat 12:00 – 17:00 & 20:00 – 02:00 (August closed)

The owners of El Séptimo own two more in Madrid. But, in my opinion, El Séptimo is the best one.

I personally enjoy a good meal in an enjoyable venue, so when a friend recommend me this one for a Saturday night dinner, I definitely said to myself: I am going to write about this restaurant.

El Séptimo is a place that plays with the fantasy. It is decorated as in the fairy tales, where all details have been carefully chosen. From the colour of the walls and the light to the decoration and the furniture. Last time I was here I booked it in advanced as it can be crowded in the weekends.

I find it perfect for a romantic dinner combined with vegetarian preferences. Please, order their huge apple “croquetas”, or any of their salads (Greek salad or spinach with apples and nuts). And it is ok if you do not fancy vegetarian food as there are also other options. For example, delicious pasta and also different types of meat (”Toumedo ibérico” is amazing). Desserts are special, like everything in this place. So it is important to know what is best.

If I were you, I would not miss the passion fruit sorbet. (I told you it was a fantastic choice for a date…)

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El Séptimo | Restaurants ((non) vegetarian) | Daily menu € 13,38
Diego de León, 7 | Salamanca Area | +34915622940
13:30 – 16:00 & 20:30 – 00:00 daily

El Tigre is a bar near Gran Via avenue in Madrid, that is always full of young people, students and Erasmus guys. Here you can have a drink with your friends for a correct price and the waiter gives you a little sort of Spanish traditional food: potatoes with sauces, bread with ham and potatoes omelet (traditional Spanish: tortilla de patatas)

You should know that you have to be patient and it is important to don’t get to this place really hungry because you will probably have to wait. The “sport” of this place is to catch a waiter for order something to drink.

Don’t stress yourself! Just take a breath and enjoy the moment.

Enjoy your meal!

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El Tigre | Bars, Restaurants (Tapas)
Calle Infantas 30 | Gran Via & Princesa | +34918819901
Wed – Mon 12:00 – 02:30

It is a restaurant near the Bernabeú where you enjoy every bite of food. The place is not noisy and you can have “tapa” or an entire meal.

The tapas are little master pieces……The burger is exquisite. It’s a great place to enjoy lunch or dinner either with your professional partners or with your friends. The service is really nice and they have a great selection of wines.

And as a Grand Finale, the cheesecake is just spectacular… Just something you have to try!! (Since I am a big fan of this particular dessert I know what I am talking about!)

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Escauri | Restaurants (Basque) | Meal around € 35.00
C/ Dr. Fleming, 23 | Castellana | +34913430492
Mon – Sat 13:00 – 16:00 & 20:30 – 00:00

Right now there are some specific places for having an interesting flavour f the city. This emblematic place (people say it is for tourists but I do not agree with that) is located inside the Retiro park, surrounded by trees and shade.

In Florida Park you can celebrate a wedding, enjoy a drink and a flamenco show, and of course you can eat. On Thursdays you can taste good paella. It is actually not a very cheap place but very appropriate for a special occasion.

So if you ever have the chance to go there, do not hesitate and try their scrambled eggs with young garlic and prawns. I would recommend their turbot fillets, basque style; and their pork sirloin steak with cream as a second course. And, of course, their custard with blueberries as a dessert.

My grandparents celebrated their golden wedding anniversary at Florida park and we really enjoyed the atmosphere… So, why not have a look if you want to try something different?

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Florida Park | Restaurants (Spanish) | Paella menu € 25.00
Inside Retiro Park | Salamanca Area | +34915737804
Tue – Sat 13:00 – 16:00 & 21:00 – 23:30

Deep in the heart of the multi-cultural Lavapies neighborhood, you’ll find Habibi, perfect for tea, hummus or belly dancing.

Habibi plays typical Lebanese music which is complimented Friday and Saturday nights after 23:00 with a belly dancer.

They open early for lunch and afternoon snacks of strong tea or coffee to enjoy with sticky honey-nut sweets. The food is a bargain for the price; it’s tasty with lots of fresh parsley and lemon juice on the tabbouleh salads.

