Travel bucket list idea:
Madrid, Community of Madrid, Spain
Classic seafood paella – a spanish specialty
With over 6,000 restaurants serving dishes from all around Spain (and the world), Madrid is a funfair for foodies,. Join the locals at traditional restaurants, informal tapas bars, gourmet food markets, and the new Michelin restaurants setting off gastronomic fireworks.
As the capital city, Madrid has sucked up influences and talented chefs from all across Spain. There is a vast range of fresh seafood, fabulous tapas (patatas bravas were invented here), side by side with the hearty dishes of the interior – roast lamb, suckling pig and stews.
Alongside all these old favourites, a new breed of chef, each with their own personality and style of cooking, have made eating out in Madrid an adventure.
Pop into any tapas bar and you’ll see hams hanging from the ceiling, reflecting one local speciality – jamon. Don’t miss the finest, melt-in-your-mouth jamon Iberico de bellota (Iberian acorn-fed ham).
Beyond pork, Madrid’s favourite tapas dishes include soldadito de bacalao (salt cod fritters), tortilla (thick potato omelette), fried and salted padron peppers, hot garlic shrimp, saucy patatas bravas, and boquerones (pickled anchovies). Tuck in with a local beer, wine, sidra (Spanish cider) or vermouth straight from the barrel. Draft Vermouth, particularly before lunch, is a civilised custom that everyone should try.
Lastly, seek out the city’s rustic classics: suckling pig, callos a la madrilena (stewed tripe) and cocido madrileno (a meat and vegetable stew, served in three stages).
Also see our round-up of traditional Spanish foods you must try in Spain.
Madrid’s restaurant scene is incredibly dynamic right now. While traditional restaurants (mesones) still roast pork and lamb in wood-fired ovens, young chefs from all over Spain are creating some of the most innovative cuisine in the world, turning the capital into a foodie mecca to equal San Sebastian and Barcelona; at time of writing, Madrid has 21 Michelin-starred restaurants.
Madrid has more bars per capita than any city in Europe Locals love alternating old-school tapas joints with gastrobars and rooftop cocktail bars, while sipping wines from different Spanish regions by the glass.
Although well inland, Madrid is also home to the world’s largest seafood market after Tokyo, MercaMadrid.
Madrid, Community of Madrid, Spain
Experience
According to the Guinness Book of World Records, Botin which first opened its doors in 1725 – and has always been renowned for its suckling pig and roast lamb – is the oldest restaurant in the world.
Good for age: 18+
Madrid, Community of Madrid, Spain
Experience
Founded in 1894, unchanged with its mirrors and marble tables, this is the place to try Madrid’s favourite snack, churros – long doughnuts dipped in thick hot chocolate – available nightly until 11.30pm.
Good for age: 4+
Madrid, Community of Madrid, Spain
Experience
Young chef David Munoz is at the helm of Madrid’s acclaimed three Michelin-starred restaurant, creating unique food ‘pictures’ in a Cirque du Soleil ‘Dream World’ atmosphere: there’s nothing quite like it.
Adult price: £70
Min age 10
Good for age: 18+
Madrid, Community of Madrid, Spain
Experience
With two weeks in May and June of foodie events from tapas crawls to cooking workshops, this internationally-renowned food festival features 450 participating establishments offering over 550 food-related activities.
Good for age: 18+
Duration: 2 weels
When: May & June
Freq: annually
Madrid, Community of Madrid, Spain
Experience
Spain’s oldest cocktail bar, founded in 1931; along with bucketloads of atmosphere is a wall of photos of the movie stars (Sinatra, Grace Kelley etc.) who once sipped drinks here. Go for Sunday afternoon brunch with a DJ.
Min age 18
Good for age: 18+
Madrid, Community of Madrid, Spain
Experience
Away from the tourist crowds between the Chueca and Malasana districts, this street market is designed for socialising. It covers three floors, with two terraces and 20 wildly diverse stands and bars; it frequently hosts events.
Min age 18
Good for age: 18+
Madrid, Community of Madrid, Spain
Experience
Madrid’s foodie hotspot: a gourmet hub housing 33 shops and street stalls, selling the highest-quality local produce – including more than 100 varieties of cheese. A Madrid institution, the market buzzes from morning until late at night.
Good for age: 18+
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