One of many branches, El Pimiento Verde on Calle de Castelló is a nicer restaurant for which you'll…read morewant to make a reservation ahead of time. With a decently sized menu, there will be no shortage of dishes to try. We elected to go for some Spanish classics and their featured dishes, which included their Creamy Rice with Lobster, Traditional Tripe Stew, and Aged Beer Rib-eye. The creamy rice with lobster is essentially a risotto, with the rice being cooked al dente. While the texture is nice, because of the smaller portion of lobster and the lack of flavor, by the end it feels like you're just left with a bowl of undercooked rice. The traditional tripe stew was quite good, with the beef being extremely tender and chewy. The rib-eye itself was a large cut, however, a good portion of the meat is fat. Additionally, it's only seasoned with a light touch of salt, so at the end of the day also lacking a bit. If you want to come to El Pimiento Verde, it's primarily for the ambience. The food itself is fine, though nothing to call home about. If you're short on time and looking for places to experience Spanish cuisine, this is probably one restaurant that can be skipped.

Great place for dinner! We had a reservation, which I would recommend. This place wasn't too loud…read moreand our server had great recommendations on the wine and around the food on the menu. Highly recommend the calamari and my cod was so light and flaky.

The friendly guy out front worked the tourists. More of a fusion place with Spanish, Basque, and…read moreother cuisines. Pintxos: six oxtail gyozas, bacalao (fried cod), barra 3 pintxo combo, a good mojito drink, and soft drinks. Snacked on crisps

I wish I could have tried more things on the menu! A fun fusion take on Spanish food and each tapa…read morewas delicious. We got: - alcachofas (artichokes) - pintxo de champiñón (mushroom and shrimp pincho) - Calamares - Pintxo de foie - gyozas de rabo (oxtail gyoza) - mini beef hamburgers Everything had amazing flavor and the sauces that complimented each dish had me drooling. The foie was so buttery and had no funk. The portions were also very generous! Our waiter was very friendly and attentive as well, giving us a large downstairs table where he put music on and turned on heaters for our comfort. Great spot.

I left a review yesterday my you lied and then deleted my review. I said I felt your staff was…read moreracist towards me. Instead of of calling me you listened to them instead of calling me and asking me what happened. My hotel recommend your restaurant i spent nearly 90 dollars. And you still didn't give me the courtesy of a phone call. I saw several black Americans come in and leave. Check the tape don't argue with me change it. How could you say you accommodated me when I asked several times for a different chair. My reservation was at 8 I asked to come in because of the heat. The waiter offered a table top i couldn't fit there. Which was obvious he said I could have a table if I was done by 8:45 I said no thank you we will keep our terrace reservation. My wife's food was under cooked I enjoyed my meal everything was fine until the waiter asked us to move tables at our outside reservation because you had a party of 14 coming. That's when I asked for the manager who didn't speak English. Although you claimed in your Google reply that he offered me accommodations. A very nice young man translated for me who works for you. He not the manager apologized that I had a traumatic experience and I left with your manager saying nothing just standing there looking at me. This review is not to cause harm to your business but to help you to correct an experience that a patron had. I read some of your responses and I've noticed a lack of accountability. I was polite Although no efforts were made by your staff to bridge the language barrier. Hire dual lingual staff. Establish a culture of accountability and listen before you respond. You can't tell me how to feel about my experience. I wish you and your staff all the best. Vernon S.

3.5 stars Walking through the neighborhoods of Madrid, I…read morestumbled upon this Basque restaurant and bar and was fascinated by the menu selections, so I stopped in for lunch! The restaurant has a modern, clean setting, and the waitstaff was patient with us as we tried to decide and order our dishes. We started with the ensalada of guacamole and shrimp "tartar"--on a round bed of mashed avocado sat little pieces of shrimp, which simply bursted with flavor! There was also a creamy dressing on the dish that brought together the creaminess of the avocado with the bright flavors of the seafood. Next, we had the "false risotto" with little chopped up pieces of shrimp, squid, and plankton--the dish was warming and delicious with deep seafood flavors (better than the tourist paella found all over Madrid), though the rice seemed a little bit underdone to me. Both of these were great dishes, and great discoveries, though they were a little bit pricey for the relatively small portion sizes.

Popped in for a quick standing tapas lunch at around noon. It happened to be Spanish mother's day…read moreand they hooked me up with a red carnation, swoon. A nice sized bar and plenty of tables in the front and back area. Tapas all are 2.5 euro. We sampled a bunch and they were all great. Pretty simple, but fresh and delicious. A high five to the thinly pounded, breaded and fried mushroom that was delectable. Their spanish tortilla was mainly egg based vs potato and was a little runny, I was into it. Small beers happened to be 2.5 euros as well, so it was a cheap, filling, delicious and quick lunch! I'd 100% come again and def recommend!

Spectacular food and service! Will return! This was a nice surprise after having walked for hors…read moretrying to find a place that was on my list to try.

Came without a reservation and the staff was welcoming! Tried the prawns, breaded cod, and quail…read moredrumettes with a glass of cava. All excellent. Service was excellent and the ambience was moderately noisy with what you would expect in a typical restaurant environment. Highly recommend.

I'm now a fan of lean cut steak, medium rare. Being an American I always think you have order…read moreribeye or some fat marbled derivation. Not so, if you order the sirloin offering at Zerain. Everything was delicious from the white asparagus to the Cardenal brandy, served after dessert. White tablecloths and impeccable service made the visit a high point of our stay in Madrid.