Adventurous smokers can try the colorful hookahs to smoke “flavored” tobacco.

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Habibi | Coffee & tea, Snacks, Restaurants (Lebanese) | Mixed platter € 8.00
Ave Maria 41 | Lavapies & Latina | +34915282569
Sun – Thu 13:30 – 02:00, Fri – Sat 13:30 – 02:30

If you need your fill of tasty burgers and sandwiches with specialties like really spicy chipotle pepper chicken or a tandoori-spiced burger all made from organic meats, this is your place.

Owned by a French Canadian Chef who has made Madrid his home, the upscale diner-themed restaurant has gained popularity as it’s the only place in Madrid to get an organic beef burger. It’s absolutely necessary to have a reservation to eat there most nights of the week. In good news however, they offer take-out and they’ve opened two other branches in the city center.

Don’t miss the pomme frites and variety of homemade desserts.

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Home Burger Bar | Snacks, Restaurants (Burgers) | Classic burger € 8.75
Calle Espiritu Santo 12 | Chueca & Malasaña | +34915229728
Mon – Sat 15:30 – 16:00 & 20:00 – 00:00

“Inari” which means rice in Japanese is a nice mix between Chinese and Japanese food. The sushi, maki and dumplings are very tasty and the service is good. The prices are fair and the restaurant is quite cute; the place is enjoyable!

The sushi choices are too numerous to mention, but they can be purchased as a meal or a la carte. You also have special dishes such as the “Inari Spicy tuna”, the ”California Special” and the ”Inari Uramaki” which are full of flavour.

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Inari | Restaurants (Japanese) | Meal (+ Glass of Wine) € 30
General Pardiñas, 43 | Salamanca Area | +34915763312
Mon – Sat 13:30 – 16:00 & 21:00 – 00:00 (2nd & 3rd week of August closed)

If you happen to be walking in Plaza España, you might wonder why there is a faint smell of Chinese food. Hidden in the hallway to the parking garage (take the stairs down to the parking garage) is an authentic Chinese restaurant – as deduced because it’s always packed full of Chinese patrons.

There are few tables, so you might find yourself elbow to elbow with other eaters. Try the hot noodle soups or dumplings on cool days.

If it’s nice weather outside, skip the queue and place a take-out order to eat in the plaza above – ask for extra napkins as the food can be on the greasy and drippy side (yum!).

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Jia Xiang Xiao Chi | Snacks, Restaurants (Chinese) | Dumplings € 3.80
Under Plaza España | Gran Via & Princesa
10:00 – 00:00 daily

Just off of busy Fuencarral, La Ardosa always has a pleasant jazzy atmosphere filled with typical Spanish scents.

The bar is packed with paraphernalia dating back to 1892 when it was founded – a picture of the owner’s family, famous people who have stopped in over the years, a board showing the results of their Guinness drinking contest (can you top 14 pints?!) and reprints of Goya’s “Caprichos” prints (silly, sometimes vulgar whimsical images).

They serve some of my favorite tapas; sliced ham from pigs who have only eaten acorns (Jamon de bellota), dried tuna (Mojama – tuna jerky!), and a thick version of gazpacho called Salmorejo. The “raciones” are big here, so you can ask for a “media-ración” instead of a full plate.

If the bar looks full from the street, push through the crowd, duck under the bar, and try the back room which is not accessible any other way.

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La Ardosa | Bars, Snacks, Restaurants (Tapas) | Salmorejo € 3.75
Calle Colon 13 | Chueca & Malasaña | +34915214979
08:30 – 02:30 daily, August 11:30 – 02:30 daily

I would recommend the restaurant La Barcaza Marinera mainly for the cocido, Madrid’s most typical dish, which includes soup, chickpeas and different kind of meats. It’s worth at least trying this tasty combination of calories, although I don’t know if it matches everyone’s palate.

Apart from the cocido, in the two rooms of La Barcaza Marinera (The Big Sailor Ship) is possible, of course, to eat good fish and seafood, but also rices and meats elaborated in a traditional way. They can be accompanied with any of the sixty Spanish wines available.

As its name suggest, the place is decorated with sailor motifs like a rudder.

