Food was excellent. Paella was very good as well as the pork cheeks. Also got the Tinto De Verano…read morewhich was very good and refreshing. As I look at other people's food, everything looks so good! Had to wait a little bit for a table but the waiter was super nice. You can also order at the bar if you want. Pretty decent bar decor? A little nicer than the places that I usually frequent! lol

El Sur is an unpretentious cafe in Madrid outside the main tourist areas in Lavapies. I enjoyed the…read morepork roast on a bed of potatoes. I also could not resist the cheesecake, which was freshly made. The pork was good and included a generous helping of meat. The cheesecake was outstanding, an unexpected bonus. The restaurant was lively with locals. Service was slower but more relaxing. This cafe was a find.

We truly enjoy this very popular Galician tapas place! I recommend making reservations. We have…read moretaken friends here and loved every dish. Our faves: * Ropa Vieja - my son's fave - he almost didn't share this cuban style shredded beef * Bacalao confitado - creamy and decadent * Prawn Risotto - yummmm * Pimientos de Padron - mild and reminds me of shishito peppers * Pulpo a la plancha - Grilled octopus Next time I plan to try the Paella de Mariscos...

this has to be one of my favorite eats in Madrid. Omg, the scallops were buttery and packed with…read moreimmense flavor, melting in your mouth. We loved them! They included small shrimp chunks too. The tinto was perfection and refreshing. We scored 3 rounds out of the pitcher so if you're dining with a group, that sounds like a great choice. The veggies were seasoned well with a vinaigrette type sauce. Loved it. Variety of cheeses with jam on the platter. It honestly filled us up with nice portion sizes and we left with complimentary shots. Super smooth and it seemed like chocolate but more milky like horchata? They take reservations I believe. It's recommended on a busy day especially weekends because they get quite busy. We sat at the bar.

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.

Had early dinner after arriving to Madrid by train. Didn't need a reservation, they had plenty of…read moreseating and it was comfortably spaced for groups. Very family kitchen feel with the tiles, wood, and decorations. Food was good with large portions, the service was quick and very friendly. We like the homey feel of the place and it really feels like this restaurant had been around for ages. Would say the paella to avoid, it wasn't as good as the ones we had gotten from Seville. Most of the tapas were more carb heavy than balanced we've experienced so far in our trip. Recommend here if you're looking to be fed at an affordable price and quickly seated, but it isn't a place to go out of your way for.

My favorite meal/experience during our visit to the wonderful city of Madrid. Many reviews highly…read morepraised the tapas so we decided to see if we could get in. As foreigners, we arrived earlier than the locals which worked out well. By the time we finished there was a crowd waiting outside. We loved the casual atmosphere and the elevated flavors of the tapas. The wine was perfect and we chose just the right amount of dishes that complimented one another. We felt like this was someplace special and were happy to have experience it.

The food, the service & ambiance was great!! We walked in at 10:30pm & the host was able to give us…read morea table in 5 minutes! The place was super super busy!!! Minimum order is 2 plates per person!

If you're looking for delicious mushrooms look no further! Beautiful old restaurant. Great service!read more

Alright, as I continue to try to catch up on all the review drafts I wrote while on vacation, at…read morethis point a whole 5 months ago... I know this one was exactly 5 months ago, because we touched down in Madrid on New Years Day, and this was the first place we ate (sounds like they've been here for aeons, so I doubt they've changed significantly since January.) My plan when we landed had been to just go down the list I'd made before we left of the best quick food places near our hotel, and eat at the first one that *was* open on New Years. I was worried there wouldn't be any and we'd be eating snacks from a convenience store, but nope! This place was indeed open. Open, and an absolute *madhouse*. I'm not sure if it was just because it was New Years, they were open, and much of the street wasn't, or if they're always this crazy - but it was a decent wait to order, to the point that it wasn't *entirely* clear whether we were even waiting correctly to order, since the line had kind of turned into a blob. Ordering and picking up our food was slightly nerve-wracking with how crowded it was, and there didn't really appear to be anywhere inside to sit, so we figured we'd sit outside at the tables... that we got immediately yelled at for sitting at, because it turns out all the tables right outside their entrance, actually belongs to their next door neighbor. So if I were ever back in Madrid, I *would* totally consider getting food here again, but I'd just probably plan on bringing it back to the hotel, vs what we ended up doing, finding the closest nearby flat non-private surface and eating it standing up in an alley. It definitely felt like a cool historic building inside, though, would've loved to dine in, if it hadn't been wall-to-wall packed, which it sounds like they might just always be. Food was great, though. We shared (this was plenty of food): An order of the cider-braised sausages - wonderful. Bonus, we learned from personal experience, you definitely want to get an order of these sausages, as not only are the sausages themselves delicious, the resulting au jus was also great for dipping the other items into.) An order of the ham and cheese croquettes - pretty tasty, though they did fall apart. Even tastier dipped in sausage juice, though then they *really* fell apart. Worth it though. Didn't look like you got a lot per order, but looks are deceiving - they were *rich*. An order of their famous mushrooms - I was a bit surprised, given the name literally means "the mushroom bar", that they only had a single mushroom dish, though given the sheer volume of that one item they clearly sell nightly, I can see why. Anyway, as a mushroom fan... they were certainly tasty mushrooms, perfectly cooked, but in my opinion, just a bit oversalted. Also had a glass of sangria for 2.50 euro - it is extremely good sangria, though the glass for 2.50 was pretty small. They also sell it for a better price by the larger container, but sadly, while I absolutely loved the European spirit of trusting people to be responsible after leaving with a to-go alcoholic beverage... they don't sell the *larger* sized sangria if you aren't dining in. Was too bad, as I absolutely would have loved twice as much of that sangria, but it clearly wasn't worth standing in a long ordering line a second time for it.

