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SpanishCentro
Garelos is a Centro Galician taberna serving pulpo a la gallega cooked over copper pots; Albarino by the bottle, lacon con grelos in season here.
Why locals goGalician taberna in Madrid's Centro with no English signage; pulpo a la gallega cooked the canonical Galician way over copper pots.
TipWalk-in or book. Closed Sundays. Pulpo a la gallega 18 euros; bottle of Albarino 18 to 25 is the canonical pair.
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SpanishLavapies
Casa Macareno is a Lavapies counter taberna with 90 percent locals; croquetas, callos and a cana run under 12 euros. Closed Mondays, cash preferred.
Why locals goCheap working-quarter taberna with 90 percent locals; counter-only and outside the centre tourist corridor, but the croquetas rival any Salamanca address.
TipWalk-in only. Closed Mondays. Cash preferred. Croquetas, callos and a cana for under 12 euros at the counter.
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SpanishChamberi
Bar Trafalgar in Chamberi serves the citys reference Madrid tortilla, sliced thick and runny at 13:00 sharp; a second batch comes out at 14:30 daily.
Why locals goPricey carte, no Plaza de Olavide signage, but the kitchen serves the city's reference Madrid tortilla, sliced thick and runny in the centre at 13:00 sharp.
TipClosed Sundays. Tortilla at 13:00; the second batch comes out at 14:30. The slice runs 6 euros at the counter.
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Tasting menuCentro
Bodega de los Secretos in Madrid: tasting menu room. 17th-century wine cellar dug under a Madrid street, with the dining room arranged across 12.
Why locals go17th-century wine cellar dug under a Madrid street, with the dining room arranged across 12 stone-vaulted alcoves and a focused Castilian carte that few tourists find.
TipBook a week ahead for the corner alcove. Tasting menu 65 euros; carte 45 to 60 euros per head. Closed Sundays.
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SpanishChamberi
Tres por Cuatro is a small 24-cover Chamberi taberna behind an unmarked door; tortilla de bacalao and a daily market pizarra anchor the local carte.
Why locals goSmall Chamberi taberna behind an unmarked door, no signage, 24-cover dining room, the tortilla de bacalao and the daily-changing market pizarra anchor the local-only carte.
TipBook five days ahead for weekend lunch. Closed Sundays. The tortilla de bacalao and the daily fish are the headlines.
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SpanishLa Latina
Casa Pepe de la Plaza is a Plaza Cebada working taberna with a 1956 zinc bar; callos a la madrilena in clay pots and vermut de grifo at 3 euros.
Why locals goPlaza Cebada working-quarter taberna locals send first-time visitors to; bullfighting prints on the wall, callos in clay pots and a 1956 zinc bar.
TipWalk-in. Cash preferred. Closed Wednesdays. The callos a la madrilena and the vermut de grifo are the working-day order.