The 19th-century residential quarter north of Bilbao, home to Sala de Despiece on Calle Alonso Cano, Sacha and the Madrileno modern-taberna corridor along Calle Ponzano.
Casa Mono in Madrid's Arguelles district is the modern taberna by chef Ramiro Vazquez, with a market-led carte of croquetas, tartares and slow-braised.
Signature: Carrillera estofada, Croquetas de jamon, Tartar de atun
Order: The croquetas de jamon and the carrillera estofada with potato puree. A glass of Lopez de Heredia rosado.
Tip: Book a week ahead for Saturday lunch; the dining room is small. Lunch menu del dia runs 22 euros weekdays.
Sala de Despiece in Madrid's Chamberi runs the room like a butcher's counter: stainless steel benches, white tiles and the meat carved in front of you.
Signature: Steak tartare, Lomo en manteca, Tuetano asado
Order: The lomo en manteca (pork loin in lard) and the bone marrow roasted with capers. Glass of Mencia by the glass.
Tip: Walk-in only; arrive before 13:30 for lunch or 20:30 for dinner. The bar stools are the seats locals want.
Sacha in Madrid's Chamartin is the bistro by Sacha Hormaechea, whose lazy-tortilla and lasana de boletus are reference dishes for half the country's modern.
Signature: Tortilla vaga, Atun con caviar, Lasana de boletus
Order: The tortilla vaga (lazy tortilla, undercooked and topped with caviar) and the lasana de boletus.
Tip: Book three weeks ahead; tables of two are easier than four. The dining room is intimate, the chef circulates between courses.
La Falda de Chamberi took over the historic Sylkar space in Madrid in 2024 and now bakes the official 2025 national-champion tortilla de patatas of Spain.
Signature: Tortilla de patatas, Pimientos del padron, Croquetas
Order: Tortilla de patatas (12 eggs and 3 extra yolks, no onion) cooked to a runny middle.
Tip: Reservations are wise after the 2025 championship win; lunch service from 13:30 is calmer than the dinner sitting.
La Tasqueria de Javi Estevez moved from Salamanca to Chamberi in 2024, keeping the 1-star Michelin and the brief that elevates casqueria (offal).
Signature: Cabeza de cochinillo crujiente, Sesos rebozados, Lengua estofada
Order: The cabeza de cochinillo crujiente, the sesos rebozados and the tasting menu (65 euros lunch, 95 dinner).
Tip: Book three weeks ahead for the seven-seat counter; the dining room books one week. Closed Sun-Mon.
Mision Cafe in Madrid's Conde Duque is the specialty third-wave room with house-roasted beans, a daily-changing brunch carte and a clean Scandinavian-design.
Signature drink: Single-origin filter
Tip: Open daily 09:00-20:00. The weekend brunch sets (14 to 19 euros) book up by 11:30; walk-in only.
Cafe Comercial on Glorieta de Bilbao in Madrid is the 1887-founded grand cafe, reopened in 2024 with chef Carlos Moreno on the carte. Located in Chamberi.
Signature drink: Cafe con leche
Tip: Open daily; breakfast set (cafe con leche, tostada, OJ) is the morning staple, with cocido madrileno among the weekly classics.
Panaderia Mision in Madrid's Conde Duque is the bakery-and-cafe by the Mision Cafe team since 2020, with sourdough breads, croissants and a focused brunch.
Signature drink: Cortado
Tip: Open daily 09:00-19:00. The croissant with cortado (4 euros) is the morning headline; sourdough loaves sell out by 14:00.
Mision Cafe Roasters in Madrid's Conde Duque is the specialty roastery and cafe since 2017, with house-roasted single-origin beans, a brunch counter.
Tip: Whole-bean bags (14 to 19 euros) at the counter and a brewed flat white (3.50 euros) are the morning recommendations.
Sources from: Brazil, Colombia, Ethiopia, Guatemala
How they serve: Espresso, Filter, Whole bean retail
Amor de Madre Coffee in Madrid's Chamberi is the specialty third-wave roastery cafe since 2019, with a small Probat sample roaster, house single-origin beans.
Tip: Closed Mondays. The single-origin Burundi (18 euros bag) is the staff recommendation; the V60 filter at 4.50 euros.
Sources from: Colombia, Ethiopia, Burundi
How they serve: Espresso, Filter, Whole bean retail
Vinothecvm on Calle Bravo Murillo in Madrid's Chamberi is the natural-wine bar and shop since 2018, with 150 by-the-glass references, Spanish and French.
