One think I’ve always missed in Madrid is a decent place to buy sandwiches. Most bars sell bocatas which sort of substitute but I’m really talking about custom hand made sandwiches where you chose the breed, filling, toppings, spread etc. Magasand which recently opened in Alonso Martinez/Chueca offers just that. You chose from a variety of breads, buns or bagels and add from a good selection of cut meats, cheeses, spreads, sauces and other garnishing. They also promise soups in winter.

You can eat in or take away. If you eat in you head upstairs to the very pleasant magazine area. There’s good selection to chose from and you can either sit at the long wooden table or on one of the couches. This area begs for (free) wifi, but as far as I can tell its not currently available – don’t be mislead by the picture, that fellow is using 3G networks.

I had a bagel with pastrami, sweet mustard, sun dried tomatoes and cheese for 4 euros.

Magasand
Travesia de San Mateo

Madrid , Madrid , 28004 Spain


GEO: 40.42476, -3.697447
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I went to this very small tapas bar the other evening, and really liked it. The locale is actually an old shop and the quaint atmosphere has been maintained.  As you can see from the photos, both the bar and the menu are very small, really just tapas, salads etc and reasonably priced. I had the Salmorejo (cold tomato based soup) and the ‘Tosta’ with Ventresca, pimiento and pesto verde (that’s canned Tuna belly with piquillo peppers and pesto). Both were really good. I had beer with my tapas but there was a small but decent and reasonably priced wine list.

Not a good choice if you’re looking for a sit-down meal, but a really nice place for a cocktail, glass of wine, beer + tapa.

La Mantequeria
Calle San Bernardino 7

Madrid , Madrid , 28015 Spain


GEO: 40.425148, -3.710573
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I strolled by Tepic today, saw the menu which looked good, and the atmosphere looked very chueca-modern. I didn’t get a chance to try it, but if you have, I’d be interested to hear what you thought about it.

Update: I finally managed to go to this place and here’s my verdict: the food was pretty good, closer to real mexican food that most of it competitors, including decent real corn tortillas, friendly service and a pretty extensice tequila menu. My main gripe is the price. Sure its a step up from the usual mexican joint, and a more elegant etc, but its also more than twice as expensive.

Tepic: urban mex restaurant
calle Pelayo 4

Madrid , Madrid , 28004 Spain
+34 91 522 08 50


GEO: 40.421803, -3.699034
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The sign on the door says ‘Drink, Eat and Take Home the Furniture’. The idea is that you do just that, by buying the table you’ve eaten at or the copy designer chair you sat on during your meal. This place is conceived to make you feel your in a trendy restaurant in NY. Bare brick, bare wooden/metal beams, the menu written in chalk on blackboards and the staff ann dressed in black. It works pretty well, the space is very open, large windows, which are open in summer, and tables on the plaza Carlos Cambronero mean you can sit comfortably inside or out. The bar is a nice place for a drink if that’s all your after. As far as the furniture, I thought some of it was quite nice, but I’ve no idea if the prices are reasonable or not. Still it’s a nice idea you actually get to try a chair or table before buying it.

Where this place falls a little short is the food itself, which was a little disappointing. The menu’s a little too eclectic including things like thai soup, nachos, burghers or filet steak with french fries covered in truffle oil. More importantly the food wasn’t as good as I felt it could be. There’s a decent and not too expensive wine menu and a few wines which can be had be the glass. Our meal, in which we shared 2 starters and a main course, had a couple of glasses if wine each, 1 desert and coffee came to 25 euros per person.

Overall I’d reccommend this place. I suspect the food could improve, as it’s only been open for about a month, and in madrid getting even decent food in a terraza is worth recommending. If your a tourist looking for the authentic spanish-tapas experience, this is not the place but if you’re looking for a decent place in a pleasant modern atmosphere including the possibility to sit outdoors then this is a good choice.

Restaurante Lamucca
info@lamucca.es
Plaza Carlos Cambronero 4

Madrid , Madrid , 28004 Spain
+34 91 521 00 00


GEO: 40.423853, -3.703637
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I find myself returning quite a bit to this restaurant, which is at the same time bar, then later on a ‘gin-club’. What I like about it is that its serves quite well prepared basic food that you dont get bored of too quickly. Its also got a pleasant atmosphere, depending on your taste – might be a little too trendy for some, or too informal for others.  The restaurant, as its name suggests serves Spanish ‘market food’.

