The historic centre around Sol and Plaza Mayor, home to the 1725 Botin wood ovens, Casa Labra cod fritters and Mercado de San Miguel.
Sobrino de Botin near Plaza Mayor in Madrid is the Guinness-certified oldest restaurant in the world, in business since 1725. Located in Centro.
Signature: Cochinillo asado, Cordero asado, Sopa de ajo
Order: The cochinillo asado roasted in the 1725 wood oven, then sopa de ajo with poached egg.
Tip: Book the cave dining room downstairs three weeks ahead. Lunch is calmer than dinner; the 14:00 service is the working-day local hour.
Lhardy on Carrera de San Jeronimo in Madrid has run the wood-panelled dining rooms above its Parisian-style charcuterie counter since 1839, serving.
Signature: Cocido madrileno, Callos a la madrilena, Consome de ave
Order: The three-volcado cocido madrileno on a Tuesday or Thursday.
Tip: The downstairs counter pours consome from the silver urn for 4 euros standing up; the cocido is upstairs by reservation.
Casa Ciriaco on Calle Mayor in Madrid has served the gallina en pepitoria (hen in almond and saffron sauce) since 1929, three steps from where Alfonso XIII.
Signature: Gallina en pepitoria, Callos a la madrilena, Perdiz estofada
Order: The gallina en pepitoria with rice and the callos a la madrilena. Half-bottle of house Valdepenas.
Tip: Closed Wednesdays. The Tuesday and Thursday cocido is the surest order; the dining room is full of regulars by 14:30.
Taberna La Bola near the Teatro Real in Madrid has cooked the cocido madrileno in individual clay pots over charcoal since 1870. Located in Centro.
Signature: Cocido madrileno, Callos a la madrilena, Bacalao con tomate
Order: The cocido madrileno served the three traditional volcados.
Tip: Cocido served at lunch only; book three days ahead for weekday lunch. Cash strongly preferred. No card terminal until late 2024.
Casa Mingo on Paseo de la Florida in Madrid is the Asturian sidreria since 1888, serving roast chicken and natural cider poured from height.
Signature: Pollo asado, Sidra natural, Chorizo a la sidra
Order: A whole roast chicken (12 euros) and a bottle of sidra natural poured from arm's length.
Tip: Walk-in only; arrive before 13:30 or after 22:00 to skip the queue. Pollo and a bottle of sidra for 18 euros per person.
Los Galayos in Plaza Mayor in Madrid has cooked the Castilian roast lamb and the migas pastoriles since 1894, with a terrace under the arcades and wood-fired.
Signature: Cordero asado, Migas pastoriles, Patatas bravas
Order: The cordero asado from the wood oven (1/4 lamb portion) and the migas pastoriles with grapes.
Tip: Book the inside dining room for cordero; the terrace is fine for tapas but the lamb needs the wood oven downstairs.
Casa Revuelta off Plaza Mayor in Madrid has fried the bacalao rebozado (battered cod) to standing-room counters since 1924. Located in Centro.
Signature: Bacalao rebozado, Callos a la madrilena, Croquetas
Order: Bacalao rebozado at the counter (5 euros per piece) with a cana. Add the callos in winter.
Tip: Walk-in only; the bar fills up after 13:00. Order at the counter; cash is the default though card now accepted.
Casa Labra near Puerta del Sol in Madrid has fried the bacalao rebozado in iron pans since 1860; the PSOE was founded upstairs in 1879. Located in Centro.
Signature: Bacalao rebozado, Tajada de bacalao, Croquetas
Order: A pincho of bacalao rebozado (1.30 euros) and a tajada de bacalao (boiled and seasoned salt cod) with a cana.
Tip: Walk-in only at the bar; the inside dining room takes reservations for lunch. Cash strongly preferred.
Casa Toni near Sol in Madrid's Centro is the old-Madrid taberna for the offal canon: callos, oreja, mollejas and zarajos served from the formica counter.
