Travel guide
Madrid's food is tapas, tortilla, churros and rice — served in century-old taverns, modern markets and a new food hall inside the Bernabéu. Here's what to order and where to go.
Plaza Mayor, Madrid, Madrid
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Madrid's food scene runs from a calamari sandwich in Plaza Mayor to innovative cooking in a Michelin-starred restaurant. The city's atmosphere often centres around a table, and eating is less a stop than the main event.[6]
You'll find centuries-old restaurants still serving the city's most typical dishes and the region's finest wines. The classic plates are stew, tripe, cod fritters (soldaditos de Pavía), Spanish omelette and Castilian cooking in general.[11]
Rice is a staple too, from vegetable paellas to arroz negro — a rice dish with cuttlefish dyed black by squid ink. And Madrid has a serious sweet tooth, from turrón almond nougat to the ever-popular churros.[6],[13]
Madrid (MAD)
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Madrid's markets are a good way to taste a lot in one stop. The Mercado de San Miguel is a 100-year-old market that reinvented itself and is now one of Madrid's most popular attractions; it set the trend of having tapas while shopping with its renovation.[7]
Bernabéu Market is the newest big draw: around twenty restaurants and hospitality operators over three thousand square metres, with capacity for 1000 diners. Each venue has a contemporary look with bars, stools and shared eating areas, in the style of the "gastro" markets that have appeared in recent years. It's inside the Bernabéu stadium, reached through Puerta 54.[5],[7]
At Bernabéu Market you can eat your way across Spain and beyond: Casa Dani for Madrid cuisine, PerretxiCo for Basque pintxos, Escudellar for rice dishes, A Feira Pulpería for Galician cooking, Toca Madera for croquettes, Chiribita for Mexican tacos, Beata Pasta for Italian from Neapolitan chef Ciro Cristiano, Kogumi for Japanese, Kebah! for kebabs, Divorare for focaccias, Casa Norte for products from northern Spain, Greta La Vinagreta for pickles and gildas, Marë for signature sandwiches, Olsen-Malvón for empanadas and sandwiches, Manteca Burger for smash burgers, 1880 for turrones, ice cream and waffles, and Chocolatería 1902 for chocolate con churros.[5]
Other markets worth knowing: San Antón Market in Chueca for a modern, sophisticated take on gastronomy; San Fernando Market in Lavapiés for the district's authentic character; and La Paz Market, a traditional local market in Salamanca since 1882.[7]
Madrid has 22 century-old establishments listed among its restaurants and 57 taverns. Historic places have witnessed more than three generations of Madrid's residents.[11],[12]
Wine is taken seriously here. The Library, in the Salamanca district, combines a boutique, a gastronomic bar and a private club. Its sommeliers have designed a wine-by-the-glass list with close to 80 references, and if you prefer to open a bottle you can choose from more than 3000.[2]
The Bar at the entrance is a social space for enjoying wine with delicatessen such as Iberian products, high-end Spanish preserves, artisan cheeses and internationally renowned foies. The Library also organises tastings and exclusive events combining wine and gastronomy.[2]
For something more casual, Arima Basque Gastronomy has a wide variety of vermouths and cocktails. Bodega de La Ardosa in Malasaña pours classic vermouth on tap.[3],[11]
At Bernabéu Market, The Wine Shop offers a selection of cheeses and wines with a mechanical wine cellar holding around 200 references.[5],[8]
Madrid eats late. Many restaurants close well into the early hours to satisfy night owls — 259 restaurants are listed as open till late. Arima Basque Gastronomy, for example, serves dinner from 20:00 to 24:00 Monday to Thursday and until 01:00 on Friday and Saturday.[3],[6],[11]
Lunch is a real meal. Arima opens for lunch at 13:30, and Bangalore Modern Indian Cuisine serves from 13:00 to 16:30 and from 20:00 to 24:00 every day.[3],[4]