Dished we like include:

- Raff tomatoes by themselves with olive oil or with tuna: Raff are a deliciously flavored spanish variety of tomato which is a great change from the all too common and tasteless ones normally found these days.

- Pimientos de Padron:  These are small green pepper and are normally fried and served with salt

- Baked hake in the ‘bilboa’ style – on a bed of potatoes with some slighly hot dried chilies on top

- There are all sorts of egg dishes – with chips, blood pudding, spicy sausage, jamón etc

- Meat dishes and stews. 

The Mercado de La Reina has a pleasant bar in the front, where you can order many of the dishes as tapas with a glass of wine of beer but I’d recommend trying the Spanish vermouth (on-tap), which I think is far superior to the usual varieties. 

The location, on the Gran Vía, is very convenient for visitors, and they have english menus.

Mercado de la Reina
manuelmercadodelareina@gmail.com
Calle Gran Vía, 12

Madrid , Madrid , 28013 Spain
+34 91 521 31 98


GEO: 40.419533, -3.698868
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The Aloque holds a special place in my heart. It’s one of the first wine bars in Madrid, dating back to long before wine bars became trendy and numerous in the city, and it still has among the best selection and most carefully chosen cellars – by Paco Parejo the owner and enologist. Its located in Lavapies, an area more known for its multicultural and ethic diversity than for its wine bars. The menu is excellent but simple, with a list of 10 or so ‘Raciones’ (plates of food for sharing) and another 10 or so ‘tostas’, pieces of toast with delicacy on it. It doesn’t change that often, some of the items have been there for since I first tried the Aloque 12 years ago, but thats partly because in this bar the food is chosen to accompany the wine and not vice versa. We’d recommend almost anything, but are particularly find of the iberico pork fillet, the jamon (thats an easy one) and the croquetas. Most items on the menu are under 20 euros, and the tostas are usually under 5 euros.

Aloque
Torrecilla del Leal 20

Madrid , Madrid , Spain
+34 91 528 36 62


GEO: 40.410514, -3.699592
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I went for lunch today to the SushiOle in Chueca, and for 10 euros, incluing beer and desert, what a pleasant surprise! There’s a choice of 4 starters and 4 main courses all of which fall into the category of Japanese-fusion. I don’t think I’m going to try and describe the food, since the website (http://sushiole.com/) has a full menu with great pictures and all the prices (the 10 euro lunch menu only seems to be provided on the Spanish version of the website). This restaurant is a chain and there are currently 4 locations for it, all provided on their website.

SushiOle
info@sushiole.com
C/ Valgame Dios 4

Madrid , Madrid , 28004 Spain
+34 902 022 592


GEO: 40.422252, -3.696535
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La Sala started out as a small bar which became famous for its shrimp, and has grown into a large restaurant that’s something of a local institution. The menu is mostly seafood, but there are salads and a few meat dishes as well.

The shrimp, served in 1/2 or 1 kilo portions, are the cold-water north atlantic variety which are far superior in both taste and texture to the more comment and larger warm-water farmed ones. I also had anchovies, which are made on site and excellent, cockles done on the grill, also recommended, and croquetas which were a little disappointing.

The plate of shrimp shown in the picture (1/2 kilo) cost €35, the anchovies €16, the croquetas €10, and I don’t remember what the cockles cost. The whole meal for 4 with a bottle of Albariño and shared deserts cost about €30 per person.

The location 50 km outside madrid is probably not on most visitor itineraries but if you’re traveling north, and in a car, its a good choice – if you like shrimp and seafood.

Reservations are essential on weekends. Family friendly with lots of space for buggies.

La Sala
Carretera De Los Molinos (M-614) 2

Guadarrama , Madrid , 28440 Spain
+34 918 542 121


GEO: 40.684397, -4.0786
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Take aways aren’t that common in madrid, so I was pleasantly surprised by La Vita e Bella. There are 5-6 different pre-cooked pasta dishes which change from week to week, pizza by the slice or whole and salads, all for take away.