Signature: Callos, Oreja a la plancha, Mollejas
Order: Oreja a la plancha (6 euros), callos a la madrilena (8 euros) and a cana. A glass of vermut to start.
Tip: Walk-in only; the bar fills up at 13:00. Cash strongly preferred; the formica counter has no card terminal until 2024.
Bar La Ideal off Plaza Mayor in Madrid is one of the bocadillo de calamares counters that built the local lunch tradition, with battered squid rings.
Signature: Bocadillo de calamares, Cana, Croquetas
Order: Bocadillo de calamares (5.50 euros) with a slice of lemon and a cana. Order at the counter to save time.
Tip: Walk-in only; the bar gets busy at 13:00. Cash strongly preferred at the bar; the dining room takes card.
Estado Puro on Plaza Canovas in Madrid is the modern-tapas room by Paco Roncero, with a clean white dining room, an open kitchen and a carte that runs.
Signature: Patatas bravas, Tortilla de Sacha, Croquetas
Order: The patatas bravas (8 euros), the tortilla de Sacha (deconstructed in a glass) and the croquetas de jamon.
Tip: Book three days ahead for weekend dinner. The terrace seats 12; the inside dining room is the design-led room.
Cafe de Oriente on Plaza de Oriente in Madrid faces the Palacio Real, with the chocolate con churros tradition, a fin-de-siecle dining room and a terrace.
Signature drink: Cafe con leche
Tip: Open daily 09:30-24:00. The terrace (12 tables) faces the palace; the inside is wood-panelled and full of red velvet.
Cafe Gijon on Paseo de Recoletos in Madrid is the 1888-founded literary cafe that hosted the post-civil-war tertulia (literary discussion circle) of Cela.
Signature drink: Cafe con leche
Tip: Open daily 07:30-01:30. The breakfast set runs 6 euros; the terrace under the trees is the seat to book in summer.
La Mallorquina on Puerta del Sol in Madrid has sold the napolitana de crema (custard-filled puff pastry) since 1894. Open daily 09:00-21:00.
Tip: Walk-in only; the counter fills up by 09:30. Cash strongly preferred at the counter. The upstairs cafe takes seated customers.
Worth the queue: Napolitana de crema
Casa Mira on Carrera de San Jeronimo in Madrid has made the turron de Jijona by hand since 1842, opened by Luis Mira after he moved from Jijona to Madrid.
Tip: Closed Sundays. Cash preferred. The Christmas-season queue forms in November; turron sold all year, polvorones in autumn. Closed July-August.
Worth the queue: Turron de Jijona
Viena Capellanes in Madrid is the 1873-founded confiteria that gave the capellan pastry its name. Located in Centro. Open daily 08:00-21:00.
Tip: Open daily. The capellan pastry (1.80 euros) is the morning-coffee headline; the emparedados de jamon for take-away lunch.
Worth the queue: Capellan (Madrid pastry)
Confiteria La Campana off Plaza Mayor in Madrid is the original bocadillo de calamares counter since 1956, with the squid rings fried in a small kitchen.
Tip: Walk-in only; counter open daily until late. Cash preferred. The bocadillo (5 euros) is the only headline order.
Worth the queue: Bocadillo de calamares
Antigua Pasteleria del Pozo on Calle del Pozo near Puerta del Sol is Madrid's 1830-founded oldest bakery, run by the heirs of Julian Leal Charle since 1900.
Tip: Closed weekends. Cash preferred. The hojaldres are the signature; torrijas during Holy Week are the seasonal headline.
Worth the queue: Hojaldres
Horno de San Onofre in Madrid's Gran Via is the 1972-founded panaderia and pasteleria with the canonical rosquillas de San Isidro (May festival ring.
Tip: Closed Sundays. The rosquillas de San Isidro (10 euros per box) appear from late April to early June.
Worth the queue: Rosquillas de San Isidro
Horno de la Santiaguesa on Calle Mayor in Madrid is the 1893-founded confiteria with the tarta de Santiago (Galician almond cake) and a daily-changing fresh.