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La Barcaza Marinera | Restaurants (Spanish) | Cocido € 13.00
Puenteareas, 1 | Salamanca Area | +34915101020
Sun, Wed 14:00 – 17:00, Mon – Tue & Thu – Sat 14:00 – 17:00 & 20:00 – 00:00

This is a little place, with small tables and a charming atmosphere. It’s the best place if you want to have a date with someone special. The menu is very good because it has – apart from the tasty crepes- different kind of salads and platters with foie and cheese.

But the main thing here are the crepes. Salty or sweet, you can choose between many different crepes with the most assorted combination. For dessert, you can taste  the ‘Hawaian Paradise’; for a refreshing and sweet final.

My favourite crepe is the ‘Bávaro’. Which one do you prefer?

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La Creperie ‘easycrep’ | Snacks, Restaurants | Per person € 15.00
Avenida Filipinas 16 | Moncloa & Arguelles | +34915537925
13:30 – 16:15 & 20:00 – 00:00 daily

Around 13:00 have an “aperitivo”, a vermouth, a glass of wine or a beer with some “tapas”, a bit of “empanada” (typical dish from the north of Spain) or a Spanish omelet (sooooo good!).

I used to go there after classes with my cousin a couple of years ago when I was at the University, to enjoy the tortilla which restores your soul as well as your body (as you can guess I am absolutely fanatic of the “tortilla de patatas”).

You can also have dinner here. Every dish tastes like the ones my grandmother used to cook.

You can also find la Daniela near the Bernabeú (Calle de Gutiérrez Solana 2- Tel: +34914 115 861) and near Huertas Street ( Calle de Jesús, 7 – Tel:+34 913 896 238)

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La Daniela | Snacks, Restaurants (Popular cuisine) | Meal € 24.00
General Pardinas, 21 | Salamanca Area | +34915752329
Mon – Sat 12:00 – 16:30 & 20:00 – 00:00 / 01:00 (Fri & Sat), Sun 12:00 – 16:30

If you want to try one of the most typical (although more unknown that others) Spanish dishes, go to La máquina de Lugones, where are specialist in fabada.

What is fabada? Is a kind of stew cooked with bot beans and meat (chorizo, morcilla…) that are very popular specially in the North of Spain (Asturias). I love it but perhaps is a big strong if you are not use to eating such a thing. But if you feel like trying, in La Máquina de Lugones have an excellent fabada.

So confident are they about this dish, than it is the only dish that serve in the restaurant, with the exception of the dessert (always cheese or rice with milk). Rice with milk is also fantastic with caramel on top.

The place is pleasant but in my opinion, quite serious. Most of the clients are up to fifty. Only opened for a meal, not for dinners.

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La Máquina de Lugones | Restaurants (Spanish) | Meal € 30
Paseo Habana 107 | Castellana | +34913430538
Mon – Sat 13:00 – 17:30

One of the four locations in Madrid, El Lateral is a local favorite amongst the “madrilians” for providing good quality “tapas” at a fine ambiance along with easy prices.

This is the perfect place to grab some quick appetizers and a casual chat before leaving for dinner. The sirloin steak with brie cheese foie gras or caramelized onions are just a few of the many recommended dishes. Along with steak, fish and ham dishes, they have great salads too.

A modest amount of desserts (the lemon cake is my preferred one!) and wines are also offered.

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Lateral | Snacks, Restaurants (Salads & Tapas) | Meal € 10.00
C/ Velasquez, 57 | Salamanca Area | +34914350604
10:00 – 00:00 daily

If you love France, you will adore this place. You will feel like you’re in a little restaurant in Paris. The meals are really delicious and their speciality are the foie and the oysters.

The menu costs € 13.20. Most of the dishes have a surcharge. But you can also find what they called ‘Formule parisiene’ which costs € 9.90 and includes a main dish, drink and a cup of coffee. They have also an interesting wine list, both Spanish and French.

The waiters are very kind and polite and the atmosphere is really French with those typical small tables. It is frequented by the French people that is living in Madrid, which says it all.

Bon appetit!

