Madrid Restaurants

Besides the up-to-date restaurants that have every dish under the sun, Madrid has a few famous old restaurants, some having been around for over 200 years.

Local cuisine

A typical regional dish to enjoy is cocido madrileño (Madrid stew), a stew of chickpeas, vegetables, chicken, beef and pork. Sopa de Ajo (garlic soup), caracoles (snails), tortilla de patatas (potato omelette), besugo al horno (baked bream) are also typical dishes of the capital, in which bacalao (cod) is the main ingredient.

Tapas is an old gastronomic tradition. The city centre around Peurta del Sol, Plaza Mayor and Plaza Santa Ana is known for its tapas bar variety. The streets around the Plaza Santa Ana, a five-minute walk from the Prado, are densely packed with all kinds of bars and restaurants.

Where to eat

There are traditional restaurants around the Plaza Mayor, La Latina and Lavapiés, with an appealing mixture of old-fashioned eating places and new, hip, small tapas bars and cafés, particularly in the delightful Plaza de la Paja. Madrid is also a paradise for fish lovers and the Ribeira do Miño restaurant in Santa Brigida specialises in seafood that’s good value for money.

Chueca and Malasaña have better bars and clubs than restaurants, with everything from cheap, late-night places to dozens of stylish, more expensive places to eat. But Madrid’s very best restaurants are tucked away in Salamanca, while the area between Sol and Opera has a variety of good restaurants for those interested in other types of Spanish food.

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