Tip: Closed Sundays. The tarta de Santiago whole (15 euros) or by slice (3.50 euros) is the headline.
Worth the queue: Tarta de Santiago
El Pulpito on Plaza Mayor in Madrid is the Galician wine bar and tasca with 80 by-the-glass references, pulpo a la gallega and the daily-changing pizarra.
Signature pour: Albarino from Rias Baixas, by the glass
Wine focus: Galician and Asturian wines
Food: Tablas, conservas
Tip: Closed Mondays. The terrace on Plaza Mayor seats 12; the inside dining room is wood-panelled and small.
Museo Chicote on Gran Via in Madrid is the 1931-founded cocktail bar by Perico Chicote, the Madrid cocktail pioneer. Located in Centro. Order the dry martini.
Signature drink: Dry Martini
Food: Snacks
Tip: Walk-in. The art-deco room is the headline; the dry martini (12 euros) is the canonical order. Open daily until 02:00.
Azotea del Circulo on Calle de Alcala in Madrid's Centro is the rooftop of the 1926 Circulo de Bellas Artes art club, with 360-degree views over Gran Via.
Signature drink: Gin tonic
Food: Tapas, small plates
Tip: Entry fee 5 euros. Open daily 11:00-02:00. The sunset slot (19:30) is the busiest; book on Tickets.com to skip the queue.
Bar La Ideal off Plaza Mayor in Madrid is the bocadillo de calamares counter where battered squid rings on a fresh roll define the Madrileno working-day.
Try: Bocadillo de calamares
Tip: Walk-in only at the counter. Bocadillo (5.50 euros) with a slice of lemon and a cana. Cash preferred at the bar.
Chocolateria San Gines off Calle Mayor in Madrid has fried the churros con chocolate for the after-midnight crowd since 1894. Located in Centro.
Try: Churros con chocolate
Tip: Walk-in only. Set of 6 churros and a thick chocolate cup (4.30 euros). The 03:00-05:00 slot is the post-club rush.
Mercado de San Miguel in Madrid serves the gilda tapa (anchovy, olive and guindilla pepper on a stick) at 12 different counters, the Basque-origin pintxo.
Try: Gilda tapas
Tip: Gilda tapas run 2 to 3 euros each at every counter; pair with a glass of Txakoli from Casa Real Andaluza.
Casa Labra near Puerta del Sol in Madrid has fried the bacalao rebozado (salt cod in light batter) at its counter since 1860. Located in Centro.
Try: Bacalao rebozado
Tip: Walk-in only at the counter. Pincho de bacalao (1.30 euros) and a cana. Cash strongly preferred.
Casa Revuelta off Plaza Mayor in Madrid has fried the bacalao rebozado in iron pans since 1924. Located in Centro. Open tue-sun 11:00-16:00 and 19:30-23:00.
Try: Bacalao rebozado
Tip: Walk-in only at the counter. Closed Mondays. Cash preferred. The cana doble runs 3 euros next to the cod.
Casa Toni near Sol in Madrid is the offal-counter taberna for oreja a la plancha (grilled pig's ear, crispy and tender), with the offal canon (callos.
Try: Oreja a la plancha
Tip: Cash only. Walk-in only at the standing-room bar. The oreja a la plancha (6 euros) is the headline; vermut beforehand.
Rosales on Calle Echegaray in Madrid is the standing-room tapas counter where the Basque-origin gilda (anchovy, olive, guindilla on a stick) anchors.
Try: Gilda tapas
Tip: Walk-in. Gilda tapas run 2 euros each; pair with vermut. The bar fills up at 20:30 weekend evenings.
Casa Mira on Carrera de San Jeronimo has produced turron (soft-and-hard almond-and-honey brick) since 1855, with the marble counter and the original.
Try: Turron de Jijona
Tip: Cash preferred. Closed Sundays. Turron runs 15 to 28 euros per kilo; smaller portions sold by weight.