This is another place I wish I could give half stars, in this case 4.5. On one hand, it's the…read more*exact* sort of quietly-pretentious cocktail bar experience I absolutely love, where all the drinks have been carefully curated with a bunch of small-batch ingredients, most of them, in this case, made in house. Each drink we ordered had an absolutely precisely perfect, super-unique presentation, and you could tell they were all carefully designed. I especially loved, while they don't advertise being a distillery, several cocktails even use their own in-house spirits, which if you ask about it and you're ordering a bunch of cocktails, you can just try a tasting flight for free. That was just super cool - you can buy bottles of some of them, too. Bit pricey at ~40 euro for a half-bottle, but they also distill some seriously unusual stuff, including one, used in their now-my-gold-standard bloody mary, distilled from a variety of mixed vegetables, the first time I'd *ever* seen a spirit distilled entirely from vegetables. On the other hand, with the exception of that bloody mary, all the drinks we had, especially for the price, were just... good. I loved the attention to detail on all of them, I could tell a lot of intention and effort went into each one, and again, it's always cool when you're drinking something that was distilled specifically by and for the bar you're at. But I also feel like I remember, mostly, a lot more about the presentation of the drinks and how much work went into some of the ingredients, than what most of them actually tasted like. On the third hand... that bloody mary. Seriously probably the best bloody mary I've had, as you'd expect from a place that hand-crafts literally everything including the base spirit. Assuming they still have it and it wasn't only on a temporary/seasonal menu... I'd go back for more of those, if I were ever back in Madrid. (If it was on a temporary/seasonal menu... too bad for me. I'll be savoring the half-bottle of the spirit I absolutely brought home with me, anyway! Though I still won't be making their bloody mary, which also used their own mix of several fresh-made stocks, for maximum flavor while also being totally clear still. That was super cool, and again, absolutely delicious.) Would I put it in my own personal "best bars anywhere on the planet" list? Probably not - that's a... lot of competition. Is it the best cocktail bar in Madrid? Also in my opinion, no, if I could only recommend one craft cocktail bar in Madrid, it'd be Salmon Guru. But if someone just asked me for recommendations for Madrid cause I'd been there, I could recommend any number of places, and they liked fancy, not-cheap craft cocktails? This would also go on the list, if that hypothetical person had time for two, as we did. Definitely do make a reservation, though. When we got there right when they opened, we were the only ones there... but that definitely didn't remain true.

Angelita had pretty good food, cocktails, and ambiance. I visited around 9 PM without a reservation…read moreand we got a seat in the basement bar. We had a few drinks and dinner. They serve the same food menu downstairs as well as upstairs. I liked the decor a lot; dark but comfortable. FOOD Smoked beef ham croquette - €3.5 each - pretty good croquettes Organic "ratatouille" with egg yolk and rosemary mayonnaise - €17.5 smaller portion - it was a little like ratatouille. It was not very attractive looking -- it was a vegetable mush. It didn't seem like a full dish on its own; it needed meat. Oxtail stew cannelloni with Sherry hollandaise - €10.5 - pretty good; get two if you are sharing They also gave us some olives (tasty) and then later some nuts (bad because they were unsalted / unseasoned). DRINKS Apio y Citricos - tequila with celery etc - interesting and tasty Resina y Sombra - mezcal with mushrooms etc - also interesting and tasty Moscow Mule Citronela - it was a moscow mule. not very interesting. Topinambo - whiskey, chicken skin etc They were all €13 or €14 We liked two of them a lot, less so the other two.

Venir a Madrid sin visitar este lugar es como no venir. Clásico histórico con servicio personal y…read morefamiliar. Un lugar que debe visitar si viene a Madrid!!... Un ambiente espectacular, que habla de la historia de una cultura.

Tapas were just like I remember it! Kudos to the wait staff as we arrived near closing not by…read morechoice but they still got us in and out in time! Will be back.

