I've been visiting Malaespina for over a decade -- from my time living in Madrid to every trip back…read more-- and one thing has never changed: it's easily one of the best spots in Madrid for a no-frills, delicious tapas meal and amazing sangria. The quality of the food has remained consistent for the 10 years I've been visiting! Tucked away just off Sol, Malaespina is the epitome of a classic Madrid taverna. The inviting, unpretentious atmosphere, the cozy charm, the prices, the energy -- it's hard to capture it all in words. There's a certain magic at Malaespina. The tavern has been around for hundreds of years, and I often wonder what it was like a century ago. I'm always amazed that such a gem exists in the heart of Madrid, a city center filled with tourist traps. Malaespina draws both locals and tourists -- and for good reason. The food quality to price ratio is unbeatable. On our most recent visit, we had huevos estrellados, tortilla tapas, sangria, and espressos, and spent about $20 for the two of us. You really can't beat that! Here's hoping they stick around for many more years to come.

Came here for lunch and had a decent experience. Staff were super friendly and restaurant was nice…read more We sat outside and ate our meal and it was quite pleasant. When we first sat down they gave us a welcome bruschetta and bread for free which were pretty decent portions. We then ordered our food and it was pretty good as well. We ordered their half chicken (pollo asado con patatas), sirloin steak, and Malaspina tosta. The portions were huge and we definitely over ordered. We thought they were more the size of tapas but each dish was a huge portion itself which definitely isn't a bad thing. The food tasted pretty good but I think it just lacked flavor occasionally. All the meat was cooked well and was very juicy, just could use a little more flavor. Otherwise everything was good. Solid 4 stars

How lucky were we that Casa Alberto was right next to our hotel!?…read more Me, my three sisters, my kid and my 22yr old nephew were on a mission to cram as much as we could into our overnight layover in Madrid. Driver picked us up from airport, we checked in and dropped our bags in our room, freshened up then came straight here. It honestly felt like we were in one of Anthony Bourdain's : The Layover episode. Casa Alberto has the kind of charm that only comes with age. You can sit on the high stools by the counter or tiny wooden tables with the little stools. Our waiter was just smooth. When ham croquetas were brought to the table, I just told him we wanted calamari ones and to please remove the ham from the final bill and did it without hesitation. Every bite was full of flavor. From the manchego platter we shared to the, patatas bravas with a smoky sauce and my generously poured sangria with a decent amount of oomph, everything was very nice. Casa A. was the perfect first stop for tapas and drinks before our next planned activity.

It was a great restaurant and very good ambiance But the…read morefood here is very heavy. This might not be a problem and just Spanish food might be like that but for my unsophisticated American palette it was way too much We had cow's face and the saffron chicken Also you should order rice separately the stews came just as is. No rice or bread with them! The service was good and friendly

I absolutely adore this restaurant! I have visited it twice, and definitely next time I go to…read moreMadrid, I will visit it again. The restaurant is located in the heart of Madrid on a very cute street, and it is easy to find and walk there if you stay in the city center. The place is not very big - both times I went there for lunch, there were no tables available, so I had to sit at the bar; once I even had to wait about 7 minutes until one bar spot became free. The restaurant's design is simple, but pretty and lovely. Overall, the restaurant is in very good condition and was perfectly clean both times I visited. The only small downside is that the place is quite noisy, but it did not bother me. One of the best things about this place is the people who work there - both a guy and a lady at the bar were extremely nice and friendly to me; plus, both spoke very good English. They gave me recommendations on what to try, and I followed their advice. The restaurant's menu is not big, but it has all the most popular traditional Spanish dishes. Both times I ordered Rabo de Toro (a traditional Spanish stew), Fardos (squid rolls with bacon and squid ink mousse); and once I also tried croquetas de jamón (ham croquettes). The croquettes were tasty - I loved their flavor and soft texture. One portion includes 6 pieces, and they are quite big and filling. It was my first time trying Fardos (I ordered a 1/3 portion), and it was a great experience - the dish turned very delicious after the bartender mixed it for me. The squid was cooked very nicely, and combined with the fresh bacon and ink mousse, it tasted fantastic. Rabo de Toro (I ordered a 1/2 portion) was also my first time trying this dish, and I loved it - the stew was perfectly cooked, very soft and moist, with rich flavors, and it melted in my mouth. The restaurant also offers a wide variety of drinks, especially wines. I do not drink alcohol, so I was recommended to try grape juice - Mosto, which was extremely flavorful and tasted like fresh pressed grape juice, even though it came from a glass bottle. I loved that drink! Price-wise, all items on the menu seemed reasonable. I paid €8 for 6 ham croquettes, €12 for a half portion of Rabo de Toro, €8 for a 1/3 portion of Fardos, and €3 for one glass of grape juice. It is possible to have a nice full lunch here for around €22, which is reasonable for a restaurant in the heart of Madrid. The place accepts all major credit cards and Apple Pay, which is a big plus. If you visit this restaurant, I strongly recommend trying 1/3 or 2/3 portion of Fardos, a half portion of Rabo de Toro, and their grape juice Mosto - it's enough food to feel full and experience traditional Spanish flavors.