I’ve only tried the pasta, but like virtually all the dishes I’ve tried. Al-dente paste served with simple tasty sauces.

La Vita e Bella
Calle Pelayo, 22

Madrid , Madrid , 28004 Spain
+34 91 532 17 41


GEO: 40.422685, -3.698498
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El Mercado de la Reina serves well made, market based spanish food, stylishly presented in a modern atmosphere. Dishes include ‘Raff’ tomatoes with olive oil (for those of you that don’t know this variety of tomato, they are particularly flavorful and sweet), fried ‘Padron’ peppers (small green pepper which are occasionally hot), eggs with french fries and spanish cured ham (jamón), a number of types of scrambled eggs, numerous meat and fish dishes.

There is a bar at the front where you can have a drink and a few tapas, where recommend you try the spanish vermouth,  and a restaurant at the back for full meals.

Mercado de la Reina
manuelmercadodelareina@gmail.com
Calle Gran Vía, 12

Madrid , Madrid , 28013 Spain
+34 91 521 31 98


GEO: 40.419533, -3.698868
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Small italian restaurant in the heart of huertas. We enjoyed our meal, no major complaints about any of the dishes we ate, but we all felt it was a little expensive for what we got. It’s very crowded, with small tightly packed tables.

We shared fried buffalo mozzarella with a tomato and parmesan sauce as a starter. Main courses included linguini alla pesto, Parpadelle with white truffle and egg, and eggplant and zucchini rolled in fresh pasta with a creamy tomato sauce. We shared a pana cota for desert. The bill was around € 30 each, including a bottle of wine shared among 4.

Menu includes a good selection of starters, pasta dishes (fresh and dried pasta), risotto, meat and fish. No pizza.

Come Prima
Calle Echegaray 27

Madrid , Madrid , 28014 Spain
+34 914 203 042


GEO: 40.41415, -3.699469
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En la plaza de la Paja hay un nuevo buffet-restaurante-selfservice-take away-tienda vegetariano: Viva la Vida. Al igual que su nombre vitalista, la comida de este vegetariano no tiene nada de sosa ni de aburrida. Todo está elaborado, aliñado o especiado con gracia y buen hacer, una cocina con inspiración oriental, árabe y mediterránea, y con la base de la macrobiótica, eso sí, reinterpretada. Todas la legumbres y los cereales del buffet son orgánicos y muchos de los otros productos utilizados.
Viva la Vida se gestó hace años, cuando Magdalena, una de las socias, montó un restaurante ilegal en la terraza de su ático, luego abrió un restaurante en Malasaña con otro socio, y Viva la Vida es el resultado de esa experiencia. El de la plaza de la Paja es su segundo Viva la Vida, el primero está en la calle Huertas 57 y es más pequeño.

En Viva la Vida hay platos como las deliciosas lasañas, la paella marinera de algas, las albóndigas de mijo en salsa verde, los crepes de caviar de amaranto, deliciosas ensaladas, como la de bulgur con frutos secos y vinagreta de fresa, una sección de grill con variedades de croquetas, falafel y hamburguesas. Además hay ricas salsas y varios tipos de pan que permiten hacerte tu propio sándwich. En cuanto a la pastelería, también es deliciosa: tarta de zanahorias o de chocolate y nueces. La comida va al peso: hay un precio para todo lo salado (1,80 € por 100gr.) y otro para los dulces (2,20 € por 100 gr). Uno puede servirse, pesarlo, pagarlo y comer allí mismo (todo el sótano es un divertido salón tropical –kitsch), salir a las mesitas que tienen en la plaza o llevarse la comida en las cajitas. Hay salados y dulces aptos para veganos y para celiacos.

