The multi-ethnic working quarter south of Anton Martin, home to Madrid's best Indian, Senegalese and Moroccan tables, plus the Tabacalera arts squat.
El Sur in Madrid's Lavapies has cooked the steak tartare table-side, the croquetas and the pulpo a la gallega since the 1980s. Priced at €€.
Signature: Steak tartare, Pulpo a la gallega, Croquetas
Order: The steak tartare prepared on the trolley and the pulpo a la gallega. A bottle of Mencia.
Tip: Book a week ahead for weekend dinners; tables of four are easier than two. Lunch menu del dia runs 18 euros weekdays.
Taberna Antonio Sanchez on Calle Meson de Paredes in Madrid's Lavapies has run since 1830, with bull-fighting paintings on the wall, the rabo de toro.
Signature: Rabo de toro, Callos a la madrilena, Vino de Pitarra
Order: The rabo de toro with patatas and the callos a la madrilena. A jug of Vino de Pitarra to share.
Tip: Closed Sunday evenings and Mondays. Book three days ahead for the dining room; the bar takes walk-ins.
Casa Amadeo Los Caracoles on Plaza Cascorro in Madrid's Lavapies has cooked the caracoles (snails in spicy chorizo broth) for a Sunday rastro crowd.
Signature: Caracoles a la madrilena, Callos, Cocido
Order: A racion of caracoles a la madrilena (12 euros) eaten with bread, and a glass of vermut.
Tip: Walk-in only Sundays during the rastro market; very busy after 12:00. Closed Mondays. Cash preferred at the bar.
Hola Coffee on Calle Doctor Fourquet in Madrid's Lavapies is the specialty roaster-and-cafe since 2017, with beans roasted in the back, single-origin filter.
Signature drink: Espresso
Tip: Open Mon-Sat 09:00-19:00, Sunday 10:00-17:00. The bag of single-origin beans (12 to 18 euros) goes home with regulars.
El Pan de la Tia Javiera in Madrid's Lavapies is the artisan bakery since 2014, with sourdough breads, traditional Manchego pan rustico and a daily-changing.
Tip: Closed Sundays. Whole loaves run 4 to 7 euros; the focaccia (3 euros per slice) sells out by 14:00.
Worth the queue: Pan rustico
Hola Coffee Roasters in Madrid's Lavapies is the specialty roastery with a 15kg Loring roaster, beans sourced direct from East African and Colombian.
Tip: The bag of single-origin Ethiopian beans (16 to 22 euros) is the counter recommendation; the subscription posts monthly.
Sources from: Ethiopia, Kenya, Colombia
How they serve: Espresso, Filter, Whole bean retail, Subscription
La Fisna on Calle Amparo in Madrid's Lavapies is the natural-and-biodynamic wine bar since 2014, with 120 by-the-glass references and a focused.
Signature pour: Comando G by the glass
Wine focus: Natural and biodynamic Spanish wines
Food: Tapas, small plates
Tip: Closed Sun-Mon. The by-the-glass list rotates daily; the pizarra changes by season. Owner Antonio pours personally.
Casa Amadeo Los Caracoles on Plaza Cascorro in Madrid's Lavapies has cooked the caracoles (snails in spicy chorizo broth) for the Sunday rastro crowd.
Try: Caracoles a la madrilena
Tip: Walk-in only. Closed Mondays. Cash preferred. Racion of caracoles (12 euros) with bread; Sunday rastro hours are busiest.
Bar El Jamon north of Lavapies in Madrid is the working-quarter taberna for gallinejas (fried lamb intestine) and entresijos, the offal canon street-eat.
Try: Gallinejas and entresijos
Tip: Walk-in only. Cash preferred. Bocadillo de gallinejas 5 to 6 euros; racion 8.
Bar El Jamon in Madrid's Lavapies-adjacent Chamberi runs the working-quarter offal canon, with bocadillos de gallinejas under 6 euros, a racion of entresijos.
Try: Bocadillo de gallinejas
Tip: Walk-in only. Cash preferred. The bocadillo de gallinejas runs 5 to 6 euros; entresijos racion 8.
Casa Amadeo Los Caracoles on Plaza Cascorro in Madrid's Lavapies has cooked the caracoles in spicy chorizo broth since 1942, a racion serves two for 12 euros.
Try: Caracoles a la madrilena
Tip: Walk-in only Sundays during the rastro market. Cash preferred. Closed Mondays. Sundays 12:00-16:00 is the local hour.
Sala Villanos on Calle de Bernardino Obregon in Embajadores is the rebrand of the historic Sala Caracol flamenco temple, now programming jazz, flamenco, funk, disco, soul, hip-hop and rock concerts.
Tip: Ticketed concerts most weekends; the cantaora-and-flamenco legacy still drives the programme. Embajadores L3 is the metro; arrive before doors for the bar queue.