A great experience. Extremely busy restaurant but well orchestrated team of people working save…read moreknowing what to do. Daniel our server did San excellent job taking care of every detail. The ambience couldn't be better, a place to enjoy and experience what is to be in the oldest restaurant in the world. The food, El cochinillo ! Wow! It's an experience.

Sobrino de Botín is the oldest recorded restaurant in the world according the Guiness Book of World…read moreRecords at over 300 years old. What foodie would pass up the opportunity to dine here? When I found out I was coming to Madrid I had to book a table. First things first, my suggestion is book way in advance. This place fills up fast. My friend and I waited too long and the only seating we could get was at 11:15 PM. No big deal though there's plenty of places you can get a light snack in the surrounding area while exploring the city. Walking in, the architecture immediately hits you. Low ceilings, gorgeous old brick, tight dining rooms, it really feels like you stepped back in time. The whole atmosphere is elevated without being stiff. Staff was super friendly and made the experience feel smooth from start to finish. There's also apprently a really nice wine cellar at the bottom I overheard other patrons bragging about. Food wise, I will keep it real, it was good, just not my favorite meal in Madrid. The sangria was solid, definitely one of my highlights. The croquettes were fire. Crispy, creamy, exactly what you want. My friend's seafood casserole was actually really good too, I lowkey wish I went that route. Now the misses. The sautéed vegetables with Iberian ham didn't do it for me. The veggies needed seasoning bad, and the ham leaned a little too salty, so together it just felt off. The suckling pig, the signature dish, was good, but I was not blown away. If I find myself returning here, I would explore other options. After dinner, there was a little show and they let you keep a souvenir menu, which was a nice touch and made the night feel more memorable. Overall I had a solid 3.5 star experience rounded up to 4. Sobrino de Botín is history, it is iconic, and it is worth saying you have been. Just do not expect it to be the best meal of your trip. Hit Botín, soak it in, then go explore the rest of Madrid's food scene, because that is where things really start to shine.

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.

La Mi Venta is a small, warm family restaurant tucked away on a quiet side street in Madrid, and it…read moreturned out to be a wonderful surprise. We hadn't planned on eating there but decided to drop in. The interior is cozy and inviting, while outdoor seating is available if you prefer to dine al fresco (though it can get a bit windy outside). In fact, our water glass toppled over with one gust of wind. Reservations are recommended, as the place seems popular. The menu features a wide variety of traditional Spanish dishes, and everything we tried was delicious. Our T-bone steak arrived perfectly cooked, served with grilled peppers and sliced golden potatoes, it was simple, flavorful, and satisfying. The squid was also very good, but the standout dish was the asparagus in tempura with almond mayonnaise. Perfectly fried and incredibly light, it was absolutely outstanding. Another highlight was the homemade Iberian ham croquettes served with candied pepper sauce which were creamy and rich on the inside with a delicate crisp on the outside and a wonderful balance of flavor. To accompany the meal, we enjoyed a few glasses of Rioja Azpilicueta Crianza (Tempranillo, Graciano, and Mazuelo, 12 months aging, 2021). It was a bit on the dry side, but helped take the edge off the chilly wind while we sat outside enjoying a late lunch. The staff were friendly and accommodating, even indulging my enthusiasm for photographing the slicing of the Iberian ham. All in all, La Mi Venta delivered a fantastic, authentic Spanish dining experience with great food, good wine, and welcoming service in a charming setting. Definitely worth a visit if you're in Madrid.

This is a spot that feels like a little bar but is actually more like a casa with some food items…read more Here, they are big on pig and there are Iberico hams located on and around the bar for easy access. If you are vegan, coming here will only piss you off. In fact, a vegan in Madrid in general is ill-advised. The setting feels historic and rustic with exposed brick and stone that appears to be centuries old. They seem to make everything (both food and drink) behind that cramped bar which explains why most of their menu items are cold, pre-made, or easy to assemble from short lists of raw ingredients. This does not mean that anything is bad. It just means it is like producing charcuterie in a dorm room bar. A large number of items involve Iberico Ham and one of the barmen is constantly shaving off thin pieces for service. In fact the freebie snack they send out from the kitchen had some Iberico ham and Manchego cheese on it which was a really nice warm up of what to expect. Over the noonish lunch hour, I was the only tourist in the place surrounded by many locals that clearly know about this spot. I liked those odds for assuring me of a genuine authentic experience. It was an accurate predictor. I'm not the most experienced when it comes to true Spanish tapas but this seemed to be a very genuine depiction of what the locals look for in a rustic Iberico ham experience. And frankly, even if it wasn't I can't find anything to really complain about. It was a cool historic setting, there was ice-cold vermouth from a tap, and I spent an hour shoving local Morcilla (blood sausage) and Iberico pig parts into my pie hole for the better part of an hour. It was a great experience any way you choose to look at it.

Must visit if only to meet Vicente Fernandez!…read more Friendly staff, great drinks, great appetizers, great ambiance, great vibe. Perfect place to end the night.