The bocadillo de calamares is Madrid's defining sandwich: battered squid rings on a fresh bread roll, a slice of lemon on the side, eaten standing at a Plaza Mayor counter at 13:00 with a cana.

The bocadillo de calamares emerged in Madrid in the 1950s, when Galician and Cantabrian migrants brought their squid traditions to the city; the Madrileno taberneros turned the fried calamares into a sandwich for the standing-room counter trade. The dish became canonical in the bars around Plaza Mayor, particularly along Calle Botoneras and Calle Postas. The squid is dredged in flour (no batter beyond), fried in olive oil at high heat for 90 seconds, and slid hot into a fresh roll. Lemon is essential; mayonnaise is the modern liberal touch. The Plaza Mayor counters (Bar La Ideal, Casa Puerto Rico, Casa Jose) still anchor the tradition; the dish remains under 6 euros at every working counter.

3 editor picks for Bocadillo de calamares in Madrid, ranked by editorial score. All Madrid signature dishes · Bocadillo de calamares across every city.