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No matter where you go in Spain you are likely to be told of the unique gastronomy of the town or region, and when you visit the country’s capital city you will have the luxury of choosing from it all. Whether you’re the ultimate foodie or someone who has a passing interest in the joys of eating, the best places to eat in Madrid offer you a chance to thrill your palate as you join the locals in what is more than just a sustenance routine.
The Mercado de San Miguel, close to Plaza Mayor, and just a 15-minute stroll from our NH Collection Madrid Suecia hotel is a great place to start your search for tapas and pintxos. Though on first sight you may think it is just another fruit and vegetable market, you will be in for a pleasant surprise, as it is also a haven for tapas and pintxos lovers. Mercado de San Miguel is an experience few forget, each person taking away their own memory, be it the visually striking metal and glass exterior, the incredible atmosphere that reverberates within, or an especially enjoyable gourmet tapa from the available medley.
Whet your appetite by first feasting on olive skewers and vermouth wine, goodies that are easily available throughout the market. There are many pintxos stands here. For the uninitiated, these are miniature bites that are great as starters or light snacks. To wash it all down, a glass of fino sherry is highly recommended, its dryness perfectly balancing the bold flavours found across tapas and pintxos dishes.
Down the hill from the market and across Calle de Segovia some of the best places to eat in Madrid are waiting for you. The opening to Calle Cava Baja may not seem particularly thrilling at first glance but there is an abundance of eating and socializing fun to be had here. With several tabernas lining both sides of this narrow walkway, it’s a well-trodden scene for locals looking for tapas and pintxos, a little refreshment, and a chance to mingle.
As you reach the end of the street the enjoyment just keeps on going as it bends back around almost upon itself into Calle Cava Alta. I’d recommend popping into any place that catches your eye but one venue that has a special place in my heart is El Viajero, just on the turn that connects the two streets. From their restaurant you can move upstairs to a cozy bar area, decked with sofas, where guests have been known to lose a whole afternoon, and sometimes evening, in the very welcoming surroundings.
Continue your tapas and pinxtos search in one of Madrid's countless tapas bars. With so many good options in the city, it can be hard to know where to start, but a few places still manage to stand out. For traditional fare made from fresh, locally sourced ingredients, head to Celso y Manolo, The dimly lit, old-school surroundings are a perfect match for the hearty dishes which are best enjoyed with a local wine. Here you will be able to try some of the city’s most classic offerings prepared expertly, including the popular calamari sandwich (with a light lemon sauce).
For a relaxed atmosphere where to experience fine dining in Madrid, try Estado Puro at our NH Collection Madrid Paseo del Prado. Across a range of main and smaller plates, tapas favourites are given a modern, often surprising twist. Alongside dishes such as lobster gazpacho and parmesan ice cream, expect the classics too, including delectable Spanish hams and tortilla espanola, which translates literally to Spanish omelette and consists, basically, of eggs and potatoes (it can be done with or without onions). The tasting menu, priced at €45, is a great option if you want to sample a wide range of dishes and if you are lucky enough to secure one, dine at one of the bar's outdoor tables.
On Calle Cuchilleros, also down the hill from the Mercado de San Miguel, is arguably the most famous restaurant in the Spanish capital. Restaurante Botín was referenced in Ernest Hemingway’s scribes and is officially recognized as the oldest restaurant in the world. If traditional Madrid food is on your list of things to do during your stay, then dining here adds a certain authenticity to the word ‘tradition’. A couple of the classic dishes you would be wise to ask for are the garlic soup (a warming soup with bread, garlic, paprika, eggs, bay leaves and olive oil as its main ingredients) and the classic cochinillo asado, suckling pig roasted in an old oak oven. You won’t regret it.
You must not leave Madrid without trying patatas bravas. The dish, which consists of fried potatoes with a hot paprika-based sauce, is available at many of the traditional bars throughout the city. That being said, my favourite place for patatas bravas is La Sucursal Chamberí, an inviting place in the heart of Chamberí that also offers plenty of other traditional Spanish dishes, great drinks and a lovely outdoors terrace. Popular with locals, the place often has a lively vibe that is a joy to be a part of.
