Top Rated Restaurants & Cafes in Madrid

It is much more than a café. In fact, this is a restaurant that is good enough to have been awarded a Michelin star for its creative and modern style of cooking. The house specials are cod prepared in a variety of ways and duck liver paté. There is a gourmet menu and an excellent wine cellar. The restaurant is built on top of the ruins of an old convent close to the Teatro Real, and tends to fill up after performances and on Sunday afternoons, when the outdoor terrace is very popular.

You will find this long-established and distinguished wine bar in the heart of the old town. Its wine list offers more than 160 varieties of the best Spanish wines. As for food, the house specialty is a wild mushroom and egg dish. Head down to the basement for the decor of stone, exposed brick and hundreds of wine bottles adorning every corner of the room.

More than an Irish pub, this huge place actually looks like a small Irish village, with its own little flea market in the main square surrounded by balconies and washing out to dry on the line. The pub is oozing with Irish charm and character and its well-to-do patrons can probably be credited with keeping a good part of the beer industry afloat. Regular free Celtic music concerts mid-week. The clientele is usually well-off.

You will not want to miss this classic tapas bar on your tour of the town. You will recognize it by the beautiful mosaic façade. It serves a selection of elaborately prepared canapés and great draught beer to the heaving masses that congregate at the bar every day. The interior is decorated like an old rustic tavern with lots of dark wood and earthenware jars on the shelves. If you are hungry, order a generous portion, or ración, of fish (anchovies, marinated anchovies, or bonito, fresh tuna).

Get here early in the evening because there are not many tables and you will not want to stand all night waiting for the delicious tapas to arrive. You probably will not want to share the tapas either because they're so good. Shout your order through the kitchen window and the bell will sound when the food is ready. Try the wild boar blood pudding, the savory toasted bagels, Roscas, or their famous fried egg dishes, and wash them down with a glass of beer or Fino sherry. You will find this bar in the lively nightlife district of La Latina, not far from the Rastro (Flea Market). The old-fashioned interior was recently restored in a simple but attractive combination of plaster, brick, and woodwork.

If you are on your own and looking for a bit of local color, this is a safe and welcoming sort of place to start the night. It's a typical music bar, strategically located in the heart of town. You'll hear a great mix of flamenco and contemporary pop music. On hot summer nights, it's worth taking one of the sidewalk tables so you can check out the talent moving from one bar to the next. If you're here during the day you'll be served tasty tapas and raciones (larger helpings) with your drinks.