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Le Petit Bistrôt | Restaurants (French) | Menu € 13.20
Plaza de Matute 5 | Sol | +34914296265
13:15 – 15:45 & 21:15 – 23:30 daily

Having a good beer and a ‘pintxo’ makes oneself think that the world seems such a perfect place. Here you find some of the examples that the Basque cuisine can cook: the pintxos!

There are a lot of them: hot, cold; savoury, sweet; with fish, with meat,… the most difficult thing here is to figure out what they are made of. This is how it works: you choose what pintxo you want to eat and at the end you must show to the waiter how many toothpicks you have (each pintxo has one toothpick) and then you pay for it.

A good way of have something to eat, varied, and not expensive at all. Enjoy your meal!

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Lizarrán | Bars, Restaurants (Basque cuisine) | Pintxo € 1.50
Calle Princesa 13 | Gran Via & Princesa | +34915416450
09:00 – 23:30 daily

In some restaurants and bars, the quality of the dishes and drinks is less important to me than the way in which they are served.

In Los Aros II, what I value more is firstly the kindness and familiar treatment of the waiters and secondly the generous and good tapas that they serve to you with a simple beer (1,30 euros). Good tortilla, good Spanish ham, mussels and so on.

Los Aros II is a typical tavern in a location that is not well frequented, but it has loyal clients because it’s a nice place to chat, eat something fast or drink. They have the typical montaditos (little sandwiches with Spanish bread) from 3,25, big sandwiches and a wide range of plates and wines, that are exposed over the bar.

Los Aros II is also a restaurant, separated by a panel from the bar. There you can eat the homemade style daily menu or take an informal dinner. There’s another Los Aros in Berruguete Street, but I haven’t visited it.

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Los Aros II | Bars, Restaurants (Tapas) | Daily menu € 9.00
Tenerife 15 | Chamberi | +34915352594
Sun – Fri 09:30 – 01:00

One of the great historical remnants of Muslim culture in Spain is the public bath – though most are in ruins. At Medina Mayrit, they’ve recreated the Arabic baths that were popular in the region from the 8th to 12th centuries to be a co-ed urban spa with steam rooms, warm baths and massages.

There are numerous packages to choose from – do you want to just bathe and get a short massage? A long exfoliating massage? There are two things that are strongly enforced – you must have a reservation to attend and you must show up 15 minutes early to hear the rules and get a towel (the bath time is monitored to make sure it never gets too full and to guarantee massage time for everyone).

If you’re not the sleepy sort, try the midnight session, while the midday massages are cheaper and you can choose the lunch-included option. The adjacent tea house is perfect after the relaxing baths. Don’t forget your swimsuit!

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Medina Mayrit | Relaxing, Restaurants (Arabic) | bath + massage € 37.00
C/Atocha, 14 | Sol | +34902333334
10:00 – 00:00 daily

Melo’s is one of the old stand-bys of Lavapies, it’s been around forever and the menu has never changed. Famous for their “Zapatilla” (Sneaker/Trainer) sandwich, it is possibly the largest sandwich in Madrid made out of a giant loaf of bread that looks like a shoe, filled with ham and melted cheese. It’s big enough for several people to share, which leaves room for everyone to try the Pimientos del Padrón – little green peppers sautéed with a bit of salt. But be careful; as the saying goes, some of them are spicy and others aren’t!

The place is always packed, just cram in to find a space to stand or sit, scream out your order to the guy behind the counter, and be sure to get a few bottles of the house wine, which is drunk out of small bowls as they do in Galicia. I love Melo’s communal spirit and it’s by far the best place to go if you’re hungry enough to eat a shoe.

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Melo’s | Bars, Restaurants (Gallego) | Giant sandwich € 9.00
Calle Ave María 44 | Lavapies & Latina | +34915275054
Tue – Sat 20:00 – 02:00

The “Mercado de San Miguel” is one of the oldest covered markets in Madrid, it was recently refurbished and now offers and whole new concept of market. You can actually go and buy good meat, fruits, and fish among others things… you can also have oysters with a glass of wine while reading a book bought in the library recently opened inside the place.

