Madrid is a city that lives in its bars. The cooking is hearty and Castilian – stews, roasts, fried snacks – and the best way to eat is to move from bar to bar with a drink and a small plate. Here is what to order, and where.
Madrid classics
Cocido madrileño
The great Madrid dish: chickpeas, beef, chicken, pork belly, chorizo, morcilla and vegetables, cooked slowly for hours. It comes in three “vuelcos”: first the broth with fine noodles, then the chickpeas and vegetables, then the meats. A winter lunch, best on a cold day.
Bocadillo de calamares
Fried squid rings in a crusty roll – simple, and a Madrid institution. The bars around the Plaza Mayor are the classic place to try it.
Callos a la madrileña
Tripe stewed with chorizo, morcilla and paprika. Not for everyone, but a real local favourite in the old taverns.
Huevos rotos and patatas bravas
Fried eggs broken over chips, often with ham, and fried potatoes with a spicy sauce: two tapas you will see everywhere.
Churros, porras and chocolate
Thick hot chocolate with churros (thin) or porras (thicker) is a Madrid ritual – for breakfast, as an afternoon snack or at the end of a long night. The Chocolatería San Ginés, off Calle Arenal, has been open since 1894.
Tours and activities in Madrid
Sweets of the seasons
- Torrijas at Easter: bread soaked in milk or wine, fried and sweetened.
- Rosquillas “tontas” and “listas” for San Isidro in May.
- Violet sweets, a small Madrid souvenir.
Tapas streets and the Sunday vermouth
In La Latina, the Cava Baja and the streets around it are lined with tapas bars. On Sunday, after the Rastro flea market, Madrileños meet for a vermut – a glass of sweet vermouth with olives – before lunch. Huertas, near the Barrio de las Letras, is another lively area for an evening of tapas.
Markets and a historic table
- Mercado de San Miguel: an iron-and-glass market from 1916 next to the Plaza Mayor, now full of tapas stalls.
- Mercado de San Fernando (Lavapiés) and Mercado de Antón Martín: more local, with small bars between the stalls.
- Sobrino de Botín: founded in 1725 and listed by Guinness World Records as the oldest restaurant in the world; famous for roast suckling pig and lamb.
Food tips
- Lunch is the main meal, from around 2 pm; many restaurants have a set lunch menu on weekdays.
- Dinner starts at 9 pm or later; earlier, eat tapas.
- Stand at the bar: it is the most Madrid way to eat.
Work these meals into Madrid in 3 days, and pick a base near the tapas streets with where to stay in Madrid. More practical advice is in our Madrid travel tips.
