The 19th-century grid uptown, Madrid's bourgeois quarter where Goya, Ortega y Gasset and Velazquez streets host the fine-dining canon and the jamoneria flagships.
Jurucha on Calle Ayala in Madrid's Barrio de Salamanca has run the same-family barra of more than 60 Donostiarra-style pinchos since 1962, with the gildas.
OrderA round of gildas, the tortilla de patata, and whichever fish canape the bar shows today. A cana of Mahou.
TipStand at the barra; sit-down tables miss the point. Closed Sundays and holidays. Cash and card accepted; pinchos charged per piece.
El Pescador on Ortega y Gasset in Madrid's Salamanca has sourced Galician seafood from Pescaderias Coruñesas since 1975, with the live-tank centollo.
OrderA centollo (spider crab) from the live tank and the pulpo a la gallega. A glass of Albarino from Rias Baixas.
TipBook five days ahead for weekend dinner. The bar opens 12:30 onward and is the easier door at lunch; the dining room is closed Sundays.
Casa Dani inside Mercado de la Paz in Madrid's Salamanca has cooked the tortilla de patatas (sliced thick, runny in the centre) for 40 years.
OrderThe pincho de tortilla de patatas (2 euros) and the menu del dia (13 euros weekdays).
TipWalk-in only; arrive before 13:30 or expect a queue. Cash preferred at the bar; card accepted in the dining room.
El Pescador on Calle Jose Ortega y Gasset in Madrid's Salamanca has cooked Galician seafood since 1976, with a live tank of shellfish and the rape (monkfish).
OrderPulpo a la gallega (24 euros), almejas a la marinera and a half-bottle of Albarino from Rias Baixas.
TipBook five days ahead for weekend dinner. The marble counter seats 8; the dining room is wood-panelled and formal.
El Doble on Calle Ponzano in Madrid is the cana doble (double-pour beer in tall glasses) headline counter, with sharp Mahou and short-cellar wines.
OrderA cana doble (3.50 euros) at the bar with boquerones en vinagre and a pincho de tortilla.
TipWalk-in only. Standing room at the bar. Cash strongly preferred. The terrace is on weekends only.
East Crema Coffee Hermosilla in Madrid's Salamanca is the larger second outpost of the East Crema roastery, with a wide counter for the V60 and espresso bar.
DrinkFilter coffee from East Crema roast
TipOpen daily 08:00 (09:00 weekends) to 20:00. The 11.50-euro brunch set (coffee, juice, toast, pastry) is served until 13:00.
Levaduramadre on Calle Lagasca in Madrid's Salamanca is the artisan sourdough bakery chain founded in 2014, with rye, spelt and white sourdoughs.
Worth the queuePan de centeno
TipThe Salamanca flagship has a cafe counter. Whole loaves run 5 to 8 euros; the pan de centeno sells out by 13:00.
Supreme Coffee in Madrid's Salamanca is the specialty roastery and bean-retail cafe since 2020, with a clean white interior, beans-of-the-week from East.
BeansColombia, Ethiopia, Kenya
BrewsEspresso, Filter, Whole bean retail, Subscription
TipClosed Sundays. The single-origin Kenya AA (22 euros bag) is the headline retail; espresso 1.80 at the counter.
Vinos Jose Pascual on Calle Castello in Madrid's Salamanca is the wine-bar-and-shop since 1948, with 350 references on the cellar, 25 by-the-glass and tablas.
PourTempranillo from Ribera del Duero, by the glass
WineSpanish wines, 350 references
FoodTablas, conservas
TipClosed Mondays. The by-the-glass list rotates weekly; ask the staff for the current Ribera del Duero recommendations.
El Jardin Secreto in Madrid's Conde Duque is the rooftop garden bar at the Hotel Innside Madrid, with views over Plaza Comendadoras, a vermut programme.
DrinkVermut tonic
FoodTapas, small plates
TipOpen April to October only. Walk-in until 21:00, reservation required after. The vermut tonic (8 euros) is the headline.
La Cibeles is the Madrid craft brewery founded in 2010, with the flagship Cibeles Premium Lager poured at over 100 Madrid taprooms. Located in Salamanca.
TipClosed Sundays. Walk-in. Cana of Cibeles Premium runs 3 euros; the wood-fired pizzas are the pairing carte.
Mercado de la Paz in Madrid's Salamanca is the 1882 neighbourhood market that hosts Casa Dani's reference tortilla counter, plus 50 stalls of fresh produce.
TipClosed Sundays. The Casa Dani tortilla counter inside is the headline; arrive before 13:30 to skip the queue.
Apunto Centro Cultural del Gusto on Calle Hortaleza in Madrid is the cooking school and bookshop since 1999, with classes on Spanish regional cuisines.
TipBookings via website. The cocido madrileno workshop runs once a month (110 euros, 4 hours including lunch).
Casa Dani in Mercado de la Paz in Madrid has cooked the city's most-talked-about tortilla de patatas for 40 years; the pincho runs 2 euros and the menu del.
TryPincho de tortilla, menu del dia
TipWalk-in only. Closed Sundays. The pincho de tortilla at 2 euros is the cheapest tortilla in Madrid; menu del dia under 13.
East Crema Coffee Hermosilla in Madrid's Salamanca is the specialty-coffee-and-brunch room from the East Crema roaster, with a spacious counter.
OrderBrunch set with specialty coffee and house pastry
TipWalk-in only. Brunch runs until 13:00 daily; the 11.50-euro set (coffee, juice, toast, pastry) is the order.
Goya Social Club on Calle de Goya in Salamanca runs an electronic-leaning club with a capacity around 350, programming house, deep house, tech-house, techno and vinyl-led disco and funk sets.
TipDoors Thu to Sat from 00:00-06:00; reservations through the website skip the queue. Velazquez or Goya L4 L2 are the nearest metros.
Fenomeno on Calle de Recoletos in Salamanca is a 400 square metre hi-fi listening bar inspired by Japanese Jazz Kissa, with two DJ booths, multiple bars and an 80s and 90s funk and disco programme.
TipOpen every day 17:00-04:00; weekends fill quickly. Reservation through the venue site helps at peak. The vinyl room is the back lounge.
Guided tour · 3h 30m
Enjoy incredible local tapas and a fun, informative, private or shared walking tour of Madrid’s historic city center. Discover how the city’s food and history go together.
Guided tour · 3 hours
Enjoy a delicious initiation to Spanish cuisine at the small, family-owned eateries Madrid locals know and love best.
4 hours
Get immersed in Spanish food culture with a hands-on cooking class led by local chefs. Choose between a paella class with a market visit in the morning or a tapas clas...
.jpg){kind=link}