Snacks – All our local tips

It is just a great place where you can find different kind of people. Actually it is quite eclectic,  great for weekends, you can spend hours in the terrace (even in winter!) reading the newspaper enjoying breakfast until 17:00 if you find a table because it is usually quite crowded!

There are concerts the last Thursdays of every month and DJ’s sessions the first Sundays of the month. Sometimes there are photo exhibits as well as paintings exhibits.

The food is correct and drinks are good and the cocktails are great. You can have the typical “pomada” of the Balearic Islands (popular drink made out of gin and lemon), but also “mojito” or caipirinha.

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Café Mahón | Bars, Music, Snacks | Meal € 15.00
Plaza Dos de Mayo, 4 | Chueca & Malasaña | +34915324756
Mon – Thu 12:00 – 01:30, Fri – Sun 12:00 – 03:00

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

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

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)

Just as when it opened back in 1931, the place is idyllic to have a tea with pastries or scones. Embassy has the “savoir-faire” of good old times. You will find around 18:00 all the grannies having their afternoon snack. There is also a delicatessen store nearby where you can buy the exquisite thin as a leaf sandwiches they serve.

If you are not a tea person you can sip a mimosa just enjoying the place that sets you back in the beginning of the twentieth century. You can also buy bonbons there; home made and natural.

If you don’t feel like staying there, just have a taste of the sandwiches or the excellent goodies they have and keep walking to the Colon square. Here you will find a little statue in a big pedestal commemorating the great Spanish explorer, Columbus.

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Embassy | Coffee & tea, Snacks | Coffee € 3.00
Paseo de la Castellana, 12 | Salamanca Area | +34915764877
09:00 – 21:00 daily

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

Very creamy, natural, handmade and tempting in every season.

The ice creams of Heladería La Romana are simply delicious. I hardly recommend the pistachio one but not always you can find it because the flavours are constantly changing.

Indeed, some fruit flavours are only available if it’s the right season. For winter you also have semi-cold ice cream (less cold that the common ice creams) and cioccolata calda, excellent hot chocolate.

I love the one that have hazelnuts. Of course, you can take away the products or eat them seating in the shop that is modern and comfortable with a big showcase. These are not cheap but I think a visit is worth it.

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Heladería La Romana | Bars, Coffee & tea, Snacks
Santa Engracia 155 | Chamberi | +34915331495
Depends on the season

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

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

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

A typical Spanish “Cafeteria” where you will see a “limpiabotas” (shoe cleaner) like in the old times with people having breakfast, lunch or just having a coffee… It’s a big space with wooden tables and waiters dressed like waiters were dressed in Madrid not so long ago.

Coffees are served in big mugs (”taza de desayuno”). You can also have also ham & cheese sandwiches grilled with real butter.

I go often there to meet friends; you can spend the whole afternoon sipping a coffee or a freshly made orange juice. In summer you have a terrace. You can also eat the typical “platos combinados”, huge dishes with everything (salad, a steak or fish and French fries). It is worth trying.

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La Flecha | Coffee & tea, Snacks | Coffee € 2.50
C/ Juan Bravo, 37 | Salamanca Area | +34915639846
07:30 – 00:00 daily

Just the place to go to have great cocktails and cool music! You can find many different kinds of people, from Cirque du Soleil actors to writers.

You can grab a bite while listening how the DJ Jaimote puts a record on… The “croquetas” are really yummy.

The place is great to have an after work or after diner drink, especially a mojito or a glass of champagne, and to enjoy a relaxing conversation with good music.

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La Turba | Bars, Music, Snacks | Cocktails € 10.00
C/ del Conde de Xiquena, 3 | Chueca & Malasaña | +34915221813
Mon – Thu 16:00 – 01:30, Fri – Sat 16:00 – 02:00

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

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

From the outside of this surprising bakery and Patisserie you can’t imagine what’s hidden inside: an authentic paradise for sweet-tooths. In Nunos almost all the products are homemade: They have Belgian brioches, French croissants, Italian panettone, chocolates (with Mexican and Venezuelan cocoa), and of course typical pastries and bread from Madrid and Spain.The Pestiños and torrijas, for example are really delicious.

Their product range constantly changes depending on the festivities calendar or the month. However, the very popular Roscón de Reyes, in other shops only available at Christmas time, is available her all year as the Rosca de la Almudena.

If you enter in Nunos, you can see a little and modest shop and just at the back, the place where the so awarded patissier Jose Fernández (the winner of the Patisserie Championship in Madrid 2009, among others) and his team all preparing all the products.

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Nunos | Snacks | Croissant € 1,50
Narváez, 63 | Salamanca Area | +34914092456
09:00 – 21:00 daily

This place is not well known if you are from out of town. Locals know it as a place with good music to chill out in the afternoons after a day of work in the city.

It is just near Avenida de América where you grab a bunch of buses to go up to the north east of the country. It also offers tasteful red and white wines. The place is perfect for grab some appetizers (including the “sobreasada” with honey my favorite!), have dinner or chat with friends.

The place is really nice and you can have really delicious salads prepared in a Mediterranean style! The owners of the place usually are present and take care that everything is just right. Just great to play cards on Sundays!!

