40 editor picks in Madrid.
40 cheap eats places in Madrid, editor-picked. the best low-budget spots in Madrid: the places editors actually return to. All Madrid food.
Panic on Calle Conde Duque in Madrid's Malasana is the city's reference sourdough bakery since 2015 by chef Javier Marca, with 24-hour fermented breads.
TipOpen Tue-Sun; closed Monday. Whole loaves (4 to 9 euros) sell out by 13:00; arrive early or order ahead by phone.
Toma Cafe on Calle de la Palma in Madrid's Malasana is the city's first specialty third-wave room since 2011, with single-origin beans roasted in-house.
TipOpen Mon-Fri 08:00-19:00, weekends 09:00-19:00. The weekend brunch (12 to 16 euros) fills up by 11:00.
Casa Mira on Carrera de San Jeronimo in Madrid has made the turron de Jijona by hand since 1842, opened by Luis Mira after he moved from Jijona to Madrid.
TipClosed Sundays. Cash preferred. The Christmas-season queue forms in November; turron sold all year, polvorones in autumn. Closed July-August.
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.
TipOpen daily 09:00-20:00. The weekend brunch sets (14 to 19 euros) book up by 11:30; walk-in only.
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.
TipOpen 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.
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.
La Mallorquina on Puerta del Sol in Madrid has sold the napolitana de crema (custard-filled puff pastry) since 1894. Open daily 09:00-21:00.
TipWalk-in only; the counter fills up by 09:30. Cash strongly preferred at the counter. The upstairs cafe takes seated customers.
Antigua Pasteleria del Pozo on Calle del Pozo near Puerta del Sol is Madrid's 1830-founded oldest bakery, run by the heirs of Julian Leal Charle since 1900.
TipClosed weekends. Cash preferred. The hojaldres are the signature; torrijas during Holy Week are the seasonal headline.
HanSo Cafe in Madrid's Malasana is the Korean-Spanish specialty room since 2015, with matcha lattes, single-origin filter coffees and a small carte of brunch.
TipOpen Tue-Sun 09:30-20:00; closed Monday. The matcha latte (4.50 euros) and the avocado toast are the morning headlines.
Slow Cafe in Madrid's La Latina is the specialty third-wave room with a focused pour-over carte, in-house pastries and a clean concrete dining room.
TipOpen Tue-Sun. The pour-over filter (4 to 4.50 euros) is the staff's first recommendation; flat white is 3.50.
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.
OrderTortilla de patatas
TipWalk-in. The pincho de tortilla runs 4 euros; the half-wheel for two is 12. Closed Sundays.
Casa Mira on Carrera de San Jeronimo has produced turron (soft-and-hard almond-and-honey brick) since 1855, with the marble counter and the original.
OrderTurron de Jijona
TipCash preferred. Closed Sundays. Turron runs 15 to 28 euros per kilo; smaller portions sold by weight.
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.
OrderPincho 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.
Casa Labra near Puerta del Sol in Madrid has fried the bacalao rebozado in iron pans since 1860; the PSOE was founded upstairs in 1879. Located in Centro.
OrderA pincho of bacalao rebozado (1.30 euros) and a tajada de bacalao (boiled and seasoned salt cod) with a cana.
TipWalk-in only at the bar; the inside dining room takes reservations for lunch. Cash strongly preferred.
Levaduramadre on Calle Lagasca in Madrid's Salamanca is the artisan sourdough bakery chain founded in 2014, with rye, spelt and white sourdoughs.
TipThe Salamanca flagship has a cafe counter. Whole loaves run 5 to 8 euros; the pan de centeno sells out by 13:00.
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.
TipOpen daily; breakfast set (cafe con leche, tostada, OJ) is the morning staple, with cocido madrileno among the weekly classics.
Bianchi Kiosko Caffe in Madrid's Malasana is the Italian-Spanish corner cafe pouring proper Bianchi-roasted espresso, with a four-stool counter.
TipOpen Tue-Sun 09:00-20:00; closed Monday. The cornetto with espresso runs 3.50 euros; standing room at the counter.
Chocolateria San Gines off Calle Mayor in Madrid has fried the churros con chocolate for the after-midnight crowd since 1894. Located in Centro.
OrderChurros con chocolate
TipWalk-in only. Set of 6 churros and a thick chocolate cup (4.30 euros). The 03:00-05:00 slot is the post-club rush.
Casa Labra near Puerta del Sol in Madrid has fried the bacalao rebozado (salt cod in light batter) at its counter since 1860. Located in Centro.
OrderBacalao rebozado
TipWalk-in only at the counter. Pincho de bacalao (1.30 euros) and a cana. Cash strongly preferred.
Casa Labra near Puerta del Sol in Madrid fries the bacalao rebozado at its 1860-founded counter, with the pincho de bacalao still under 2 euros.
OrderPincho de bacalao
TipWalk-in only at the counter. Cash preferred. Bacalao plus cana under 4 euros; the dining room runs more expensive.
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.
OrderChurros con chocolate
TipWalk-in only. Open 24 hours daily. Cash and card. The 03:00-05:00 post-club slot has the fastest queue.
