We could tell you all about the history of Spanish capital Madrid, about the Christian city walls, the Prado museum, the city centre El Retiro park (now a UNESCO World Heritage Site), but there's just too much food and drink to tell you about so you'll have to get that info elsewhere. More like London than Lisbon, the Madrid buzz and energy is electric, and while the city sprawls across 21 districts and 131 barrios, it's pretty walkable (if you don't mind walking).
From the city's most electrifying restaurants, to the markets where the Madrileños shop, to the cheesecase you can't unsee once you see it, here's our guide to a very nice few days eating and drinking in Madrid...
Bakeries
Alma Nomad Bakery
Timi Árgyélán and Joaqin Escriva opened their first bakery in Budapest, but after Timi became pregnant they decided to relocate to Joaqin's hometown of Madrid to have family around. They took over a rundown building in a quiet neighbourhood, and from the first day they pulled up the shutters Alma Nomad has had an unrelenting queue.
Now known as one of the capital's best bakeries, get there early for custard tarts, gianduja croissants and crusty slabs of quiche. Read more lovely background on the duo here.
La Duquesita
Called Madrid's "most beautiful pastry shop" by Eater, La Duquesita (which translates as The Duchess) has welcomed all kinds of Spanish royalty since opening in 1914, including Queen María Cristina. After briefly closing in 2015, new steward Oriol Balaguer took over and has kept standards as high as ever, and a tea room opened next door in 2021. The croissants are said to be the best in the city, with the palmeras also legendary.
(La Duquesita)
Alex Cordobés
An essential stop for cheesecake lovers, Alex Cordobés opened his first shop in the upmarket Salamanca, after Instagram posts for his at home business resulted in a waiting list for cake. Pick from three different sizes in seven speciality flavours, including traditional, Belgian chocolate, and Iberian pistachio.
(Alex Cordobés)
Food and wine shops
Formaje
Friends and collaborators with Alex Cordobés, Formaje has been described as Madrid's "temple of cheese". Part gourmet food shop, part cheese gallery, you'll find cow, sheep and goat cheese from every encalve of Spain and its islands in here.
Use the staff's encyclopedic knowledge when choosing what to pack in your suitcase to bring home, but our favourite was the Mahón from Menorca (hot tip - if you can, pack it in your check in luggage for cooler temperatures, and put a chilled bottle of water in the same compartment before you fly). Don't miss the smoked meats, cheeses and anchovy butter from Barcelona's Rooftop Smokehouse too.
Cuenllas (Calle Ferraz & Salesas)
Known as one of the best gourmet delicatessens and wine shops in Madrid, it's very easy to spend a pretty penny in Cuenllas. Find their original deli, wine shop and restaurant at Calle Ferraz, while their more modern bistro featuring an even larger wine selection (much of it natural) is in the Salesas neighbourhood. The latter is ideal for casual drinks and bites, the former needs to be booked well in advance.
Markets
Mercado San Miguel
Madrid's most famous covered food market, Mercado de San Miguel was built in 1916, but reopened in 2009 after a big renovation.
It's packed full of Spanish tapas and drinks, like gildas, seafood cones and cheese and charcuterie plates, but it's a tourist mecca and prices for some items are eye-wateringly high in comparison to the rest of the city.
It's a buzzy, easy choice for a bite to eat and a few drinks, but if quality is the most important thing to you there are far better food options around.
Mercado De La Paz
For a taste of what the Madrileños want from a food market, head north to Mercado de la Paz instead. It's far less touristy and over-priced, and home to one of Madrid's most famous tapas bars - Casa Dani, know for that tortilla.
If you can't face the queues then pull up a seat anywhere else - it's all good in here. The little wine bars out front are weekend meet up goals, and there's plenty of Spanish delicacies like Cantabrian anchovies, olives and vinegars at fair prices to stuff in your suitcase if you have space.
Restaurants
Taberna Laredo
When the owners of Uno Mas recommend a restaurant in Spain you write it down, underline it three times and draw a circle around it. You will not have a more perfect opening meal than Taberna Laredo so head straight here from the airport to feast on all the anchovies, prawn rice, and tomato tartare (thanks to the guy on the airplane for that truly stellar reccomendation).
Sit at the bar or in the more formal dining room upstairs looking down at everyone below, drinking wines from Madrid and watching the owner join table after table for a chat and a drink. You'll probably want to go back again after meal number one, and you will definitely have had worse ideas.
Angelita
Another Uno Mas recommendation that we now consider non-negotiable for an all-out dinner in Madrid, Angelita has staff whose welcome is like a squeezy hug, a menu of modern Spanish dishes cooked by a thriving team of chefs, and what must be one of the most epic wine lists in Europe - we gave up half way through and asked the sommelier to bring us glasses of her choice, which was the right decision.
Don't miss their famous ratatouille with egg yolk and rosemary, the steak tartare toasts, and the tomato and basil puff pastry for dessert - the talent on show here will have you grinning like an idiot from start to finish.
Restaurante TriCiclo
For something more cheffy with amuse bouches and bread courses, head to Triciclo (Spanish for tricyle) down a quiet street in the Literary district. The focus is on local and sustainable produce, cooked in a variety of ways inspired by countries from Spain to Japan to Peru.