Fabrica Excepcional on Calle Valverde in Madrid's Centro is the on-site brewpub at the north end of Gran Via, with house beers brewed in the back tanks.
Tip: Walk-in. The counter looks straight into the fermentation tanks; the flight of four house beers is 9 euros and the order to start.
Cerveceria Alemana on Plaza de Santa Ana in Madrid is the 1904-founded German-style cerveceria, with a marble-and-mirror dining room unchanged.
Tip: Walk-in. The window table on the corner is the Hemingway seat; the terrace on Plaza de Santa Ana opens with the bar.
La Pirata de Malasana in central Madrid is the independent craft beer bar with 16 taps from the in-house La Pirata brewery and 40-plus guest cans and bottles.
Tip: Closed Sundays; the house IPAs and pastry stouts rotate weekly, and the bar takes walk-ins only.
Mercado de San Miguel beside Plaza Mayor in Madrid is the wrought-iron 1916 market reborn in 2009 as the city's reference gourmet tapas market.
Tip: Walk-in. Cash and card. Counters: gilda tapas 2.50 euros, vermut at Casa Real Andaluza, oysters at La Casa del Bacalao.
Cooking Point Madrid in Las Letras is the city's reference English-language cooking school since 2008, with three-hour paella and tapas classes.
Tip: Bookings via website; classes daily 11:00 and 17:00. The paella class (95 euros) includes wine and the cooked meal.
Devour Madrid's cooking class is the three-hour Spanish-cuisine workshop where students cook paella, tortilla and three tapas with the Devour team since 2014.
Tip: Bookings via website. Classes daily 11:00. The market-and-cook version (145 euros, 5 hours) includes a Mercado de la Cebada walk.
Context Travel's Madrid market-and-cook is the docent-led five-hour workshop combining a Mercado de la Cebada market walk with a Spanish-home-cooking lesson.
Tip: Bookings via website. Group capped at 6. Includes the market walk, a paella and three tapas, plus wine pairings.
Casa Labra near Puerta del Sol in Madrid fries the bacalao rebozado at its 1860-founded counter, with the pincho de bacalao still under 2 euros.
Try: Pincho de bacalao
Tip: Walk-in only at the counter. Cash preferred. Bacalao plus cana under 4 euros; the dining room runs more expensive.
Bar La Ideal off Plaza Mayor in Madrid is the bocadillo de calamares counter where a full bocadillo, cana and a slice of lemon runs under 8 euros.
Try: Bocadillo de calamares + cana
Tip: Walk-in only at the counter. Bocadillo 5.50 euros, cana 2.50; cash preferred at the bar.
Casa Mingo on Paseo de la Florida in Madrid is the 1888 Asturian sidreria where a whole roast chicken and a bottle of natural cider feeds two people.
Try: Pollo asado + sidra
Tip: Walk-in only. Roast chicken 12 euros plus 6 euro bottle of sidra; arrive before 13:30 or after 22:00 to avoid the queue.
Casa Toni near Sol in Madrid serves the offal canon at counter prices: oreja a la plancha 6 euros, callos 8, cana 2.50; the whole working-day lunch runs.
Try: Callos, oreja, cana
Tip: Cash only. Walk-in only at the standing-room bar. Closed Wednesdays. The bar is full by 13:00.
Casa Revuelta off Plaza Mayor in Madrid has fried the bacalao rebozado at the counter since 1924, with the pincho at 5 euros, cana 2.50, the whole.
Try: Bacalao rebozado por unidad
Tip: Walk-in only at the counter. Cash preferred. Closed Mondays. Cod sells out by 15:30 on weekends.
Chocolateria San Gines off Calle Mayor in Madrid has fried the churros con chocolate since 1894, a set of 6 churros and a thick chocolate cup runs 4.30 euros.
Try: Churros con chocolate
Tip: Walk-in only. Open 24 hours daily. Cash and card. The 03:00-05:00 post-club slot has the fastest queue.
