A Massive Disappointment: Style Over Substance As a…read moreprofessional Chef, I entered Posada de la Villa with high expectations for a masterclass in Spanish cuisine. Unfortunately, the evening was a masterclass in how to alienate a customer. Despite being the very first party seated at 7:45 PM, we were treated as if we were invisible. The service was nonexistent; we watched in disbelief as tables seated long after us finished three courses, paid, and left while we sat staring at an empty table. When the food finally arrived at 8:45 PM, it was an insult to the craft. I ordered the rabbit and rice, only to be served a plate of shards and bones. The rice was undercooked and aggressively seasoned with nothing but salt. The steak was gray and overcooked, and the "branzino" was a meager half-portion served at a premium price. I felt cheated. To top it off, the "historic" charm is a total facade. While the decor is beautiful, the "ancient establishment" vibe is fake--it's just a 20-year-old business in a restored shell. Between the deplorable food quality and the dismissive service, this was a culinary catastrophe. Save your money; this place is all smoke and mirrors. Asked 4 waiters for service, no one speaks English... sad

Outstanding food and service! Posada de la Villa is committed to traditional "old Madrid" cuisine…read morewith elevated service to match the historic surroundings. I was nervous that a meal here would be too meat-focused, but they proved me wrong. There were several vegetable options as well and they were cooked and served with respect. Great wine list, too. The roasted lamb is all it's cracked up to be, and totally worth it. If you have a larger group, get one order (that "serves two"). There's plenty to go around! And I can't say enough good things about the service!

This place was OK. It is located right by the Plaza Mayor, which is really beautiful at night…read more The restaurant it very cozy, and there is enough room to accomodate large parties. They had tuna performers come out to serenade our group. I would say the paella was not very flavorful, but I did really enjoy the fried calamari appetizer. Food was ok all around.

The restaurant is in a busy Plaza Mayor area. We were seated immediately even during busy hours…read more Downstairs is tapas and upstairs is restaurant just like other Madrid places. Also, I assume you need to close the menu for them to come and serve because it took them very long to do so. -Crispy pork belly 4/5. Super crispy but salty. -Cocido madrileño 5/5. The presentation was cute. -The soup was tasty and rich with flavor. The dry portion was filling with various meat cuts. Meatballs with house special sauce 4/5. The house special sauce was like BBQ sauce and meatballs were good but not too extraordinary. -tuna potato salad 5/5 was too the points with flavor. I love this dish. I wish there were more chips. Overall it was a nice tourisy restaurant with paintings and decorations

Came here for a delicious and leisurely lunch. The grilled squid with caramelized onions and squid…read moreink was a fantastic starter; the squid was not too chewy, and the saltines paired very well with the sweet onions. The grilled Iberian "secreto" was tender and juicy and flavorful. The paella had plenty of squid, prawn, clams, and mussels, and the rice itself had a very strong (in a good way) seafood aroma. The waiters are friendly, and you are not rushed through the meal. Highly recommend.

We came here after visiting the Royal Palace, and the location couldn't have been more convenient…read more What really impressed me, though, was the dining room downstairs. It feels like you're eating inside an old wine cellar, with beautiful brick-vaulted ceilings, stone walls, and a cozy atmosphere that makes the experience feel very traditional and distinctly Spanish. We ordered the Iberian ham croquettes, the grilled goat cheese salad, and a charcoal-grilled steak with roasted potatoes and Padrón peppers. The croquettes were okay, but they were easily the least memorable dish of the meal. The goat cheese salad was excellent, with creamy, lightly grilled cheese that paired perfectly with the fresh vegetables. The steak was the standout. It was cooked exactly as requested, flavorful, tender, and served with delicious roasted potatoes and peppers. The staff were friendly, attentive, and never rushed us, making for a relaxed dinner from start to finish. I'm giving it 4 stars because one of the starters didn't quite live up to the rest of the meal, but the atmosphere, service, and quality of the steak more than made up for it. If you're looking for classic Castilian cuisine in a unique cellar-like setting near Madrid's major attractions, La Mi Venta is definitely worth a visit.