Viva la Vida
Costanilla de San Andrés 16 - Plaza de la Paja

Madrid , , Spain
913 663 349


GEO: 40.412696, -3.712478
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Calle Humilladero 13
91 36642 66

En La Latina, en la calle Humilladero 13, justo detrás del mercado de la Cebada, está el restaurante gallego Xentes. Un espacio grande mitad restaurante mitad barra y zona de tapeo. Es un gallego clásico, pero modernizado y la calidad de los productos es excelente. Reciben cada día el pescado directo desde Villagarcía de Arousa. Un buen lugar para tomar unas raciones de marisco, anchoas, empanadas, pimientos del padrón, pulpo…. y ribeiro o alvariño de la casa. El pulpo, tiernisimo y delicioso es definitivamente uno de los mejores que hemos probado. Las raciones son generosas con lo que al final, no sale caro. Un buen plato de pulpo a feira 15 €.

Trendy new tapas bar, full of young, good looking and trendy people. In spite of that it turned out to be a pleasant surprise. We had cañas (small beers), cheap but drinkable red wine, a plate of tasty shrimp with lemon. The background music was well chosen.Basic menu with dishes like: Egg with Foie, Boletus Risotto, Hamburger, Cous-cous… All dishes were between 10-20 euros. Its very near calle Luna, home to prostitutes and junkies. 

Larita
Corredera baja de San Pablo, 19

Madrid , Madrid , Spain
+34 91 522 80 70


GEO: 40.422277, -3.704302
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Though foreign cuisine is not usually one of Spain’s strengths, Japanese is something of an exception. This is probably because of the quality and abundance of fresh fish in Spain – the world’s largest consumer of seafood after Japan.

On of our favourites is Samurai. On the recently reformed Plaza de Santo Domingo elegant and minimalist restaurant is a good choice for lunch or dinner. Extensive complete lunch menus, including a drink, range from about 10-15 euro, though we’d generally recommend a-la-carte for a little more. Our favorite dishes include agedashi tofu, ‘Toro’ tuna nigiri, slightly braised Salmon ‘belly’ nigiri. Eating la carte will cost up to 20 euros per person without wine.

Close Mondays.

Samurai - Japanese restaurant
Cuesta de Santo Domingo, 24

Madrid , Madrid , 28013 Spain
+34 91 559 30 65


GEO: 40.419765, -3.70831
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One of the most consistently reliable places for high-end/fusion tapas. Spanish food with japanese and french influences. Excellent and large selection of Spanish and foreign wines. Favourite dishes include: Salmorejo, foie & egg foam, fideua de marisco. They don’t take reservations and it usually gets quite crowded after about 21:30. Dinner here usually costs us form 30-40 euros per person, but that depends on what wine you chose.  

Taberneros
Calle de Santiago 9

Madrid , Madrid , Spain
+34 91 542 24 60


GEO: 40.416355, -3.710428
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Looks like la Taberna de los 100 vinos on calle Nuncio has closed. If anyone knows if it’s moved somewhere else please let us know. It was one of the first and most consistently good places to provide creative tapas in madrid with a superb wine selection. In its place is a bar/restaurant called juanalaloca. I haven’t tried it, the wine selection and menu looked decent, but the decor was not inviting. Maybe it was just that I was in shock over the loss of the ‘Cien Vinos’

This crowded restaurant/bar turned out to be a pleasant surprise. Low key atmosphere and prices, but the creative tapas were all good and reasonably creative. From the entrance all you can see is the crowded bar, but there are a few tables in a back room if you want to sit down. The wine selection, by glass or bottle was basic, but good value – I think the most expensive bottle was under €20.

We ate boletus croquetas, squid-ink risotto, beef-cheeks (dont remember what they were done with but they were delicious), green salad with fried goat’s cheese and boletus raviolis. We even had desert: tiramisu and chocolate backed with berries. I’d re-order any of it, except possibly the boletus raviolis, but there were lots of other interesting things on the menu we didn’t try.

Txirimiri
Calle del Humilladero 6
Madrid
+34 91 364 11 96
Location on Google Maps

Orignal: Ten Places I Would Never Eat or Drink in Madrid

I agree with the sentiment here, but there’s no need to list all the American food and drink chains. One line to omit all of these is enough. I might make one exception: Starbucks. Yeah, its a rip-off but if you’re with kids, and looking for a (please forgive me for mentioning this in Spain) smoke-free environment with a little space for trolley etc, there aren’t a lot of choices, and the café next door almost certainly isn’t one of them.

Always worth a read: 36 Hours in Madrid