40 editor picks in Madrid.
40 mid-range places in Madrid, editor-picked. the comfortable everyday-good restaurants in Madrid, with real cooking and no surprise on the bill. All Madrid food.
Hola Coffee Roasters in Madrid's Lavapies is the specialty roastery with a 15kg Loring roaster, beans sourced direct from East African and Colombian.
TipThe bag of single-origin Ethiopian beans (16 to 22 euros) is the counter recommendation; the subscription posts monthly.
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.
TipClosed Sundays. Tortilla at 13:00; the second batch comes out at 14:30. The slice runs 6 euros at the counter.
La Falda de Chamberi took over the historic Sylkar space in Madrid in 2024 and now bakes the official 2025 national-champion tortilla de patatas of Spain.
OrderTortilla de patatas (12 eggs and 3 extra yolks, no onion) cooked to a runny middle.
TipReservations are wise after the 2025 championship win; lunch service from 13:30 is calmer than the dinner sitting.
Toma Cafe Roasters in Madrid's Malasana is the city's pioneer specialty roastery since 2011, with a 12kg Probat roaster, single-origin beans from East Africa.
TipBag of single-origin beans (12 to 18 euros) and the in-house brewed pour-over (4 euros) are the counter-side bestsellers.
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.
TipBook five days ahead for weekend lunch. Closed Sundays. The tortilla de bacalao and the daily fish are the headlines.
Mision Cafe Roasters in Madrid's Conde Duque is the specialty roastery and cafe since 2017, with house-roasted single-origin beans, a brunch counter.
TipWhole-bean bags (14 to 19 euros) at the counter and a brewed flat white (3.50 euros) are the morning recommendations.
Casa Macareno is a Lavapies counter taberna with 90 percent locals; croquetas, callos and a cana run under 12 euros. Closed Mondays, cash preferred.
TipWalk-in only. Closed Mondays. Cash preferred. Croquetas, callos and a cana for under 12 euros at the counter.
Taberna La Bola near the Teatro Real in Madrid has cooked the cocido madrileno in individual clay pots over charcoal since 1870. Located in Centro.
OrderThe cocido madrileno served the three traditional volcados.
TipCocido served at lunch only; book three days ahead for weekday lunch. Cash strongly preferred. No card terminal until late 2024.
Juana La Loca on Plaza Puerta de Moros in Madrid's La Latina serves the city's most-talked-about tortilla de patata with caramelized onion, plus modern tapas.
OrderThe tortilla de patata caramelizada (pincho 4 euros, racion 14).
TipWalk-in for the bar; the dining room books three days ahead. The tortilla is sliced at the counter for the bar crowd.
Slow Cafe in Madrid's La Latina is the specialty third-wave roastery and cafe, with rotating single-origin beans from boutique European roasters.
TipClosed Mondays. Bag of beans (14 to 18 euros) at the counter; the flat white at 3.50 is the staff regular.
Chocolateria San Gines off Calle Mayor in Madrid has fried the churros con chocolate for the after-midnight crowd since 1894; the 24-hour counter still pulls.
OrderChurros con chocolate
TipWalk-in only; the post-club queue 03:00-05:00 is the busiest slot. Set of 6 churros and chocolate cup runs 4.30 euros.
Lhardy on Carrera de San Jeronimo in Madrid has poured consome from a silver urn at its downstairs counter since 1839; the post-theatre crowd still drops.
OrderConsome from the silver urn
TipWalk-in only at the downstairs counter. Consome runs 4 euros, eaten standing. Upstairs dining room closes 23:00.
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.
TipBook a week ahead for the corner alcove. Tasting menu 65 euros; carte 45 to 60 euros per head. Closed Sundays.
Mision Cafe in Madrid's Conde Duque is the specialty third-wave room with a focused brunch carte; eggs benedict, avocado toast and smashed-egg plates.
OrderEggs benedict on house sourdough with cured Iberico
TipWalk-in only; the Sunday brunch fills up by 11:30. The brunch sets run 14 to 19 euros; cortado at 2.20.
Toma Cafe in Madrid's Malasana is the city's pioneer specialty third-wave room since 2011, with house-roasted single-origin coffees, a focused brunch carte.
OrderSmashed avocado on house sourdough toast
TipWalk-in only; the weekend brunch fills up by 11:00. Flat white runs 3.50; brunch sets 12 to 16 euros.
