23 Best Restaurants in Madrid, Spain

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.

La Catapa's tapas are classic but never old hat, inventive but never pretentious. The burst-in-your-mouth croquetas and garlicky razor clams may lure the crowds, but the hidden gems are in the vegetable section: it's hard to decide between the artichoke menestra with crisped jamón (cured ham), ultra-creamy salmorejo (gazpacho's richer, more garlicky sibling), and umami-packed seared mushrooms. Be sure to ask about daily specials.

Duck into this cozy hole-in-the-wall and be treated like family—Ana, the owner, recites the nightly menu to each table and flits around with a smile until the last guest saunters out. Barrera's famous patatas revolconas (paprika-spiced mashed potatoes topped with crispy pork belly) are always on offer; they might be followed by roast suckling lamb, wine-braised meatballs, or seared dayboat fish depending on the night. Inquire about prices when ordering to avoid sticker shock.

Fire is the secret ingredient at Roostiq, where pizzas sizzle and puff in a wood-burning oven and meat, fish, and vegetables char until tender over white-hot embers. Even the cheesecake is of the Basque "burnt" variety, brown and caramel-y on the outside and gooey within. The open-hearth technology may be older than the hills, but the buffed concrete walls, zany ceramic plates, and sturdy wooden and marble tables are unmistakably cutting-edge.

Triciclo serves inventive Spanish-style bistronomie—think tuna-avocado tostas and oxtail canelones with wild mushroom sauce. 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.

Owner Norberto Jorge, a quirky, jolly gent, offers a produce-centric menu with painstakingly selected wines to match at this snug, book-lined restaurant. Rice dishes are the house specialty, and they're cooked in extra-flat paella pans specially manufactured for the restaurant.

Owner Norberto Jorge, a quirky, jolly gent, offers a produce-centric menu with painstakingly selected wines to match at this snug book-lined restaurant. Rice dishes are the house specialty, and they're cooked in extra-flat paella pans specially manufactured for the restaurant.

Botín, established in 1725, was a favorite of Ernest Hemingway—the final scene of The Sun Also Rises is set in this very place. The cochinillo (suckling pig), stuffed with aromatics, doused with wine, and crisped in the original wood-burning oven, is a must. There are four floors of tile and wood-beam dining rooms and, if you're seated upstairs, you'll pass the centuries-old ovens. It's rumored Goya washed dishes here before starting out as a painter.

Some go to El Escorial for the monastery; others go for Charolés. It's a landmark that attracts a crowd of its own for its noble bearing, with thick stone walls and vaulted ceilings, wooden beams and floors, and stuffy service; its summer terrace a block from the monastery; and its succulent dishes, such as the heavy beans with clams or mushrooms, and the game meats served grilled or in stews. The mammoth, four-course cocido offered on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, tests the endurance of even those with the heartiest appetites.

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.

Epitomizing old-world luxury, Cuenllas (KWEN-yas) is Moncloa's most venerable dining establishment, in business since 1939. After sitting down at the bar or in the dining room for a meal of Spanish bistro fare (think warm salt-cod brandade, Santoña anchovy canapés, and marinated partridge) accompanied by reserva wines, peruse the adjoining gourmet shop for edible souvenirs including caviar, cheeses, wines, and homemade charcuterie.

Diego Guerrero, the punk-rock chef of two-Michelin-star Dstage, also runs this more casual outpost. The menu turns classic Spanish dishes—for example, monkfish in salsa verde, Canarian wrinkly potatoes, stewed verdinas (baby favas)—on their heads by adding unorthodox ingredients like seaweed, kimchi, whey, and liquid-nitrogen-frozen fruit, and the result is thrilling. A quirky wine list heavy on natural and low-yield producers complements the cuisine nicely. Take the stairs one flight down to the cocktail bar for a preprandial personality drink or nightcap.

Seafood lovers shouldn't miss this modern, Ibiza-chic marisquería (seafood restaurant) with original wrought-iron columns, white tablecloths, and ample alfresco seating. The griddled prawns from Dénia are always a treat, as are the cloudlike roasted sole and any number of rice dishes.

This old-timey restaurant, with dark wood-paneled walls lined with bottles of wine, serves classic Spanish food like huevos estrellados, grilled meats, and fish (sea bass, haddock, grouper, and more) in various preparations. Check out the pictures of famous celebrities who've eaten at this typically noisy landmark; they line the staircase that leads to the main dining area.

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.

Basque chef César Martín has a devoted local following for his hyperseasonal menus that show a sincere dedication to food sustainability. Lakasa may have moved into a bigger, more modern space, but Martín's specialties haven't wavered; be sure to indulge in the Idiazabal fritters, crisp orbs redolent of smoky sheep's cheese.

At this lively restaurant you'll find crowds of Spaniards gobbling up one of the city's finest, most upscale renditions of tortilla española (Spanish omelet) with unconventional add-ins like octopus, potato chips, and truffles. The menu also includes plenty of equally succulent non-egg choices (the rice dishes stand out).

For a country that borders France, Spain has a surprising dearth of good French restaurants, which makes Le Bistroman all the more remarkable—not only is the food good by Spanish standards, it would be a hit in Paris with its homemade everything, from terrines to breads to pastries. Wild game (venison, squab) features prominently on the menu, and other highlights include an old-school cheese cart and throwback desserts like babas au rhum and vanilla bean soufflé.

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).

This upmarket Argentine asador (steak house) hits all the high notes with its daintily crimped empanadas, regional breads, gutsy South American wines, and flame-licked vegetables and steaks airlifted in from La Pampa with just the right amount of char. In 2023, another location, Piantao Chamberí, opened by the Alonso Martínez metro station.

This ultra-trendy butcher-shop-themed restaurant spurred the revival of Calle de Ponzano as Madrid's most exciting tapas street. Feast on eye-catching, impeccably prepared market-driven dishes like carpaccio-truffle roll-ups and grilled octopus slathered in chimichurri. Should this location be packed to the gills, make a beeline for sister restaurant SDD2 tucked behind the Gran Vía thoroughfare (Calle de la Virgen de los Peligros 8).

What's that fire-truck-red stew on every table in this tiny neighborhood tavern? Callos a la madrileña, Madrid-style tripe flavored with industrial quantities of garlic and smoky Extremaduran paprika. Other San Mamés standbys include fried bacalao (salt cod), truffled eggs and potatoes, and steak tartare. Book ahead or show up early (by 9 pm) to snag a table.

This "gin bar" helped start the Spanish gin-tónic craze of the late 1980s, and though perhaps less avant-garde than 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 in advance (especially on weekends). The menu is long and eclectic with Asturian standouts such as fried rice with zamburiñas (queen scallops), roasted octopus, and verdinas (buttery green beans) with quail.