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Carabanchel's best-known bar, Los Minutejos, is synonymous with distressingly inhalable griddled sandwiches of crispy pig ear doused in fiery brava sauce. Tamer tapas are available for the squeamish. To drink? An ice-cold Mahou, of course.
Calle de Antonio de Leyva 17, Madrid, 28019, Spain
Known For
- Crustless "minutejo" sandwiches
- Ample space to spread out
- No-nonsense service
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Tinajas, huge clay vessels once filled to the brim with bulk wine (but now defunct), sit behind the bar at this raucous no-frills bodega specializing in Spanish cheese and charcuterie. Ask the waiters what they've been drinking and eating lately, and order precisely that. The washed-rind cheeses from Extremadura (Torta del Casar or similar) are always a safe—and pleasantly putrescent—bet.
Calle de Calatrava 21, Madrid, 28005, Spain
Known For
- Unforgettable old-world atmosphere
- Wide selection of wines and charcuterie
- Frazzled yet friendly staff
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Mon.
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Whether you pull up a stool at at the marble bar or sit down for a soup-to-nuts feast in the azulejo-lined dining room, you're in for some of Madrid's finest traditional tapas with a twist here. Madrileños come from far and wide to share heaped plates of ensaladilla rusa, a house specialty, as well as textbook-perfect croquetas and hefty steaks served with sherry gravy and house-cut fries. Vermouth (on tap) is the nonnegotiable aperitif, and there are always several Spanish wines to try by the glass.
Calle de San Vicente Ferrer 44, Madrid, 28004, Spain
Known For
- Hidden gem in Malasaña
- Dependably exceptional old-school tapas
- Over-and-above service
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Crackly fried pig ear, fat wedges of tortilla de patata (potato omelet), and garlicky rabbit al ajillo are a few of the many old-school standbys that have kept this cubbyhole bar in business since 1934.
Calle de José Castán Tobeñas 1, Madrid, 28020, Spain
Known For
- Phenomenally affordable
- Classic tapas and breakfasts
- Off-the-radar gem that's worth the hike
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Mon.
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This tony gastro bar serves newfangled tapas that are well worth their higher-than-usual price tag. Spring for the tempura soft-shell crab bao with chive mayonnaise, garlicky artichoke flatbread, or any other tapa del día, but whatever you do, order the famous tortilla de patata, irresistible with its molten core and handfuls of caramelized onions. The dulce de leche "volcano," cooled off by a scoop of banana ice cream, may be Madrid's most craveable dessert.
Pl. de Puerta de Moros 4, Madrid, 28005, Spain
Known For
- Nueva cocina tapas done right
- Earth-shatteringly good tortilla de patata
- Cheek-by-jowl crowds
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Mon.
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Recommended Fodor’s Video
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Madrileños pour in from far and wide for Esther's famous patatas bravas, fried potato wedges cloaked in vinegary paprika-laced chili sauce. A menu brimming with snails, fried lamb intestines, pork rinds, and Castilian blood sausage confirms that you're in el Madrid profundo. Breakfast is also served.
Calle Fornillos 58, Madrid, 28026, Spain
Known For
- Killer patatas bravas
- Throwback interiors
- Madrid-style offal dishes
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Tues. and Wed.
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The old-fashioned azulejo (glazed tile) walls, painted red facade, and squat wooden barstools might fool you into thinking this newcomer is any old tavern, but behind the swinging door, cooks are busy plating novel takes on tapas that you didn't know needed improving. Take the crispy pig ear, doused in the usual spicy brava sauce—it gets an unorthodox hit of freshness from tarragon-packed mojo verde. Then there are the stuffed mussels called tigres, amped up with defiantly non-Spanish amounts of chiles, and a bounty of seasonal tapas that always impress.
Calle de Santa María 42, Madrid, 28014, Spain
Known For
- Flavor-bomb tapas
- Andalusian-style decor
- Trendy crowd
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This cozy tiled bar will teleport you to the coastal Andalusian city of the same name with briny olives, bone-dry Manzanilla sherries, and shatteringly crisp tortillitas de camarón (shrimp fritters).
Calle de San Isidro Labrador 14, Madrid, Spain
Known For
- Outstanding conservas and fried seafood
- Bubbly helpful waitstaff
- Andalusian tavern ambience
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Mon.
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Triciclo serves inventive Spanish-style bistronomie—think baby Asturian favas with mushrooms and seaweed-and-spot-prawn ravioli with saffron and borage. Raciones (sharing dishes), in one-third portions as well as half and full ones, are ideal for creating your own tasting menu whether at the bar or in the dining room.