Casa Lucio on Cava Baja in Madrid's La Latina has cooked the huevos rotos (broken eggs over fried potatoes) since 1974. Kitchen leans madrileno taberna.
OrderThe huevos rotos on a bed of fried potatoes, then a half-portion of the solomillo or the cocido.
TipBook ten days ahead by phone; Casa Lucio rarely takes online reservations. Ask for the downstairs dining room when you book.
Sala de Despiece in Madrid's Chamberi runs the room like a butcher's counter: stainless steel benches, white tiles and the meat carved in front of you.
OrderThe lomo en manteca (pork loin in lard) and the bone marrow roasted with capers. Glass of Mencia by the glass.
TipWalk-in only; arrive before 13:30 for lunch or 20:30 for dinner. The bar stools are the seats locals want.
La Carmencita on Calle Libertad in Madrid's Chueca has run the 1854 taberna under Carlos Zamora since 2014, recovering the original recipes and pouring.
OrderThe Thursday cocido madrileno, the croquetas de jamon, and a vermut de grifo before lunch.
TipCocido on Thursdays only. Book a week ahead. The terrace on Calle Libertad seats eight; the inside dining room is wood-panelled.
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.
Casa Lucas on Cava Baja in Madrid's La Latina is the modern taberna since 1997, with a focused carte of solomillo Carlitos (pork sirloin with cabrales sauce).
OrderThe solomillo Carlitos, the croquetas de jamon and the ensaladilla rusa.
TipBook five days ahead for weekend dinner. The bar at the entrance takes walk-ins for tapas; the dining room books fast.
Casa Gonzalez on Calle del Leon in Madrid's Barrio de las Letras is the 1931-founded ultramarinos (deli-and-wine-bar), with 30 by-the-glass wines and tablas.
OrderA tabla de quesos (12 euros), a plate of jamon iberico de bellota and three by-the-glass wines.
TipWalk-in only; the marble tables fill up by 13:30. Closed Sundays. The deli sells the same products to take away.
Bodegas Rosell near Atocha in Madrid has poured the vermut de grifo from oak barrels since 1920, with a marble counter, formica tables and bocadillos.
OrderA vermut de grifo (2.50 euros) and a bocadillo de calamares. A pincho de tortilla on the side.
TipWalk-in only; the counter fills up at 13:00. Cash strongly preferred at the bar. The terrace is on weekends only.
Fabrica Maravillas in Madrid's Malasana is the microbrewery that brews on-site since 2012, with 12 house taps, a hop-forward style and a clean industrial.
TipClosed Mondays. Walk-in. Tasting flight of 4 (10 euros) is the headline; the Malasana Pale Ale is the signature.
La Pirata de Malasana in central Madrid is the independent craft beer bar with 16 taps from the in-house La Pirata brewery and 40-plus guest cans and bottles.
TipClosed Sundays; the house IPAs and pastry stouts rotate weekly, and the bar takes walk-ins only.
Pez Tortilla on Cava Baja in Madrid's La Latina serves 20 variants of pincho de tortilla until 00:30 nightly (01:30 Fri-Sat), with rotating fillings.
OrderPincho de tortilla
TipWalk-in. The pincho de tortilla classico is 3 euros; the rotating special 4.50. Cana de artesana 3.50.
Casa Revuelta off Plaza Mayor in Madrid serves the bacalao rebozado until 23:00 nightly Tuesday to Sunday; the post-Plaza-Mayor crowd still piles.
OrderBacalao rebozado
TipWalk-in only at the counter. Closed Mondays. Cod sells out by 21:30 on weekend evenings; arrive earlier on Friday-Saturday.
Casa Camacho in Madrid's Malasana pours the yayo (vermut with gin and seltzer) until 01:30 nightly except Sundays; the 1928 working-class taberna still gets.
OrderYayo cocktail and tortilla
TipCash only. Walk-in only. Closed Sundays. The yayo runs 3 euros; tortilla pincho 3.
Casa Salvador, a 1941 Chueca taberna off Gran Via, slow-cooks rabo de toro for four hours; the dining room is hung with bullfighting prints.
TipBook ahead for weekend lunch. The rabo de toro (22 euros) and the merluza rebozada are the headline plates; closed Sundays.