A culinary guide of Madrid would not be complete without mentioning cocido madrileño, the city’s own typical stew. Particularly satisfying during cold or rainy days, the stew’s main ingredient are chickpeas, though it also features a variety of vegetables and meats that can include pork belly, blood sausage, and serrano ham. Try it at Malacatín, an exceptional restaurant that has been serving some the city’s classic dishes while belonging to different generations of the same family since 1895.
Caracoles a la madrileña (which literally translates to escargots the Madrid way) is one of the city’s most unique and iconic dishes, particularly common in the city’s bars. They are typically slow cooked in beef broth and served with red wine. Casa Amadeo Los Caracoles, in the city center, specializes in this dish (among other typical Madrilenian fare) and features a tavern-style ambience that is Madrid at its purest.
What has come to be known as ‘The Ponzano Experience’ may sound like an organized affair but I can assure you it is anything of the sort. Just five minutes from our NH Collection Madrid Abascal hotel you will find Calle Ponzano, which features many fantastic places where you can eat in Madrid. With over 20 eateries along the facing sidewalks, the ‘experience’ is all about nibbling on some tapas in one scene then moving onto another. I prefer to arrive with no strategy and let the night take the group where she desires, although if we end up in La Máquina Chamberí, Fide, or Sala de Despiece (my personal favourites) then I’m extra pleased. The evening vibe gives a true Madrileño flavour as locals mingle through the myriads of delicacies available, along with suitable accompanying refreshment. Although it's in Spanish, this page might tempt you to explore even more!
Madrid is a fantastic place to learn about Spain's various hams through a ham tasting session. The jamón ibérico de bellota melts in the mouth and is a highly sought-after, premium ham. It comes from pigs that are fed around 7 to 8 kilos of acorns a day. Fancy that! The jamón ibérico de recebo is your typical Spanish ham that comes from the black pig common to both Spain and Portugal, whilst the jamón serrano can be derived from pigs anywhere in the world, as long as it is cured in Spain.
The Museo del Jamon (Museum of Ham) is one of the better places in Madrid to taste and learn about a wide variety of scrumptious hams.
Madrid is a city not unfamiliar with sweet treats, so whilst here you really ought to sample the pastries at El Riojano, founded in 1855 by the pastry chef of Queen Isabel. It is no surprise that to this day, the renowned bakery still serves sweetmeats to the royal family of Spain.
Another place you should make a pit stop during your culinary adventure is the convent of Monasterio del Corpus Christi. The specialty here are the traditional sweets made by cloistered nuns. The mantecado de yema, which are basically egg yolk and lard biscuits, are a must-try. It is interesting to note that many of the recipes used in the convent can be traced back to the Romans. So, imagine eating a delectable dessert which was enjoyed just as much thousands of years ago!
Of course, no desserts expedition in Madrid would be complete without a visit to San Gines, Madrid’s most famous churros vendor.
For those unfamiliar, churros are essentially a fried dough pastry snack, usually fashioned in the shape of a horseshoe. The chocolate served with the churros at San Ginés deserves its own special mention as it is perfectly thick for dunking your churros in, making each chocolate coated bite sheer heaven. Fancy an early morning breakfast or late-night snack? San Ginés is open 24 hours a day, you can pop in whenever peckish.
Madrid really does have all the dining experiences you could imagine and we at NH Hotel Group pride ourselves on contributing to the highest of standards set in the city, being home to some of the best restaurants to eat in Madrid. Casa Suecia, a restaurant within our NH Collection Madrid Suecia hotel, presents you with a new gastronomic experience. Select from a mouthwatering mixture of Mediterranean and international cuisine, all just a few meters from your private room. It’s like gourmet en suite.
Beyond all the gastronomic excitement, the NH Collection Madrid Suecia is also at an excellent location that allows guests to conveniently reach some of the city’s top cultural attractions. The hotel is just a short stroll away from Madrid’s Golden Triangle of Art, which includes the Prado, Reina Sofía and Thyssen-Bornemisza museums, all world-famous art museums with unforgettable collections. It is also just 800 meters away from Puerta del Sol, one of the city’s most recognizable landmarks and nearby Gran Vía, Callao and their numerous department stores.
