Taberna el Arco is one of the better places in Madrid that I was able to secure a reservation/walk-in at on less than two days notice. As a few other Yelpers have noted, this place is a huge TOURIST trap. Funnily though, the food wasn't that bad, even if it was more overpriced and less authentic than many other more authentic establishments. The service, however, was a very different matter; it was awful, ignoring and spurning my reservation entirely.
Food: 4/5
I had the Iberian ham assortment (overpriced, compared to other restaurants in the area), the seafood paella, peppers tapas, and garlic shrimp tapas. Overall, none of the food was bad, but I hardly got my bang for the buck. The seafood paella for two was priced at $38, and while I can't complain bout the quality of the ingredients, the portion size was definitely not worth it for the price.
Service: 1/5
My experience here started off on a bad note... and then it made a turn for the worse. I had a reservation for 3 for 8:30 PM, arrived at 8:20 PM, and the server seemed entirely uninterested in even hearing that I had a reservation and didn't even ask for my name. It took them 30 minutes to seat our party and hand us our menus. Every table in this restaurant consists of smaller tables which can seat two, and though he had a table of 3 tables pushed together, he refused to split off two tables and insisted that I wait for the next party of 3/4 to finish dining before seating us.
The time it took to bring our tapas and main plates to us was also ridiculous, and the waiters always told us to wait when we even tried to place our orders. When he did finally take our orders, he spoke in a commanding, harsh, and extremely RUDE manner, as if he was sneering at what we ordered. So much for the customer is always right, huh?
Ambiance: 4/5
SO MANY TOURISTS. The restaurant even had an employee stand outside the restaurant to lure more tourists in with an English menu. This place entirely caters to tourists and preys upon those who fall into the trap, and unfortunately, I was one of them. It seems like a kids' playroom was converted into a restaurant, but half the size of a typical playroom. People were constantly bumping into each other, and if I had a nickel for how many times I watched a waiter nearly drop an entire tray of food on his nearest customer, I might actually be able to pay for my meal here. Props to the waiters for their balance though!
The lighting though was pretty nice, and the location near the square was quite optimal. It's a nice dining place if you really just want to sit down and eat after wandering Madrid.
Nevertheless, I cannot recommend Taberna el Arco to a friend. Madrid has many better options to choose from. read more