Great start, our hotel made reservations for us…read more We were greeted by Ananda, our server on arrival and she went through the entire menu with recommendations. Great classical music in the background. Excellent choice for winding down after a long hot day. Dinners start real late in Spain. I do enjoy starting the dinner "early" at 8 or 8:30 and it feels like you have the restaurant to yourself. This is Basque food and it is authentic and good. They focus on grilling and not putting on a lot of spices, keeping it simple and highlighting the food. There is also plenty of art from a Basque artist and it helps tell a story about the place and food. Our server did a wonderful job explaining the art and story about the artist and pieces Started with sourdough and olive oil and asparagus. The sourdough was excellent and soft, some of the better bread we have had in Spain. The asparagus was excellent, it is from its own garden and grilled nicely. They have an oil mix with red, green peppers and onions. Yummy. Minor critique is maybe a little more al dente on the cook. As I say this I am sure this is their preference. The main course arrived and Ananda did the work to prepare the fish, the piquillo pepper arrived with the main as well. It was a must. The sea bream was cooked nicely in olive oil and fried garlic. It was tasty but the piquillo peppers were the star of the night. So much flavor. Cheat code, add the peppers to the fish, wow what a dish. Once we found out about the desserts we had to complete the deal. The chocolate is a take on a decadent brownie and I got the the pantxineta. The pantxineta is a custard in the middle with a hint of lemon sauce. The desserts were super delicious. The pantxineta was a perfect pastry with custard and lemon sauce at the bottom with the perfect mix of sweet and sour. The chocolate was like a deconstructed lava cake with caramel encrusted bread toasties for dipping or eating on your own. Very chocolate forward that was also delicious. This is a solid 4.5, I believe the overall rating is low so going with a 5 for the experience, service, locally owned food and near story.

The atmosphere is wonderful, a little bright but okay. Service is on point and they are very…read morecourteous. The waiter was good about answering questions and brought out exactly what I wanted, there was no regrets on my part. The sausages were amazing with a little hint of heat. The full portion of leeks was spot on and just the right amount of salt. The salad with the spring onions and vinegar and olive oil was just the right touch with the steak. The steak was beautiful and rare and melted in my mouth, with the pepper tapenade was marvelous. Overall a fabulous meal. I'm a fan and will come back, Basque food is my favorite.

This small pinchos spot has become a regular stop for me. They open early (8:00 AM) and serve…read morecoffee and pastries. As they day advances they offer a nice selection of tapas, in addition to a regular menu. Everything I've has been delicious, and very reasonably priced. They also have a full-selection of wine and liquor. The only negative aspect of the establishment that I can think of is that while the staff is very friendly, the restaurant is very small, and can make service a bit challenging when the place is packed. Also, during peak hours, there's a lack of seating space. That being said, it's a nice little spot for a coffee, drink, or light meal, and I visit a few times a week.

Awesome little tapas place. The tapas here are larger and fancier, pinchos. The selection is small…read morebut it's a quick walk from Retiro park and metro station.

When you think of a classic tourist trap, Casa Lucio is the perfect definition. Don't be fooled by…read morethe pictures of presidents and celebrities on the walls. We came expecting the very best of Spanish cuisine, and instead got a major disappointment. The potato salad was drenched in mayonnaise, completely overpowering the other ingredients. The entrecôte with fries was even worse--the meat was full of greasy strings, nothing like the clean, tender cut it's supposed to be. The fries were poorly cut, oily, and limp instead of crisp. Even the padrón peppers, which are usually impossible to get wrong, were flavorless. The bread was stiff and hard to bite. Service was just okay, but the atmosphere felt rushed and uncomfortable, as the place is overcrowded with tourists chasing the restaurant's reputation. In short: overrated, overpriced, and absolutely not worth the hype.

I was on a search for restaurants loved by the locals. Casa Lucio was bursting with people waiting…read morefor a table so of course, I knew I wanted to try it. They said reservations only but we were able to snag 2 seats at the bar. The food was good. Not the best during my trip but good nonetheless. I think I did not order what they're known for however I still enjoyed my meal.

I used to live across the street from Tribuetxe and always wanted to try it; I just never found the…read moreright time to pop in! Finally, after visiting the Mercado De San Fernando on Sunday, a few friends and I decided to drop in and try it out. It's definitely a neighborhood bar in its simplicity-- nothing flashy or trendy about it, which I love. The staff was really friendly, you get a real tapa with your drink (not stale potato chips), and they looked like they had a good variety of drinks and snacks. Any bar that has Txacolina is perfect for me! They also had mini bottles of beer from Bilbao that my friends really liked-- and it was a beer we haven't seen elsewhere in Madrid.

The best food we had in Madrid hands down, and that's saying something for a city with so much…read moredeliciousness to offer. I'm almost reluctant to review this place because I want it to be my secret place, even though I'm a tourist and I don't live here, and this place was packed to the brim with locals when we got here. It was definitely intimidating at first, because you can't find a word of English when you first enter. Ask the counter if they have an English menu, of which they seem to have only a single copy. Food is fantastic. We got the patatas, prawn/mushroom/seafood brochettes, and the tuna tartare, and everything was delicious and succulent down to the last lick. The chef has the sauces and flavors down. Masterful, yet approachable. Potatoes were soft and flavorful, and warmed us up on this cold day. The tuna tartare were honestly unlike any other tuna tartare we've had. Portions are generous, and any carbs that come with the orders go perfectly with each corresponding creation. There was only one waitress/bartender on duty, and one chef- and both of them were so nice too! So glad we decided to give this place a try on our last night in Madrid.