Calle de Santa María 28, Madrid, 28014, Spain
Known For
- Tapas with a modern twist
- Time-honored institution
- Excellent service
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Sun.
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A mano means "by hand" in Spanish, and lest this experimental white-walled tapas and wine bar come across as pretentious, there's an entire section of the menu devoted to finger food. Whet your appetite with one-bite wonders like fried eggplant drizzled with honey and garlicky salmorejo (a cold tomato soup), then settle in for heftier plates like stewed oxtail, which basically melts on fork impact.
Pl. de Matute 4, Madrid, 28012, Spain
Known For
- Innovative vegetable-driven tapas
- Varied wine list with French selections
- Stylish minimalist interiors
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Mon. and Tues.
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This take-no-prisoners abuelo bar near the top of El Rastro is famous for griddled sardines, served hot and greasy in an odiferous heap with nothing but a flick of crunchy salt. Beware, super-smellers: eau de sardine is a potent perfume.
Pl. del General Vara del Rey 14, Madrid, 28005, Spain
Known For
- Sardine mecca
- Inexpensive and unfussy
- Busy on Sunday
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Mon.
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Ooey-gooey oversize croquetas stuffed with hot béchamel and any range of fixings (start with the classic jamón) are the tapa to order at this snug neighborhood hangout.
Calle de la Madera 37, Madrid, Spain
Known For
- Legendary croquettes and affordable Spanish snacks
- Cozy hole-in-the-wall
- Malasaña tapas crawl staple
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Sun.
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The tapas are offal-y good at this pocket-size bar specializing in variety meats like pig ear (served crackly with spicy brava sauce) and zarajos (lamb intestines wrapped around a stick and fried until crisp, an old-school Madrid snack).
Calle de la Cruz 14, Madrid, Spain
Known For
- Legendary greasy spoon
- Shockingly affordable
- Terrific offal tapas
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Tues.
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This hip neighborhood favorite has around a dozen tables and an extensive eclectic menu geared toward sharing that features game meats, seafood, and cheeses from the mountainous northern region of Cantabria. Organic wines sourced from around the country make for spot-on pairings.
Calle de la Libertad 1, Madrid, 28004, Spain
Known For
- Market-driven cuisine
- Cantabrian specialties
- Varied menu
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Fried calamari a la romana, made with fresh, ultra-tender squid as opposed to the standard frozen stuff, is the star tapa at this 117-year-old Hemingway hangout that's confusingly not Alemana (German) in the slightest.
Pl. de Santa Ana 6, Madrid, Spain
Known For
- White-suited waiters with big personalities
- Top-notch calamari
- Historical digs
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Cervecería Cervantes is improbably down-to-earth for such a posh, tourist-oriented neighborhood—the kind of place where you throw your olive pits right onto the floor. Most patrons come for the ice-cold cañas (half-pints), but there are traditional tapas of varying quality.
Pl. de Jesús 7, Madrid, 28014, Spain
Known For
- Free tapa with beer
- Diamond in the touristy rough
- Perfect for a drink after the Prado
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: No dinner Sun.
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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
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Indulge in some self-pampering or impress a special someone at this sunlight-flooded gastro-tavern with minimalist decor that serves creatively plated dishes that taste as good as they look (think porcini and foie fideuà or Cantonese-style Iberian pork ribs). Burlona's clandestine coctelería, El Trilero, is downstairs in the arcaded brick basement if you fancy a cocktail after your meal.
Calle de Santa Isabel 40, Madrid, 28012, Spain
Known For
- Eye-popping modern tapas
- More than 30 small-production wines by the bottle
- Secret bar below
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Mon. and Tues.
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This rustic tapas hall is the oldest of three branches of a beloved local chain, and it has barely changed since it was founded in 1906. The tapa to try here is gambas al ajillo, shrimp sautéed with garlic. Enjoy them with the house red from Toro or branch out with a vino del abuelo, a throwback off-dry red from Alicante.
Calle de la Victoria 12, Madrid, 28012, Spain
Known For
- Killer gambas al ajillo
- Bold proprietary Toro wines
- Traditional atmosphere
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Traditional taverns with tin-top bars, vermouth on tap, and no-nonsense waiters are a dying breed in Madrid, but this one, just a couple of blocks from El Retiro Park, has stood the test of time. It's always busy with locals clamoring over plates of sautéed wild mushrooms, tuna ventresca and roasted pepper salad, and stewed chickpeas with langoustines. Stop in for a quick bite at the bar—they'll serve you a free tapa with every drink—or enjoy heartier choices in the homey dining room at the back.
Calle del Doctor Castelo 22, Madrid, 28009, Spain
Known For
- Colorfully plated tapas
- Friendly staff
- Neighborhood crowd
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Sun.