Casa Lucas is a MUST on the La Latina tapas tour! Casa Lucas serves tapas with a creative twist,…read moreand if I'd had more time (and wasn't a party of one), I would've tried so much more! I ordered the Oxtail (Rabo de Toro) and wooooow... easily one of the most tender and delicate pieces of meat I've EVER had. They serve it boneless, but I'm pretty sure if they would have provided a bone, it would've fallen right off. The whole place gives cozy tavern vibes with a rustic interior that feels perfectly Madrid. NOTE: the portions are a bit heavier than most spots. I hate to waste food, especially when it's as immaculate as the Oxtail, but if you're a party of one, you got to do what you go to do.

If you're staying in Madrid, this is a top notch tapas spot…read more It is absolutely not touristy, but it gets busy. First time we tried to go at 3 and there was a line out the door. Went at 1230 next day and got in no problem. However shortly after 1 (when they start serving food) a decent crowd gradually piled in. My recommendation is to brush up on some Spanish if you're a tourist, make a reservation if you can, and be patient. Food and wine here is super cheap and worth it all.

I'd had Casa Macareno on my list to try for a few years. I waited patiently as the staff seated…read moreothers who'd arrived after me, before being told I would have to sit on a stool at the narrow bar against the wall since I was solo. Service was slow; I ordered a tinto de verano and a water, and was approached again and had to ask several times. Then, staff were pushy about my ordering plates of food; no media ración or tapa-sized offerings. While trying to decide, I noticed lots of English speakers and direct asks for tips from adjacent guests. Only after I shared that I'd changed my mind about ordering lunch was I offered a complimentary dish of boiled potatoes with mayo (neither I nor any of the surrounding guests finished them)?! I couldn't pay and leave fast enough, though not before being shocked by the price: €8 (!). And yes, the tarjeta machine was set to ask for a tip (nope)! Too bad, as I'd heard good things about this spot and had excellent experiences elsewhere in the neighborhood/city during my month-long stay.

Stopped by for lunch today. We ordered the chicken curry toast and meat and spinach and ricotta…read moreempanadas. We also got two glasses of sangria which were served in generous portions. The chicken curry toast was flavorful and the slice of bread it was spread on was perfectly crispy. The empanadas were both delicious and perfectly spiced but I do wish they could have been warmer, especially the one with cheese. The server was very nice and attentive.

Went here based on reviews but I have to say I was disappointed. The place is tiny and cramped…read more Food was limited and average. I will say the service was nice and attentive though.