A stay at our NH Collection Madrid Abascal hotel will also ensure that you have easy access to Madrid’s food culture and that you will not have to venture far for your first taste of it. Just across the road is Restaurante Abascal, one of the most popular fancy restaurants in Madrid. Beyond its fantastic culinary offer—featuring a seasonal menu with haute cuisine versions of local favourites—Restaurante Abascal also boasts of a stunning ambience (at both its indoors and outdoors seating) and excellent cocktails. Remember to make a reservation! With its location near to both Paseo de la Castellana, one of the city’s major thoroughfares, and the exclusive Salamanca neighbourhood, the NH Collection Madrid Abascal hotel is also close to many other great restaurants and to numerous luxury shops.
Despite the adventures that lie outside the hotel, it would be remiss of me not to mention the delights that remain within our premises. Our very own DOMO restaurant has a distinctive look and feel about it and is under the direction of Chef Ángel Aylagas, ensuring whatever your order will please the eye as much as the taste receptors. Offering healthy breakfast or brunch, and a deliciously satisfying lunch and dinner, you can feel comfortable in the knowledge that we are always here for you. The only risk is that you don’t make it out to try the rest of the city.
With its location right in the famous Gran Vía avenue, the NH Collection Madrid Gran Vía is another of our centric hotels in Madrid. A stay at the hotel will place you near all the remarkable restaurants and theatres that populate the avenue, which is, with good reason, known as the “Spanish Broadway”. It is also within walking distance of many other major tourist attractions, like Puerta del Sol, Plaza Mayor, Plaza España, Callao, Plaza Cibeles and the Prado museum, as well as to the bustling neighbourhoods of Chueca and Malasaña.
While the NH Collection Madrid Gran Vía’s enviable location means that it is near many of the city’s top restaurants and bars, it is also home to one of the best dining establishments where you can eat in Madrid, in the Picalagartos Sky Bar & Restaurant. Not only does the restaurant offer some of the very best views over the Gran Vía, but it also offers delectable modern Spanish cuisine and unique cocktails. Among the traditional Spanish dishes in its menu are Iberian ham croquetas and callos a la madrileña, the city’s typical beef tripe stew.
If you are looking for a hotel in Madrid with a more boutique appeal, then our NH Collection Madrid Palacio de Tepa hotel might be just the choice for you. Located in the lively Barrio de las Letras, in a 19th-century palace that was designed by the same architect as the Plaza Mayor, the hotel is near this and other major tourist attractions in the city, such as the Royal Palace, the Puerta del Sol, the Madrid of the Austrians and the Golden Triangle of Art.
The hotel is not without its own restaurant, also with an old-fashioned charm. Castizo the restaurant at the NH Collection Madrid Palacio de Tepa, pays homage to Madrid’s traditional bar culture both in its décor—with exposed wood and a centrepiece marble bar—and in its dishes, which include ham croquetas, smoked meats, fresh seafood and local cheeses.
The NH Collection Madrid Paseo del Prado hotel is another of our options in the city, smaller in scale yet just as well located and in a gorgeous setting. Its building was designed by Antonio Palacios, the same architect who also helped design the city’s iconic Palacio de Cibeles and overlooks the famous Neptune Fountain. The hotel also enjoys a fantastic location, being right across the street from both the Prado and the Thyssen-Bornemisza museums and just a 5-minute walk from the Buen Retiro Park.
The NH Collection Madrid Paseo del Prado also offers excellent dining experiences. Estado Puro, which I have already highlighted in this article as one of the best places to try tapas in Madrid, also offers an a la carte dinner menu and a relaxing outdoor seating space in the summer. The hotel is also home to Suite & Tea, which offers a unique culinary concept, based around a large tea selection and excellent chocolate, as well as a variety of sandwiches.
A culinary expedition is truly one of the best ways to discover Madrid's many charms. You will have a wonderful time as you go around the city exploring world-famous cultural attractions and dining at the very best places to eat in Madrid.
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