HanSo Cafe in Madrid's Malasana is the Korean-Spanish specialty third-wave brunch room since 2015, with matcha lattes, Korean-toasted-egg plates.
OrderKorean egg toast with matcha latte
TipClosed Mondays. Walk-in only; the weekend brunch fills up by 11:00. Korean-egg toast plus matcha runs 14 euros.
Panaderia Mision in Madrid's Conde Duque is the bakery-and-brunch room by the Mision Cafe team since 2020, with house-baked sourdough toasts.
OrderHouse sourdough toast with Iberico jamon and tomato
TipWalk-in only. The sourdough-and-jamon toast plus cortado runs 10 euros; whole loaves to take home from 5 euros.
Casa Ciriaco on Calle Mayor in Madrid has served the gallina en pepitoria (hen in almond and saffron sauce) since 1929, three steps from where Alfonso XIII.
OrderThe gallina en pepitoria with rice and the callos a la madrilena. Half-bottle of house Valdepenas.
TipClosed Wednesdays. The Tuesday and Thursday cocido is the surest order; the dining room is full of regulars by 14:30.
Casa Mono in Madrid's Arguelles district is the modern taberna by chef Ramiro Vazquez, with a market-led carte of croquetas, tartares and slow-braised.
OrderThe croquetas de jamon and the carrillera estofada with potato puree. A glass of Lopez de Heredia rosado.
TipBook a week ahead for Saturday lunch; the dining room is small. Lunch menu del dia runs 22 euros weekdays.
Malacatin off Plaza de la Cebada in Madrid's La Latina has cooked the cocido madrileno in clay pots since 1895. Kitchen leans cocido madrileno specialist.
OrderThe cocido madrileno on Tuesday, Thursday or Saturday lunch. A jug of Vino de Pitarra at room temperature.
TipCocido served at lunch only, three days a week. Book five days ahead; cash strongly preferred at the bar.
Taberna Antonio Sanchez on Calle Meson de Paredes in Madrid's Lavapies has run since 1830, with bull-fighting paintings on the wall, the rabo de toro.
OrderThe rabo de toro with patatas and the callos a la madrilena. A jug of Vino de Pitarra to share.
TipClosed Sunday evenings and Mondays. Book three days ahead for the dining room; the bar takes walk-ins.
Celso y Manolo in Madrid's Chueca is the 1928-revived taberna by the Carlos Zamora group, with a vermut barrel, tortilla de patatas and croquetas at counter.
OrderA vermut de grifo (3 euros) at the bar, the croquetas (3 euros each) and the tortilla de patatas.
TipWalk-in only at the bar; the dining room takes reservations. The terrace on Calle Libertad fills up by 13:00.
Estado Puro on Plaza Canovas in Madrid is the modern-tapas room by Paco Roncero, with a clean white dining room, an open kitchen and a carte.
OrderThe patatas bravas (8 euros), the tortilla de Sacha (deconstructed in a glass) and the croquetas de jamon.
TipBook three days ahead for weekend dinner. The terrace seats 12; the inside dining room is the design-led room.
La Castela near El Retiro in Madrid is the family-run taberna behind a zinc bar, with croquetas de bacalao, pisto manchego and the daily-changing pizarra.
OrderThe croquetas de bacalao, the pisto manchego with fried egg, and a tartar de atun. Cana de Mahou.
TipBook two days ahead for weekday lunch. The bar serves the same pizarra menu standing for half the dining room price.
HanSo Cafe Roasters in Madrid's Malasana is the Korean-Spanish specialty roastery and cafe since 2015, with house-roasted beans, a focused matcha counter.
TipClosed Mondays. The bag of single-origin Ethiopian (14 euros) at the counter; matcha latte (4.50 euros) is the headline.
Casa Mingo on Paseo de la Florida in Madrid is the 1888 Asturian sidreria pouring house cider with roast chicken until midnight, every day of the week.
OrderRoast chicken plus sidra
TipWalk-in only. The 22:00-24:00 slot is the calmest; whole roast chicken 12 euros, bottle of sidra 6.
Bar La Ideal off Plaza Mayor in Madrid serves the bocadillo de calamares until 23:00 nightly; the standing-room counter crowd that takes it after the theatre.
OrderBocadillo de calamares
TipWalk-in only; cash strongly preferred. The bar fills up after 22:00 with the post-theatre crowd. Bocadillo 5.50 euros.
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...