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. The room is wood-panelled and the menu runs the Spanish canon.
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 on the menu and the original zinc bar untouched.
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 since 1942. Three generations still run it.
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. Add the callos in winter.
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 and the city's strongest pour-over carte.
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 focaccia counter.
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 producers, plus a subscription bean service since 2017.
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 Paca Cafe in Madrid's Lavapies is the specialty third-wave roastery and cafe since 2018, with a clean concrete interior, house-roasted beans and a focused weekday brunch counter.
Tip: Closed Mondays. Bag of beans (14 to 17 euros) at the counter; cortado at 2.20 euros is the morning regular order.
Sources from: Colombia, Brazil, Ethiopia
How they serve: Espresso, Filter, Whole bean retail
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 daily-changing pizarra of seasonal plates.
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 since 1942. The recipe still uses 12 spices.
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.
El Rey de Gallinejas in Madrid's Embajadores quarter is the working-quarter taberna for gallinejas (fried lamb intestine) and entresijos (fried lamb-belly fat), the offal canon that defined the Madrileno cheap eat since 1947.
Try: Gallinejas and entresijos
Tip: Walk-in only. Cash preferred. Closed Mondays. Racion of gallinejas runs 8 euros; entresijos 6 euros.
El Rey de Gallinejas in Madrid's Embajadores quarter serves the offal cheap-eat canon (fried lamb intestine and lamb-belly fat) at 6 to 8 euros per racion, the working-quarter Madrileno lunch since 1947.
Try: Gallinejas y entresijos
Tip: Walk-in only. Cash preferred. Closed Mondays. The racion of gallinejas with patatas runs 10 euros under all conditions.
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, eaten with bread at the standing-room bar.
Try: Caracoles a la madrilena
Tip: Walk-in only Sundays during the rastro market. Cash preferred. Closed Mondays. Sundays 12:00 to 16:00 is the local hour.