As I continue to work my way towards clearing my review queue of all the great places we visited in…read moreJanuary on our trip to Portugal (with a 4-day "layover" in Madrid on the way)... this place was definitely one of many highlights. I am glad I intentionally got there a few minutes before they reopened for dinner, as it was, as I had heard, not a very large place, and they do fill up quickly. So the best time to get there is definitely a little while before they open. The atmosphere is definitely... loud, but not *too* loud. It's busy, and a tiny bit cramped, but not wall-to-wall, and I loved that you could easily flag down staff at any time and order more food or drink, and it always arrived quickly. (I absolutely ordered both more food and more drink while I was here.) Food-wise - I just can't stress enough how good their tuna empanadas were. I'd heard they're most known for their fried cod, but they really shouldn't be. Don't get me wrong, their fried cod is quite good cod, super flaky, perfectly fried. Super filling, too. A little too salty, though - and a bit one-dimensionally "fried" flavor - I feel like it should have had tartar sauce, or hot sauce, or ideally both. They had, as far as I could tell, no condiments for it. (I suppose you could bring your own hot sauce?) The fried pork belly is also very good, also obviously *absurdly* filling (it's basically all fat). I certainly wouldn't eat it all the time (for my health), but I would strongly recommend trying it. But the empanadas... they're small, but at least as of January, were only 2 euro each. I could have eaten a dozen of them (we ordered a second round of empanadas). If I were ever back in Madrid, and assuming the menu hadn't completely changed, I'd probably skip the cod and just order a bunch of empanadas (or, I suppose, remember to bring my own hot sauce... and still order a bunch of empanadas. The empanadas could also have used hot sauce. Everything is better with hot sauce. :p) I'd definitely come back, though. They have a simple drink menu, but a wonderful one - notably, this was where I was formally introduced to the popular Spanish drink, tinto verano, an extremely crushable wine beverage with citrus soda, I would have never thought of as a good idea, but which I ordered a second one of before I left, and I'm not even a fan of citrus sodas. (Then again, I also imagine the citrus sodas in Spain are also probably slightly less full of junk than the American ones.) Went extremely well with the fried food. I also had a glass of the house vermouth, which wasn't the best *ever*, but it was solid enough, especially for how cheap it was.

Fun cafe to enjoy a late afternoon glass of wine with some yummy tapas. They offered some fantastic…read morewines by the glass and bottle - we landed on a lovely Albariño. The crisp minerality of the wine was a nice offset to the often greasy nature of croquettes and fried artichokes with ham. The service was friendly and welcoming and the patio seating offered some great people watching!

Stopped in after walking around town and noticed this place was mentioned on social media as being…read moregood eats. I ordered the daily special and the food was good including the red wine. Good service and clean tables.

this place is more like a 3.5 out of 5 stars…read more this was our last meal in europe... sigh, i wish we were still on our vacation, but alas, we must return back to reality. during our last night in madrid we were on the hunt for paella. There were plenty of places to pick from in downtown madrid, but some restaurants were closed, and others were not offering it that early for dinner. sidenote: i find it weird that spanish people eat dinner so late!!!! anyways, we started the meal off with a meat and cheese plate and got the seafood paella. they also gave us bread along with tomato paste. honestly the tomato paste was very very simple and reminded me of salsa...lol. the food portions are huge! make sure you come here with a very hungry stomach or multiple people. paella actually comes with 4 different options: seafood, chicken, mixed or something else. and for 10 bucks, you really cant go wrong with whatever you choose. The one thing i would comment on the paella is that it wasn't as flavorful as i imagined... but really can't complain for the price i paid. the service is very quick, and the person who was taking my order spoke english and was really helpful.

Good spot to get a bite if you are going to the Prado. The Spanish omelet was cold and a bit under…read moreseasoned. The ham croquettes were very tasty. It was a nice atmosphere and a good place to sit and chill for a bit.

We did A LOT of walking on this vacation exploring various cities and small towns, taking walking…read moretours, and just generally meandering around seeing all the little shops and investigating potential places to eat. The problem with searching for places to eat in an unfamiliar town, esp a high tourist traffic town, is it's hard to tell which places are worth hitting up. Cervantes was one of those places. We pretty much scouted 3 or 4 places to have lunch and this one seemed like it had the most locals eating in it, the place was packed and full of smiling faces from satisfied customers. Luckily we were seated quickly and something that I appreciated was the menus have english descriptions for us limited spanish speaking people (some places we ate at did not.) We ordered emanadas, ham croquettes, garlic shrimp, and some sheep's cheese in olive oil. Sounds like a nice small lunch but I can assure the portions were sizeable and super filling. We couldn't finish all of it even though everything was delicious. I think my favorite were the ham croquettes as well as the empanadas. One thing about the empanadas is I was thinking they'd be like the latin american-filled pastry-hand pie type, but they were actually pie-pie type...like a slice of double crusted pie filled with savory tuna goodness. We each ordered one but could've just gotten one to share since they were pretty huge. Overall this place was great. Friendly service, good food, and a welcoming atmosphere. We definitely left with satisfied smiles on our faces too.