The Market is almost one hundred years old (it was inaugurated in 1916) and has gained a new appearance, although you can recognize the metal structure of its original construction. Located near “la Plaza Mayor“, it has certainly become the soul of the square!

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Mercado de San Miguel | Bars, Snacks, Restaurants
Plaza San Miguel | Lavapies & Latina
10:00 – 22:00 daily

Just down from the Mercado de San Miguel (check the San Miguel article) , the Mesón del Champiñon is a cave with fungi-esque decor.

They specialize in fantastic mushrooms drenched in olive oil, garlic and adorned with bits of chorizo, but in addition to the tapas, you get entertainment. There is a guy playing the electric piano for tips and you can make song requests (his repertoire is vast, but random) and then sing along group-style.

The last time I was there a microphone was taken out for a few customers who reminded me of characters from an Almodóvar film; they sang Spanish ballads, danced and we applauded.

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Mesón del Champiñon | Bars, Music, Restaurants (Tapas) | Mushroom tapas € 6.00
Cava de San Miguel 17 | Sol | +34915596790
Spring – Summer Sun – Thu 18:00 – 01:30, Fri – Sat 18:00 – 02:30
Winter lunch 12:00 – 16:00

Some traditional American diner style places have popped up in the last years in Madrid, and New York Burger is one of these. You’ll find what you expect about this kind of restaurant: good burgers (one of them vegetarian), grill meat, salads, sandwich, and brownies or ice cream for desert.

There are three sizes of each burger. The classic burger is named New York Burger, and other more original burgers have ingredients like blueberry marmalade and blue cheese… I like the Little Italy Burger with natural tomato, cheese and oregano. All of this, in an American ambience with numerous references to New York city in the name of the burgers (Bronx, Queens, Harlem, Empire State…) and in the pictures on the walls.

Some meals are also named after Hollywoord stars: the Scarlett Johansson salad or Robert the Niro sandwich are only two examples. The place is divided in two floors. During the day, I particularly prefer the upper one because is lighter.

A little New York Burger cost €6.70 and a big one €10.90. During dinner time sometimes there are a lot of people and the tables are very close. Not recommendable if you want privacy!

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New York Burger | Restaurants (Burger) | Small burger € 6.70
General Yagüe, 5 | Castellana | +34917703079
Mon – Sat 13:30 -17:00 & 20:00 – 00:00

If you’re like me, you dream of unlimited sushi rolling onto your plate and into your mouth. That’s just about what happens at Pink Sushiman as sushi chefs prep the sushi in front of you and place it on the conveyor belt that travels through the room.

It’s by no means the best sushi I’ve had, but it is fresh and clean and mighty tasty, served in a non-smoking and very cool futuristic atmosphere.

It’s also the perfect spot to unwind after a hard shopping session on Gran Via or around Sol.

Don’t forget to try a hot dish like tempura from the kitchen menu as well, but be careful because the more plates you stack up, the more you’ll end up paying on the way out!

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Pink Sushiman | Restaurants (Sushi) | weekday lunch menu € 10.00
Calle Caballero De Gracia 8 | Gran Via & Princesa | +34913605608
13:30 – 00:00 daily

After shop all around grab a bite or have a one hour massage. A lot of options in one place! Have a tea (great variety of teas) and treat yourself with a wonderful massage or a typical Spanish “siesta”….you can also enjoy at the “flotarium”. You can also combine a healthy meal, with a nap and a 15 minute massage for only 40 Euros.

The spot opened recently in the capital. Madrilians enjoy it any time of the day. If you are just tired of walking around the city or you just want to spend a couple of hours sipping a tea reading your favourite book or having a salad it is the place to go.

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Relajarium | Relaxing, Restaurants (Salads) | Massages € 60.00
C/ Claudio Coello, 32 | Salamanca Area | +34915776588
Mon – Sat 10:00 – 22:00

There are two options:

1) Loving their food and making it to be the favourite place to spend dinners with your friends every weekend.

2) Disliking it from the beginning, maybe because of the smell of the restaurant (the first impression you get is like being in China eating in a typical place), maybe because of how crowded it can be all the time from midday to the evening, and mainly in weekends. But who thinks that a whole day crowded place can have inedible food?

