-
$$$$ | |
Never has an open kitchen in Madrid been so mesmerizing: at Cadaqués, black-clad cooks tend to rows of paella pans sizzling over pluming orange wood embers and flip Flintstones-worthy steaks and whole fish licked by open flame. It feels like the type of rustic experience you'd encounter at the Mediterranean seaside, but Cadaqués sits squarely on Jorge Juan, Madrid's poshest street. Achieving that transportive vibe was no small feat: the chef spent months fishing and cooking with seafaring communities along the coast prior to writing the menu, which features all sorts of pristine shellfish and raw-bar dishes in addition to the standout rice and grilled meat and fish preparations.
Calle de Jorge Juan 35, Madrid, 28001, Spain
Known For
- Best rice dishes in town
- A slice of the Levant in Madrid
- Refined Mediterranean decor with well-heeled clientele to match
-
$ | |
Casa Dani is a legendary bar in Mercado de la Paz whose tortilla de patata (potato omelet) is easily the best in town, and perhaps the country (if first place in the National Spanish Omelet Championship of 2019 is any indication). Each hefty wedge is packed with caramelized onions and served hot and slightly runny. Adventurous eaters should opt for the con callos version, topped with spicy tripe. The €13 prix fixe, which hinges on market ingredients, is a great lunch deal if you're not in a rush (prepare for long lines to be seated).
Calle de Ayala 28 (also Calle de Lagasca 49), Madrid, 28001, Spain
Known For
- Possibly world's best tortilla española
- Value prix-fixe lunch
- Long lines that are worth the wait
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Sun. No dinner
-
$$$$ | |
This low-ceiling dining room filled with plush armchairs, starched white tablecloths, and colorful bouquets is a welcoming spot to feast on refined Asturian dishes like sea urchin gratin, morels stuffed with truffled foie gras, pheasant with braised green beans, and suckling lamb confit. Weather permitting, you can request a patio table to watch Madrid's one percent parade down Calle de Jorge Juan. For power lunches and special-occasion meals, El Paraguas delivers every time.
Calle de Jorge Juan 16, Madrid, 28001, Spain
Known For
- Haute Asturian cuisine
- Romantic dining room and terrace
- Fantastic seafood
-
$ | |
Of all the marvelous bakeries in Madrid, Panem (take-out only) is the most technically skilled, churning out impeccable croissants, baguettes, and a wide range of Spanish and French pastries including Kouign-ammans, roscones (Three Kings cakes), and torrijas (Spanish "French" toast).
Calle de Fernán González 42, Madrid, Spain
Known For
- Ultra-flaky French pastries
- Sourdough breads made from specialty flours
- Three blocks from El Retiro
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Sun. and Mon.
-
$$$$ | |
Cocido madrileño, Madrid's quintessential boiled dinner of rich consommé, butter-soft chickpeas, and some half-dozen cuts of meat, is the must-order item at this Salamanca institution, especially in the winter, when temperatures plummet. The wooden straight-back chairs, kitschy cotton bibs, and walls hung with black-and-white photos belie the fact that this lunch-only restaurant opened just two decades ago, but one taste of its famous cocido, and you might as well be at an abuela's kitchen table.
Calle de Padilla 54, Madrid, 28006, Spain
Known For
- Cocido madrileño served in three courses
- Old-timey interiors
- Warm service
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: No dinner
-
Recommended Fodor’s Video
-
-
$$$$ | Salamanca |
Locals flock to Casa Carola for one dish, cocido madrileño, Madrid's famous boiled dinner whose roots can be traced to a medieval Sephardic stew called adafina. Served ritualistically in three courses, or vuelcos—broth, then chickpeas and vegetables, then meats—it's an essential Madrid experience, especially in the cold-weather months. Madrid has several famous cocido restaurants, but Casa Carola stands out for its ultrabuttery garbanzos, nostalgic decor (think black-and-white photos and old newspaper clippings), and service with panache. Tie on your starched cloth bib and prepare to feast. Lunch only.
Calle de Padilla 54, Madrid, Madrid, 28006, Spain
Known For
- Cocido madrileño served in three courses
- Old-timey interiors
- Warm service
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: No dinner. Closed mid-June–mid-Sept.
-
$$$ | |
Cinco Jotas ibérico ham is a sight to behold: translucent and shimmering like shards of red stained glass, a shade darker than prosciutto and twice as fragrant. That's because this famous producer uses only 100% purebred, acorn-fed Iberian hogs. Let the master ham cutters at this swanky indoor-outdoor restaurant guide you to porcine nirvana with a gorgeous charcuterie plate paired perfectly with a glass of bone-dry fino sherry.
