The fastest, cheapest, frequently best food on Madrid's streets.
Vendors, food trucks and stalls: the cheapest, fastest, frequently best food in Madrid.
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.
Try: Bocadillo de calamares
Tip: Walk-in only at the counter. Bocadillo (5.50 euros) with a slice of lemon and a cana. Cash preferred at the bar.
Chocolateria San Gines off Calle Mayor in Madrid has fried the churros con chocolate for the after-midnight crowd since 1894. Located in Centro.
Try: Churros con chocolate
Tip: Walk-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.
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.
Try: Gilda tapas
Tip: Gilda tapas run 2 to 3 euros each at every counter; pair with a glass of Txakoli from Casa Real Andaluza.
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.
Try: Bacalao rebozado
Tip: Walk-in only at the counter. Pincho de bacalao (1.30 euros) and a cana. Cash strongly preferred.
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.
Try: Bacalao rebozado
Tip: Walk-in only at the counter. Closed Mondays. Cash preferred. The cana doble runs 3 euros next to the cod.
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.
Try: Tortilla de patatas
Tip: Walk-in. The pincho de tortilla runs 4 euros; the half-wheel for two is 12. Closed Sundays.
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.
Try: Caracoles a la madrilena
Tip: Walk-in only. Closed Mondays. Cash preferred. Racion of caracoles (12 euros) with bread; Sunday rastro hours are busiest.
Casa Toni near Sol in Madrid is the offal-counter taberna for oreja a la plancha (grilled pig's ear, crispy and tender), with the offal canon (callos.
Try: Oreja a la plancha
Tip: Cash only. Walk-in only at the standing-room bar. The oreja a la plancha (6 euros) is the headline; vermut beforehand.
Bar El Jamon north of Lavapies in Madrid is the working-quarter taberna for gallinejas (fried lamb intestine) and entresijos, the offal canon street-eat.
Try: Gallinejas and entresijos
Tip: Walk-in only. Cash preferred. Bocadillo de gallinejas 5 to 6 euros; racion 8.
Rosales on Calle Echegaray in Madrid is the standing-room tapas counter where the Basque-origin gilda (anchovy, olive, guindilla on a stick) anchors.
Try: Gilda tapas
Tip: Walk-in. Gilda tapas run 2 euros each; pair with vermut. The bar fills up at 20:30 weekend evenings.
Panaderia Mision in Madrid's Conde Duque sells sourdough sandwiches at the counter, with daily fillings of jamon iberico, tortilla and salmorejo.
Try: Sourdough sandwich
Tip: Walk-in only at the counter. Sourdough sandwich runs 6 to 8 euros. The loaves sell out by 14:00; buy early.
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.
Try: Turron de Jijona
Tip: Cash preferred. Closed Sundays. Turron runs 15 to 28 euros per kilo; smaller portions sold by weight.