Reading the menu really gives the impression of being in another atmosphere with dishes like “El plato que favorita mi hija” or “Los langostinos en casa del rey”, among others. To eat, for sure tallarines, combined with vegetables, prawns, duck or chicken with curry. Some people prefer rice or dim sum, on the other hand. Prices are around € 15.00 to € 20.00, in good balance with the amount of food.

The place is especially different: the walls are old; the waiters run from one side to the other, serving dishes with woks; the waitresses hardly speak Spanish and giving the impression of not getting even a word when you order; and the sweating Chinese cook seems to have dedicated his whole life to making the best Chinese food abroad to persuade you to visit China from Madrid.

Really recommendable.

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Rey de Tallarines | Restaurants (Chinese ) | Main meal from € 15.00
Calle San Bernardino 2 | Gran Via & Princesa | +34915426897
12:30 – 18:00 & 19:30 – 00:00 daily

Every time I go to Senzone (which is not very often) I experience and enjoy the food through all my senses and the spectacular wines they serve. The place has a few tables and you have to make a reservation a few days in advance but every single experience there is worth it.

The restaurant is located inside the Hospes Hotel in front of “la puerta de Alcalá”, it was known as the “Antigua Cafeteria Independencia”. You enjoy food in an avant-garde design environment and you feel pampered by the waiters who make you feel the most important client in the world. Iván Saez Vicente(the chef) has designed a menu that always surprises me.

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Senzone | Restaurants (Creative cuisine) | Menu € 60.00
Plaza de la Independencia, 3 | Salamanca Area | +34914322911
Mon – Sat

Sula opened a couple of years ago but it is now a place where you can enjoy the best ham. Joselito (trade mark) is a top quality cured ham class “ibérico”. It’s expensive but worth every bite. The staff uniforms are created by Spanish fashion designer Amaya Arzuaga. They have just renovated their wine’s list!

The two-level space has a shop stocking superior items like “jamón ibérico” and sells 200 different Spanish, French and Italian wines. The kitchen, overseen by the great Quique Dacosta of Alicante’s El Poblet, serves amazing modernist “tapas” like the Foie gras mousse with a rum-and-Coke reduction. It offers a varied range of freshly prepared “tapas” using only the best ingredients from the Mediterranean cuisine.

The clientele of the restaurant can be quite snobbish but all the courses are delicious.

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Sula | Coffee & tea, Snacks, Restaurants (Mediterranean) | Meal & wine € 45.00
C/ Jorge Juan 33 | Salamanca Area | +34917816197
Mon – Sat 13:30 – 15:30 & 20:30 – 23:00

“One cannot think well, love well, sleep well, if one has not dined well.” – Virginia Woolf, and I completely agree. This restaurant named after the Irish fabric and decorated accordingly to it captures the essence of it.

It’s a cosy place that serves in a different way with lots of creativity and “savoir-faire”. It is very friendly and makes you feel comfortable and at ease.

Delicate presentation of every dish accompanied with really nice wines. The Chef, Javier Muñoz-Calero, takes fine ingredients and utilizes a variety of techniques, textures and temperatures in order to extract flavors without altering their taste.

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T.A.R.T.A.N | Restaurants (Spanish) | Main Meal € 40
General Pardiñas, 56 | Salamanca Area | +34914027689
Mon 14:00 – 17:00, Tue – Sat: 14:00 – 17:00 & 21:00 – 01:00

The Los Angeles Tavern is an all-around typical Spanish experience.

Known amongst my friends as the “cheese fries place” for the french fries drenched in cabrales cheese (like blue cheese), the menu carries standard tapas and family-style platters full of jamón or chorizo for sharing.

Also featured is Asturian cider – the “natural” one is slightly bitter that your waiter will show you how to pour from great distances. Personally, I prefer the sweet cider, but anything goes well with cheese fries.

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Taberna Los Angeles | Bars, Restaurants (Spanish) | Cheese fries € 6.00
Costanilla Los Ángeles 8 | Sol | +34915423438
11:00 – 01:00 daily

Tao is part of a group of Asian restaurants distributed all over Madrid.