Signature pour: Suertes del Marques from Tenerife, by the glass
Wine focus: Spanish and French natural wines
Food: Tablas, conservas
Tip: Closed Sundays. The shop is open during bar hours; bottles to take home from 18 euros and up.
Masa near Plaza de Olavide in Madrid's Chamberi is the natural-wine bar from Antonella Tignanelli since 2023, with a selected by-the-glass list of European.
Signature drink: By-the-glass natural wines
Food: Seasonal small plates, tapas
Tip: Closed Sunday and Monday. The 10-seat counter is the spot for the by-the-glass flight; vinyl-soundtracked back room from 21:00.
La Tape on Calle San Bernardo in Madrid is the wine-bar-and-tapas room since 2015, with 80 by-the-glass references, a focused daily-changing tapas pizarra.
Signature drink: By-the-glass wines
Food: Tapas, small plates
Tip: Walk-in. Closed Sundays. The corner terrace seats 14; the inside bar is the standing-room scene.
Sylkar in Madrid's Chamberi fries what many call the city's best tortilla de patatas at the family-run since-1959 taberna, with the runny center that pools.
Try: Tortilla de patatas
Tip: Walk-in. The pincho de tortilla runs 4 euros; the half-wheel for two is 12. Closed Sundays.
Panaderia Mision in Madrid's Conde Duque sells sourdough sandwiches at the counter, with daily fillings of jamon iberico, tortilla and salmorejo.
Try: Sourdough sandwich
Tip: Walk-in only at the counter. Sourdough sandwich runs 6 to 8 euros. The loaves sell out by 14:00; buy early.
La Tape on Calle San Bernardo in Madrid is the Spanish craft tap-house since 2015, with 16 rotating taps from Spanish breweries, a focused tapas carte.
Tip: Closed Sundays. Walk-in. Tasting paddle of 4 craft beers runs 10 euros; the tapas pizarra changes daily.
Mercado de Maravillas in Madrid's Tetuan district is the city's largest traditional municipal market with 200 stalls, an unmatched seafood section landed.
Tip: Closed Sundays. The seafood section runs until 14:30; the iberico counter Cantanal sells whole shoulders.
Mercado de Vallehermoso in Madrid's Chamberi is the 1933-built market hall renovated in 2019, with 50 stalls mixing the canonical fishmonger and butcher.
Tip: Closed Sundays. The Tripea ten-seat counter (book ahead) and the Peruvian cevicheria are the headline counters.
The Cooking Clubhouse in Madrid's Chamberi is the hands-on Spanish cuisine school with paella, tapas, regional Spanish and dessert workshops.
Tip: Bookings via website. Drop-in classes from 65 euros; the full paella workshop (95 euros) includes a market walk.
Mision Cafe in Madrid's Conde Duque is the specialty third-wave room with a focused brunch carte; eggs benedict, avocado toast and smashed-egg plates.
Order: Eggs benedict on house sourdough with cured Iberico
Tip: Walk-in only; the Sunday brunch fills up by 11:30. The brunch sets run 14 to 19 euros; cortado at 2.20.
Panaderia Mision in Madrid's Conde Duque is the bakery-and-brunch room by the Mision Cafe team since 2020, with house-baked sourdough toasts.
Order: House sourdough toast with Iberico jamon and tomato
Tip: Walk-in only. The sourdough-and-jamon toast plus cortado runs 10 euros; whole loaves to take home from 5 euros.
Specka on Avenida del General Peron in the Orense nightlife strip has run uninterruptedly since 1989, evolving from post-punk and EBM through trance into today's techno temple with weekly international bookings.
Tip: Friday and Saturday 23:59-06:00 only; Thursdays by appointment. Closer to the Orense club strip than to the centre; cab back is fastest after closing.
Sala Galileo Galilei on Calle de Galileo in Chamberi has run since 1985 in a former cinema with 500 capacity, programming nightly indie and Spanish-songwriter concerts plus comedy and magic.
Tip: Concerts nightly; check the calendar for the headliner. The Greek-temple decor and tight 500 capacity make it the most intimate of Madrid's mid-size rooms.
Honky Tonk on Calle de Covarrubias in Chamberi has booked rock, blues and rhythm-and-blues live every single night since 1987, with a downstairs concert hall and a pop-leaning upstairs DJ lounge.
Tip: Live concerts 365 days a year on the lower level; upstairs DJ pop lounge runs in parallel. Closed Sunday and Monday; weekdays 21:30-05:00.