The dining room weaves its way around corners to create lots of quiet spots, and while the by the glass wine list looks tiny, the sommelier is happy to pour anything he thinks you'll like using the Coravin system (for a fraction of the prices we pay for Coravin wines at home).
Sacha Restaurant
Out of the centro, North past the Bernabéu stadium, is Restaurante Sacha, which is something of a pilgrimage for chefs and restaurant owners coming to Madrid just to eat. It's been described as everything from "an intimate dinner party among friends" to "a culinary icon", with flawlessly excuted dishes featuring Catalan and Galician influences. There's no Instagram feed or promotion, owner Sacha Hormaechea has built up his global reputation since opening in 1972 on quality, atmosphere and little else.
La Gilderia
A whole restaurant dedicated to gildas - no you're not dreaming! We were sold long before looking into this modern take on a traditional Spanish bar, with gildas the star attraction at La Gilderia. Pick from 14 different types of gildas as you sip on a cold glass of Vermouth, with combinations liked smoked sardines, cheese and sun-dried tomatoes; egg, smoked salmon and pickle; and artichokes, candied padron peppers and spring onions. There's plenty of other pinxtos and raciones on the menu if you need something more filling than food on sticks.
(La Gilderia)
Chuka Ramen Bar
If you're there for a while and get tired of Spanish food, make your way to Chuka Ramen Bar for culinary mash ups like pastrami bao buns, tempura shrimp with roti canai, and Madrid's best ramen. The menu abides by Japanese traditions with novel flavour combinations, and would give fusion food a good name.
(Chuka Ramen Bar)
Bars and tapas
La Venencia
This rammed bar down a dark street near Puerta del Sol only serves sherry, and its shelves are full of dusty bottles drank long ago. A simple snack menu offers cured meats, cheese and anchovies to hungry bar-goers, and there's no photographs allowed at La Venencia, so prepare to be scowled at if you take out your camera.
Hermanos Vinagre
Specialising in pickled food (hence the name), Hermanos Vinagre's three bars are the ideal locations for early evening Aperitivo if your dinner booking is later that night. Enjoy gildas, conservas and anchovy toasts with a beer or wine, and save space for the flan.
(Hermanos Vinagre)
Casa Dani
As mentioned above, Casa Dani is the site of the most famous tortilla in the city that's inspired countless others, although their tagline is "Algo Más Que Tortilla" (more than omelette). The queue can be heart-sinkingly long, but we're told its worth the wait. A salmonella outbreak last year shut them down for several months and ignitied a huge debate on the safety of under-cooking eggs, but was eventually traced to the workers at the restaurant and not the materials or methods used for food preparation. It hasn't affected business a jot.
(Casa Dani)
Cocktails
Del Diego
Tucked just behind the Gran Via, Del Diego is one of Madrid's most iconic cocktail bars, with a vibe and interiors that could have been lifted out of NYC from the Sex and the City years. Waiters are tuxedoed and it's one of the most extensive and expertly executed drinks menus in the city, with all the classics, including Cosmpolitans.
(Del Diego)
Salmon Guru
Currently 16 on the World's 50 Best Bars list, Salmon Guru is another must stop for cocktail lovers. After closing to undergo a major refurbishment in 2023, the team returned with a slightly more restrained interior, playlist and cocktail vessel selection, with drinks inspired by their travels while the bar was shut. Critics say it's better than ever.
More recommendations from our ATF Insiders
Restaurants
Casa Macareno - "Really cool restaurant worth a visit!"
Restaurante Los Montes de Galicia - "This was a recommendation we got and it was brilliant. The blue fin tuna tartare was a standout but the whole experience was amazing."
A'Barra - "Ate here a few years ago. It was exceptional. Had a lovely set up for a tasting menu where the chefs cooked right in front of you and explained every course."
Comparte Bistré - "Can't recommend Comparté enough. Still dreaming of that meal."
(Clockwise from top left: Casa Macareno, Restaurante Los Montes de Galicia, A'Barra, Comparte Bistré)
Bars/Tapas
Calle Ponzano - "Street which all the locals hang out on at weekend or evenings, it’s a long strip of bars and restaurants but not at all tacky. Very much for locals."
Vi Cool - "We stumbled upon this and it was a really great find! The tapas were delicious but they weren't just your average tapas, like tapas with a twist."
Bodega de la Ardosa - "On the Devour food tour for a vermouth and cod fritter. Very authentic!"
Casa Revuelta - "We went back again and again, got chatting to loads of people."
(Clockwise from top left: Calle Ponzano, Vi Cool, Bodega de la Ardosa, Casa Revuelta)
Drinks
Amazonico - "They did brilliant cocktails and it was super buzzy."
Baton Rouge - "Cool cocktail bar. The staff are really friendly and they have some really interesting cocktails and ingredients."
Kaskais Wine Bar - "We had so many lovely pitstops here either going out for the evening or coming back. It just had a lovely vibe about it, really felt so welcoming and nice wine, sure what more could you want."
(From left to right: Amazonico, Baton Rouge, Kaskais Wine Bar)