Calle de Serrano 118, Madrid, 28006, Spain
Known For
- The Rolls Royce of jamón
- Tranquil and elegant patio
- Ibérico pork dishes beyond just ham
-
$ | |
Rialto's famous moscovitas, slightly salty almond-toffee wafers coated in chocolate, are one of Madrid's most delectable confections. Moscovitas are also sold at some El Corte Inglés locations.
Calle de Núñez de Balboa 86, Madrid, Spain
Known For
- Retro feel
- Traditional Spanish pastries
- Famous toffee cookies
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Sun.
-
$$$ | |
Owned by the proprietors of one the best fish markets in town, Pescaderías Coruñesas, this seafood restaurant with a warm modern interior welcomes guests with an impressive window display of fresh seafood—red and white prawns, Kumamoto oysters, goose barnacles, and the renowned Galician Carril clams are just some of what you might see. Fish (including turbot, sole, grouper, and sea bass) is cooked to your liking in the oven, on the grill, in a pan with garlic, or battered and fried.
Calle de José Ortega y Gasset 75, Madrid, 28006, Spain
Known For
- Extravagant seafood displays
- Dayboat fish
- Crisp Galician wines
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Sun.
-
$$ | |
This Andalusian taberna evokes the raucous energy and down-home cuisine of that sunny region. Start with pescaíto frito, a mix of seafood that's lightly fried and served with lemon halves, before moving on to more substantial dishes like the peeled tomato salad topped with oil-cured tuna belly (easily one of the best salads in town) and whole roasted fish and braised meats. There are two other locations, both in Salamanca, at Avenida de Camilo José Cela 11 and Calle del Doctor Gómez Ulla 6.
Calle de Don Ramón de la Cruz 88, Madrid, 28006, Spain
Known For
- Andalusian joie de vivre
- Tomato and tuna salad
- Complimentary tapas with drinks
-
-
$$ | |
La Tasquería draws restaurant industry pros and food writers with its bold menu revolving around off-cuts like liver, kidneys, tripe, and tongue—onetime staples of the Spanish diet that fell out of favor but are now getting a modern makeover. Even the squeamish should consider ordering delectable dishes like ravioli filled with lamb sweetbreads, and cod tripe fideuà (pasta "paella").
Calle del Duque de Sesto 48, Madrid, 28009, Spain
Known For
- Offal everything
- Good-value €55 tasting menu
- Craft beers and sherries
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Mon. No dinner Sun.
-
$$$ | |
Hand-rolled pastas, craveable vegetable dishes, and reimagined Italian classics keep Salamanca prepsters pouring in night after night. Wow your date, boss—or simply your hungry self—with dishes like leeks and cockles swimming in saffron cream, tagliatelle tossed in arugula ragù, and crunchy broccoli and beef lasagna. Don't skip dessert: the cocoa-dusted tiramisu orb is the stuff of foodies' dreams (and, shh, Italian nonnas' nightmares).
Calle de Recoletos 6, Madrid, 28001, Spain
Known For
- Inventive Italian cooking
- Salamanca hot spot
- Colorful Instagram-ready interiors
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Sun. and Mon.
-
$ | |
Catalan chef Oriol Balaguer takes chocolates and croissants to new heights at this ritzy bombonería, whose attractive treats make phenomenal gifts—or afternoon pick-me-ups.
Calle de José Ortega y Gasset 44, Madrid, Spain
Known For
- Chichi clientele
- Chocolate lover's dream
- Ultra-flaky croissants
-
$ | |
After browsing the art collection at the Lázaro Galdiano, walk north a block to reach this charming café suited to both working and schmoozing. There are sandwiches, chia bowls, smoothies, and pastries on the menu, in addition to teas and the usual coffee drinks. The handful of wooden tables fill up fast at brunch on weekends.
Calle de María de Molina 24, Madrid, 28006, Spain
Known For
- Affordable brunch
- Well-made coffee and tea
- Laptop-friendly
-
$$$ | |
This "gin bar" helped start the Spanish gin-tónic craze of the late 1980s, and though perhaps not as avant-garde as it once was, the quality of food and drinks is consistently fantastic. Grab a cocktail at one of the wooden high-tops in the bar area, or sit down for a soup-to-nuts dinner in the classy dining room at the back—just remember to book a table weeks, if not months, in advance. The menu is long and eclectic with Asturian standouts such as fried rice with zamburiñas (queen scallops), roasted octopus, and verdinas (baby favas) with quail.
Calle de Ayala 6, Madrid, 28001, Spain
Known For
- Expertly made gin-tónics
- Memorable gastro-bar fare
- Hand-cut jamón ibérico
-