After spending several hours at the Reina Sofia, Jamie W and I were feeling quite peckish and…read morerather indecisive about where to have lunch. We guessed many options around the Prado area might be tourist traps. Fortunately, this didn't appear to be one of them as it's a taberna that attracts local regulars as well as tourists like us. The manager/owner looked to know quite a few customers. It was pretty busy, so we were seated at a hi-top table in the bar area next to other non-Spanish, English-speaking customers. There were many small-to-medium tapa plates to consider in their menu. We weren't looking to stuff ourselves, so we ordered the 6,9€ half-order of Chiporones à la Plancha, which was grilled baby squids nestled on a mixed salad drizzled with balsamic (Photo 10). Our second dish was the 6,1€ half-order of Parrillada Verdu. It was a simple but satisfying grilled vegetable platter of sliced tomato,, onion, and root veggies (Photo 9). The last dish we ordered was an unexpected taste of home, the 9,9€ Ensalada Cesar. The reason for the higher price point was the addition of chicken and bacon to the lettuce, tomato, cheese, croutons, and Caesar dressing (Photo 8). The combination was pretty hearty and familiar-tasting. Even though we probably ate enough for a mid-afternoon meal, I couldn't help but inquire about the availability of grilled octopus (pulpo) because we saw it look quite tempting on a neighboring table. It was just as well that they were out because we didn't have room in our bellies for that. Our tapas selection was just fine all on its own. FOOD - 4 stars...skilled execution of familiar tapas, pretty tasty AMBIANCE - 4 stars...compact but cozy taberna, crowds quickly at lunch SERVICE - 3.5 stars..,efficient though a tad brusque because it was busy TOTAL - 4 stars...a serious dining option close to the museums RELATED - Exploring Madrid? Here's a collection of places I've visited and reviewed: https://yelp.to/WCRoD4CVJE

Just mas please!!! Best sangria we have ever had! Outstanding seafood. So fresh and ample fruit,…read moregreat amount and flavor. Ample inside dining and some outdoor patio dining. About 15 minutes to Atocha station. Helpful service. Pluses A. Best sangria we have had 1. Scallops on the shell were amazing so light and fresh 2. Grilled cuttlefish were nicely charred 3. Octopus was large amount and with potato / he loved it, I thought it was too spicy for me. 4. Grilled shrimp with the heads so juicy in the head 5. Caramel dessert was good 6. We got free shots, twice and yes very good 7. Great value food Areas to improve 1. Bathrooms Highly recommended for sangria and seafood!! Happy faces on the diners.

Stumbled upon this place wandering the streets of plaza mayor and ea sin a the mood for some…read morepaella. El rincón de ati did not disappoint. My group shared the croquetas de jamón for appetizer and we shared a seafood paella and a chicken paella and there was enough left over to feed a 5th person. The service was great, fast and attentive. They even messed up are chicken paella order and since it takes a while to come out they comped it off the check which was extremely nice. All in all a perfect spot for casual group style food sharing experience

We stopped by here for a quick lunch. Food is decent. Service is relatively quick and the waiter is…read morefriendly. We had the Arroz Negro and it was delicious. My favorite was the pepper.

Located just outside of Puerta de Sol. This is a great place to enjoy Espana tapas and a drink!…read more The tapa portions are very large: the small size anchovies, contains two pieces of bread with 5 white anchovy fillets, diced onions, green olives, drizzled with olive oil. For a savory entree, I recommend the oxtail stew: 10 pieces of delectable oxtails in a brown gravy sauce. This tasted more like a beef pot roast, rather than a tomato style gravy. The oxtails are paired with thick cut fries.

This spot was the one for our first Tapas dinner for this Madrid visit. Roomy inside with some…read moreoutdoor seating. Empty as we were early for dinner around 7 so we took a table outside. They do have a Sister location next door -difference is less Tapas and Paella is on the menu. We started with Sangria and the Alhambra house brew. The Beer was billed as an IPA but tasted more like an Ale-very good. The Sangria was a bit sweet and refreshing. Complimentary Manchego cheese was a nice touch. Our Server warned us that their Tapas are larger than the typical size and she wasn't kidding-more like Tapas on steroids. We started with the Goat Cheese with onion and blueberry sauce. I don't think I've had fried Goat cheese and this was delicious. Blueberry sauce takes it over the top. Tortilla Omelette (Spanish Omelette) was filled with eggs/onions-very good. Last Tapa was the Cured Iberian Loin. Again, big portion. The surprise was the flat chicken breast and peppers under the Loin. This one was ok. Decided to share the Rice with 1/2 Lobster. Sauce was tasty mixed with the Rice as well Lobster. Not much Lobster though. Service was excellent with our Server patiently answering all of our questions. They've been around for almost 100 years. Don't miss the Goat Cheese Tapa!

Lots of freebies! Warm friendly service despite the server having to manage many tables. They were…read moreable to accommodate us without a reservation and groups. I especially enjoyed the tomato salad, the chorizo, olives, and bread. The grilled octopus could have used more flavor other than just olive oil and the chocolate cake slice was dry.

Gambas Rojas exquisitas, el bacalao, las croquetas de jamón, la tarta de Santiago, la leche…read morefrita... la atención excelente.. muy buen ambiente.

The only good thing in this restaurant was the salad. My fish sticks were cold and I waited 15…read moreminutes for someone to come take my order. 6/10 would not eat here again

Do not go here if you are American / a tourist. We were treated differently the second we sat down…read more We simply ordered a filet and a beef chop both cooked Medium and they came out RAW. Manager took 15+ minutes to come to us and said he would do a fresh recook. Came out again RAW. Blamed us saying "I do not know how you do it in your country". I wish I took a picture because the meat was purple and raw as can be. In no country is what we got MEDIUM. Manager was mean and condescending. We just ended up leaving after being there an hour and a half and still hungry.