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 dia stays at 13 euros for three courses.
Tip: Walk-in only. Closed Sundays. The pincho de tortilla at 2 euros is the cheapest tortilla in Madrid; menu del dia under 13.
Address: Calle Ayala 28, 28001 Madrid
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 for 18 euros, with no service charge.
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 under 10 euros at the standing-room bar.
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 working-day lunch under 7 euros at the standing-room bar.
Try: Bacalao rebozado por unidad
Tip: Walk-in only at the counter. Cash preferred. Closed Mondays. Cod sells out by 15:30 on weekends.
El Tigre in Madrid's Chueca pours large jarras of cana with free heaped plates of bravas, croquetas, oreja and jamon at the standing-room counter, every drink coming with a full free plate of tapas.
Try: Free tapas with jarra
Tip: Cash only. Walk-in only at the bar; no table service. A jarra of cana for 5 euros gets a full free plate of tapas.
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.
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, the cheapest 24-hour breakfast in the centre.
Try: Churros con chocolate
Tip: Walk-in only. Open 24 hours daily. Cash and card. The 03:00 to 05:00 post-club slot has the fastest queue.