Casa Revuelta off Plaza Mayor in Madrid has fried the bacalao rebozado (battered cod) to standing-room counters since 1924. Located in Centro.
OrderBacalao rebozado at the counter (5 euros per piece) with a cana. Add the callos in winter.
TipWalk-in only; the bar fills up after 13:00. Order at the counter; cash is the default though card now accepted.
Casa Camacho in Madrid's Malasana has poured the yayo (vermut with gin and seltzer, served from height) since 1928. Kitchen leans madrileno taberna.
OrderA yayo cocktail (3 euros) at the bar, boquerones en vinagre and a tortilla pincho. Round of cana.
TipCash only. Walk-in only. Closed Sundays. The bar is tiny; arrive before 13:30 or after 21:30 to find space.
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.
OrderA racion of caracoles a la madrilena (12 euros) eaten with bread, and a glass of vermut.
TipWalk-in only Sundays during the rastro market; very busy after 12:00. Closed Mondays. Cash preferred at the bar.
Bodega de la Ardosa in Madrid's Malasana has poured the vermut de grifo since 1892 from the 30-foot zinc bar, with salmorejo, tortilla de patatas.
OrderVermut de grifo (2.50 euros), a slice of tortilla de patatas, salmorejo. Crawl in via the back door.
TipWalk-in only; the back room takes 8 people max. The historic main bar fills up at 13:00; cash preferred.
Confiteria La Campana off Plaza Mayor in Madrid is the original bocadillo de calamares counter since 1956, with the squid rings fried in a small kitchen.
TipWalk-in only; counter open daily until late. Cash preferred. The bocadillo (5 euros) is the only headline order.
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.
TipOpen daily 09:00-19:00. The croissant with cortado (4 euros) is the morning headline; sourdough loaves sell out by 14:00.
Casa Revuelta off Plaza Mayor in Madrid has fried the bacalao rebozado in iron pans since 1924. Located in Centro. Open tue-sun 11:00-16:00 and 19:30-23:00.
OrderBacalao rebozado
TipWalk-in only at the counter. Closed Mondays. Cash preferred. The cana doble runs 3 euros next to the cod.
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.
OrderCaracoles a la madrilena
TipWalk-in only. Closed Mondays. Cash preferred. Racion of caracoles (12 euros) with bread; Sunday rastro hours are busiest.
Panaderia Mision in Madrid's Conde Duque sells sourdough sandwiches at the counter, with daily fillings of jamon iberico, tortilla and salmorejo.
OrderSourdough sandwich
TipWalk-in only at the counter. Sourdough sandwich runs 6 to 8 euros. The loaves sell out by 14:00; buy early.
Casa Camacho in Madrid's Malasana has run the 1928 working-class taberna since its founding, with yayo cocktails for 3 euros, tortilla pincho 3.
OrderYayo cocktail and tortilla
TipCash only. Closed Sundays. Walk-in only at the standing-room bar.
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.
OrderBacalao rebozado por unidad
TipWalk-in only at the counter. Cash preferred. Closed Mondays. Cod sells out by 15:30 on weekends.
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.
OrderCaracoles a la madrilena
TipWalk-in only Sundays during the rastro market. Cash preferred. Closed Mondays. Sundays 12:00-16:00 is the local hour.
Casa Mingo on Paseo de la Florida in Madrid is the Asturian sidreria since 1888, serving roast chicken and natural cider poured from height.
OrderA whole roast chicken (12 euros) and a bottle of sidra natural poured from arm's length.
TipWalk-in only; arrive before 13:30 or after 22:00 to skip the queue. Pollo and a bottle of sidra for 18 euros per person.
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.
Horno de San Onofre in Madrid's Gran Via is the 1972-founded panaderia and pasteleria with the canonical rosquillas de San Isidro (May festival ring.
TipClosed Sundays. The rosquillas de San Isidro (10 euros per box) appear from late April to early June.
Federal Cafe on Plaza de las Comendadoras in Madrid's Conde Duque is the Australian-style all-day brunch room since 2014, with avocado toast.
TipOpen daily 09:00-22:00. The weekend brunch (15 to 22 euros) fills up by 11:30; walk-in only, no reservations.
Cafe Gijon on Paseo de Recoletos in Madrid is the 1888-founded literary cafe that hosted the post-civil-war tertulia (literary discussion circle) of Cela.
TipOpen daily 07:30-01:30. The breakfast set runs 6 euros; the terrace under the trees is the seat to book in summer.
Bar La Ideal off Plaza Mayor in Madrid is the bocadillo de calamares counter where battered squid rings on a fresh roll define the Madrileno working-day.
OrderBocadillo de calamares
TipWalk-in only at the counter. Bocadillo (5.50 euros) with a slice of lemon and a cana. Cash preferred at the bar.
Mercado de San Miguel in Madrid serves the gilda tapa (anchovy, olive and guindilla pepper on a stick) at 12 different counters, the Basque-origin pintxo.
OrderGilda tapas
TipGilda tapas run 2 to 3 euros each at every counter; pair with a glass of Txakoli from Casa Real Andaluza.
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...