Prices vary widely. Madrid has 85 restaurants with prices of 15 euros or under, 321 from 16 to 30 euros, 229 from 31 to 45 euros, 114 from 45 to 60 euros and 104 at 60 euros or more.[11]
Booking helps. 564 restaurants offer online booking, and 155 have menus in various languages. Credit cards are accepted at many places, including The Library, Arima, Bangalore and Bernabéu Market.[2],[3],[4],[5],[11]
The Library's tastings and events combining wine and gastronomy are one option. Its Restaurant offers a set tasting menu with a carefully crafted wine pairing, and the "Cuisine" tables near the kitchen offer an atypical menu where wine is the protagonist.[2]
Arima Basque Gastronomy offers a tasting menu alongside its à la carte menu, and has a typical bar where you can have pintxos.[3]
Bangalore Modern Indian Cuisine offers an executive menu Monday to Friday for 20 € and a tasting menu for 40 €.[4]
Corral de la Morería Restaurante Gastronómico, next to the famous flamenco tablao, has only four tables and seats no more than eight guests. Chef García offers a tasting menu called Compás, and guests can book the flamenco show directly from the restaurant.[10]
If your dates are fixed, two food events may line up: Madrid Fusión Alimentos de España 2027 takes place at IFEMA MADRID in Halls 12 and 14 from 1-3 February, and the 39th Salón Gourmets, Europe's largest fine foods fair, takes place at IFEMA MADRID from 13-16 April.[6]
Madrid has a total of 31 restaurants with Michelin stars in the 2026 Michelin Guide for Spain. DiverXO is the only restaurant in Madrid with three Michelin stars.[9]
Two-star options include Ramón Freixa Atelier, which offers a gourmet experience for only 10 guests, Deessa at the Mandarin Oriental Ritz, Smoked Room at Hyatt Regency Hesperia headed by Chef Dani Garcia, Paco Roncero Restaurante, DSTAgE and Coque, which also holds a Green Star.[9]
The guide awarded 19 establishments in Madrid a Bib Gourmand, and four restaurants in Madrid boast a Michelin Green Star for sustainable gastronomy practices.[9]
The 2026 Repsol Guide awarded three Soles to Madrid's Ramón Freixa Atelier, and two Soles each to Smoked Room and Bascoat. These new additions bring Madrid's total to 98 restaurants featured in the Repsol Guide.[6]
Classic Madrid plates include stew, tripe, cod fritters (soldaditos de Pavía), Spanish omelette and Castilian cooking in general. You'll also find tortilla de patata, churros with hot chocolate, and rice dishes from paella to arroz negro.[5],[11],[13]
Bernabéu Market brings together around twenty restaurants and hospitality operators with a wide variety of food options for all tastes and budgets, inside the Bernabéu stadium through Puerta 54. The Mercado de San Miguel is another popular option, a 100-year-old market that reinvented itself as a tapas destination.[5],[7]
Late. Many restaurants close well into the early hours — 259 are listed as open till late. Arima Basque Gastronomy, for example, serves dinner from 20:00 to 24:00 Monday to Thursday and until 01:00 on Friday and Saturday.[3],[6],[11]
It depends on where you go. Madrid has 85 restaurants with prices of 15 euros or under, 321 from 16 to 30 euros, 229 from 31 to 45 euros, 114 from 45 to 60 euros and 104 at 60 euros or more.[11]
It helps for popular places. 564 restaurants offer online booking, and 155 have menus in various languages. Corral de la Morería Restaurante Gastronómico, for example, has only four tables and seats no more than eight guests.[10],[11]
Madrid has 31 restaurants with Michelin stars in the 2026 guide. DiverXO is the only one with three stars; two-star options include Ramón Freixa Atelier, Deessa at the Mandarin Oriental Ritz and Smoked Room at Hyatt Regency Hesperia.[9]
Every rule, fee and deadline above is taken from these official pages, which we read on October 29, 2026. Rules change, so check the official page before you apply or pay.
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