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Parada y Fonda | Coffee & tea, Snacks | Wine € 2.50
Castello, 124 | Salamanca Area | +34914116808
Sun – Wed 08:00 – 02:00, Thu – Sat 08:00 – 03:00

Plaza de Olavide is considered to be the center of the Chamberí neighborhood, which makes sense because decades ago it used to house the local fruit and vegetable market.

I like to think of it as the ‘people’s plaza’ because it is secluded away from busy streets and is usually bustling with people walking dogs, going for tapas, meeting before going to the cinema or after shopping along Calle Fuencarral.

The surrounding restaurants are all typical Spanish joints, while the center of the plaza has benches and a fountain, perfect to sit and people watch.

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Plaza de Olavide | Bars, Relaxing, Snacks | Free
Plaza de Olavide | Chamberi
24 hours daily

For obvious reasons, San Ginés is a big hit. The best thing after a night of dancing/a day of sight-seeing/anytime really, is a cup of thick chocolate with churros to dip in it (churros are like long crispy donuts).

This classy chocolatería has been around since 1894 and though maybe it’s not the finest chocolate in the world, it does the trick. Indoors they have white marble floors and tables, but the best part is sitting outside on the terrace in the tiny pedestrian street.

In addition to chocolate and churros, they have porras which are thicker than churros and daily homemade cakes. If you really like the thick chocolate dip, you can buy the mix to make at home.

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San Ginés | Coffee & tea, Snacks | Chocolate & 6 churros € 3.20
Pasadizo de San Gines 5 | Sol | +34913656546
Mon – Fri 09:30 -06:00, Sat – Sun 09:00 – 06:00

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

Arabs inhabited the Iberian Peninsula for eight centuries. Christians that live in Arabic territory of Al-Andalus some centuries ago were called mozárabes. This can help you understand what this tabern is: Spanish with an Arab air.

Here you can find good tapas as “Croquetas de jamón” (€7.50), “Tostas de paté casero” (€2.80), “Carne asada a la pimienta” (€7.00) in a warm ambient.

They have a few wooden tables, arab-inspired lamps, brick walls and wonderful stained-glass windows. Ideal for cold afternoons for eating something and drink a liquor, wine or a the.

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Taberna Mozárabe | Bars, Coffee & tea, Snacks | Coffee € 1.40
c/ Reyes 6 | Gran Via & Princesa
Mon – Sat 11:00 – 02:30

The old hotel “Reina Victoria”, a place where toreros used to go. It is also known as ME by Meliá and it offers a terrace on the top with wonderful views of Madrid as well as a fancy lounge bar with savory and expensive cocktails that can be drank from 17:00 in the afternoon.

You can access by an independent elevator from the hotel that takes you directly to the top.

The ambiance is quite eclectic and you can find actors, as well as tourists that want to enjoy the views and the comfort of the chill out zone listening lounge and chill house music compiled by the best DJs.

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The Penthouse | Bars, Snacks | Cocktails € 9.00
Pza. Sta. Ana, 14 | Sol | +34917016000
Sun – Wed 10:00 – 02:00, Thu – Sat 10:00 – 04:00

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

What better chocolate than the kind made locally? Valor Chocolate is Spain’s oldest (and only if I’m not mistaking) chocolate/coffee shop franchise which dates back to 1881 and has some mighty tasty options from dark, dark chocolate to white chocolate.

In the summer, go for the chocolate granizado – a glass of iced chocolate yumminess “guaranteed” to come to the table at sub zero temperatures. Whereas a few months ago, when it was freezing and raining outside, I ducked in for a cup of rich hot chocolate scented with cinnamon. You can also order from a huge menu of dessert options and buy chocolate bars and sweets to go from the counter.

There are two branches in Madrid and a handful around Spain, this one is just off the busy Plaza Callao.

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Valor Chocolate | Coffee & tea, Snacks | Chocolate & churros € 3.95
Postigo de San Martín, 7 | Sol | +34915229288
Mon – Thu 08:00 – 22:30, Fri 08:00 – 01:00, Sat 09:00 – 01:00, Sun 09:00 – 22:30

Have you ever thought about drinking a real natural juice in Madrid? It´s really hard to find a place like this one, so that´s maybe why it´s one of my favourites spots for a juice or a shake in the middle of a long day shopping in the city.

Vitamina is located in one of Gran Vía´s side streets, so if you don´t know it, you´d probably miss it. I´d say it´s actually a good alternative to other type of fast food restaurants in the area. In fact, I think it´s the only place of this type in Madrid!

There´s a good mixture of healthy food and amazing freshly squeezed juices served in huge or regular sized glasses. When I go there I don´t go just for the food, but specially for the pleasure of choosing among the more than 40 types of juices.

You can ask for a classical juice, just with one fruit, or a combination of up to three different fruits. They even have exotic fruits or you can add milk to them!! Try the delicious mango juice and you´ll see what I mean…The tropical pineapple pizza is one of the best though! And there´re salads as well…

The amazing thing about this place is that, now that they have renovated it, there are heaps of flat screen televisions where you can watch football matches. And even outside, from the street!!

Buen provecho!!

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Vitamina | Snacks | Menu € 9.90
C/ Chinchilla, 9 | Gran Via & Princesa | +34915227162
Mon – Fri 09:00 – 23:30, Sat – Sun 12:00 – 01:00