Chocolateria San Gines off Calle Mayor in Madrid has fried the churros con chocolate for the after-midnight crowd since 1894; the 24-hour counter still pulls.
Try: Churros con chocolate
Tip: Walk-in only; the post-club queue 03:00-05:00 is the busiest slot. Set of 6 churros and chocolate cup runs 4.30 euros.
Lhardy on Carrera de San Jeronimo in Madrid has poured consome from a silver urn at its downstairs counter since 1839; the post-theatre crowd still drops.
Try: Consome from the silver urn
Tip: Walk-in only at the downstairs counter. Consome runs 4 euros, eaten standing. Upstairs dining room closes 23:00.
Casa Mingo on Paseo de la Florida in Madrid is the 1888 Asturian sidreria serving roast chicken and natural cider through 01:00 daily; the post-theatre crowd.
Try: Roast chicken plus sidra
Tip: Walk-in only. The 22:00-24:00 slot is the calmest; whole roast chicken 12 euros, bottle of sidra 6.
Bar La Ideal off Plaza Mayor in Madrid serves the bocadillo de calamares until 23:00 nightly; the standing-room counter crowd that takes it after the theatre.
Try: Bocadillo de calamares
Tip: Walk-in only; cash strongly preferred. The bar fills up after 22:00 with the post-theatre crowd. Bocadillo 5.50 euros.
Casa Revuelta off Plaza Mayor in Madrid serves the bacalao rebozado until 23:00 nightly Tuesday to Sunday; the post-Plaza-Mayor crowd still piles.
Try: Bacalao rebozado
Tip: Walk-in only at the counter. Closed Mondays. Cod sells out by 21:30 on weekend evenings; arrive earlier on Friday-Saturday.
Cerveceria Alemana on Plaza de Santa Ana in Madrid pours tank Mahou and serves gambas a la plancha until 00:30 (02:00 Fri-Sat) at the long marble bar.
Try: Tank Mahou and gambas a la plancha
Tip: Walk-in. The terrace on Plaza de Santa Ana stays open until 01:00 in summer; cana 3 euros, gambas a la plancha 12.
Joy Eslava on Calle del Arenal a few minutes from Puerta del Sol is one of Spain's oldest discos, in the converted 1871 Teatro Eslava theatre with balconies, programming nightly sessions 365 days a year.
Tip: Doors most nights at 00:00-06:00; the room fills after 02:00. The venue keeps its theatre tiers, so the upper balconies are quieter than the main floor.
Teatro Kapital on Calle de Atocha next to Anton Martin is the seven-floor mega-club in a former theatre with capacity for over 3,000, with a different music style on every floor from commercial to reggaeton.
Tip: Open Wed to Sun from 23:00; the rooftop seventh floor is the lounge and smoking terrace and the easiest in. Strict smart-elegant door, no sportswear.
Independance Club on Calle de Atocha runs a 1,000 square metre concert-and-club hybrid programming tribute concerts, themed nostalgia parties and DJ-led tardeos in the heart of the Atocha nightlife strip.
Tip: Sessions usually run Saturdays from 23:30-06:00 with themed parties; check the Independance calendar for the night. Next door to Teatro Kapital.
Fabrik in Humanes de Madrid is the city-region mega-club programming international house and techno headliners like Carl Cox and Sven Vath with Goa and Supermartxe residencies in a converted industrial space.
Tip: Outside Madrid city limits in Humanes; treat as a day-trip with a shuttle bus from the centre. Saturdays only, doors 18:00-22:00 depending on the event, closing 06:00.
Café Berlín on Costanilla de los Angeles by Sol is a 250-capacity concert room programming jazz, flamenco, pop, funk, soul and folk Wed to Sun with two sets nightly at 20:00 and 22:30.
Tip: Two sets nightly Wed to Sun, 20:00 and 22:30; DJ session after the second concert turns the room into a club. Capacity is tight, book ahead.