You can find unpretentious but attractive dishes with elements of different Asian cuisines: Japanese, Thai, Chinese, Vietnamese… You can find dim sum, duck strip (both of them very tasty), sushi and spicy meat dishes.

Tao has several menus to choose from. A Japanese Menu (16 euros), Oriental Menu (12 euros) and so on; each one with many option for both the first courses and the main ones. Its decoration is minimalist and sober. The service at meals hour is a bit slow.

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Tao | Restaurants (Asian) | Average € 35
Felix Boix 7 | Castellana | +34913454047
Mon – Sun 13:30 – 16:00 & 21:00 – 00:00

The intimate setting of Toma is like a classic diner grown-up, there might be Bruce Springsteen playing, but the fresh flowers and soft candle-light give it a nice romantic edge.

Perhaps you’ve been craving fried chicken? Or a full brunch with a breakfast burrito and mimosa? Toma, which roughly translated means “take that,” delivers. There brunch is arguably the best in Madrid when counting the niceness of the waitstaff, the food options (it’s a big carb load, but you can walk that off at the Prado) and the price.

The menu changes seasonally, but maintains a few basics along with delicious desserts like cheesecake and brownies. Last time I was there I had monkfish wrapped in pancetta with roasted fresh figs and young garlic shoots.

Toma is very small with about 6 tables and a bar, be sure to make a reservation.

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Toma | Restaurants (American/International) | Brunch € 17.50
Calle Conde Duque 14 | Gran Via & Princesa | +34915474996
Tue – Fri 14:00 -16:30 & 21:00 – 02:00, Sat – Sun 13:00 – 17:00 & 21:00 – 02:30

Think of fine Haute cuisine in miniature with Basque origins (one of the regions in the world with the highest concentration of Michelin starred chefs in the world) and you would think of this little and stuffy bar that does not take reservations (so come early!).

The “Unai” hamburger is delicious. The wine selection is great and you can have the typical “txacoli” (white basque wine that is quite fruity). You can find it also at La Latina in Humilladero Street. It is worth a visit!

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Txirimiri | Snacks, Restaurants (Spanish) | Tapa € 5.50
General Diez Porlier, 91 | Salamanca Area | +34914014345
Mon – Sat 12:00 – 17:00 & 19:00 – 01:00

Answering the need for more vegetarian and take-out restaurants in Madrid, Viva la Vida is a tiny locale with a packed salad bar in the middle and a surrounding organic store.

It can get claustrophobic around lunch time, but the crowd is worth the battle to get your colorful meal and head to nearby Paseo del Prado or Plaza Santa Ana to eat on a park bench (there are also benches in front of the shop).

The salad bar has a cold side (green salad, hummus, guacamole, bean sprouts….) and hot (vegetable croquettes, lasagna, roasted vegetables, lentil loaf…) along with salsas, oil and vinegars.

If you can juggle the plates, the desserts are rich and decadent, a perfect way to end a healthy meal. The food in general is really tasty and innovative, but the prices are a bit high. A big salad can end up being over 15 euros, depending on how much heavy food you have.

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Viva la Vida | Shopping, Restaurants (vegetarian) | per 100 grams € 2.10
Calle Huertas 57 | Lavapies & Latina
11:00 – 00:00 daily

Xanacuk brings much needed freshness to Madrid, and by fresh, I mean juices squeezed to order, healthy salads and everything available to go. Started by an expat from Australia and his Spanish wife, Xanacuk already has three locations in the city center.

I’m an addict to their juice blends and on a day when I haven’t got a long time to eat, I’ll get a toasted bagel with alfalfa sprouts and smoked salmon or a veggie-hummus wrap to go. The brownies and chocolate chip cookies are perfect to finish off your super healthy meal.

Bonus trivia: the sandwiches are all named after local landmarks!

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Xanacuk | Restaurants (healthy) | big juice € 3.90
C/ Corredera Alta de San Pablo, 3 | Chueca & Malasaña | +34902440028
Mon – Sat 12:00 – 23:00