Sala El Sol on Calle de los Jardines opened in 1979 during the Madrid movida and remains the city's canon pop-rock concert room at 640 capacity, booking national tours, indie acts and DJ club nights.
Tip: Concerts most nights from 21:00; the venue flips to a club after the gig with the indie classics canon. Two minutes from Gran Via L1 L5.
Wurlitzer Ballroom on Calle de Tres Cruces by Gran Via runs a 200-capacity concert hall and bar with rock, punk, garage and power-pop programming across a punk-rock industrial-decor room.
Tip: Open every night; weeknight concerts from 22:30, weekends to 06:00. The room is small and the stage is close, arrive early for the band's set.
Azotea del Circulo de Bellas Artes on Calle de Alcala is the definitive Madrid rooftop bar atop the 1926 arts centre, with a 360 degree skyline view and a Spanish-Mediterranean carte from breakfast through cocktails.
Tip: Around 5 euros for the elevator up; busy at sunset, quieter for the noon coffee. The terrace runs to 01:30 weeknights and 02:00 weekends.
The 360 Rooftop Bar on the 27th floor of the Hotel Riu Plaza Espana in the Edificio Espana on Gran Via is Madrid's highest hotel terrace, with panoramic skyline views and a famous glass balcony walkway.
Tip: Open daily 11:00-01:00 with kitchen to 23:30; last entry midnight. The glass balcony is the photo stop; queues build at sunset.
The Hat Rooftop on Calle Imperial sits on top of a Plaza Mayor adjacent hostel and serves cocktails and small plates with a southern skyline view, popular with the centre's twenty-something traveller crowd.
Tip: Tipple-and-tapas terrace open most days from 13:00-23:45; closing earlier on Tuesdays and Saturdays. Walk-in only, the room is small.
Picalagartos Sky Bar on the ninth floor of the NH Collection Gran Via at the corner of Calle de la Montera runs a terrace with 360 views, a cocktail programme by Azotea Group and a separate eighth-floor restaurant.
Tip: Sky bar is first-come first-served, no reservations; the eighth-floor dining room takes bookings. Smart casual at the door; the corner Gran Via view is the photo seat.
La Terraza del Casino on the top floor of the Casino de Madrid on Calle de Alcala has been Paco Roncero's two-Michelin-starred tasting-menu rooftop since 1990, redesigned by Jaime Hayon in tropical blues and greens.
Tip: Tasting menu only, dinner-led reservation through OpenTable or the restaurant; bar in the Casino room before the meal. Smart-elegant attire required.
Ginkgo Sky Bar on the 12th floor of the VP Plaza Espana Design hotel on Plaza de Espana runs a 360 degree terrace with a glass-floor swimming pool, Japanese-Mediterranean tapas and a year-round cocktail programme.
Tip: Open from 13:00; the pool is the photo seat. The floor-to-ceiling glass walls slide back in summer. Reservation through the venue site is the easy way in.
Terraza de Sabatini on the rooftop of the Apartosuites Jardines de Sabatini on Calle de Bailen serves cocktails and tapas with a direct view of the Royal Palace and the Sabatini Gardens, summer-season only.
Tip: Bar open May to September; reservations on the hotel site. The seat to ask for is the south-facing corner with the full palace facade in view.
Museo Chicote on Gran Via since 1931 is Spain's first cocktail bar, founded by barman Perico Chicote with Art Deco decor by Luis Gutierrez Soto, drawing Hemingway, Sinatra, Ava Gardner and Sofia Loren over the decades.
Tip: The original 1931 Art Deco room is the photo seat; the cocktail list keeps the canon classics. Open from 16:00 most nights, late close at the weekend.
El Anciano Rey de los Vinos on Calle de Bailen by the Almudena Cathedral was founded in 1909 by Luis Moron, with the red facade and bright tile front of the traditional Madrid taberna and a Madrid-de-los-Austrias wine list.
Tip: Vermut and house-pour wines at the marble counter; the typical-taberna front is one of the city's prettiest. Closed Sunday lunchtime; opens 10:00 most days.