Madrid is a cultural epicenter, home to some of the best museums, ancient buildings, and beautiful cathedrals in the country, as well as some of the most intriguing and varied cuisine. In addition to the city’s eponymous stew, cocido Madrileo, you can easily locate other delicious homestyle classics.
The city is known for its excellent Spanish restaurants, but it also has a thriving avant-garde tasting menu scene, trendy Asian fusion, artisanal cheese stores, and upscale Mexican restaurants. You may find lots of cocktail bars and sherry in town, but a caa (a tiny glass of draught beer) or vermouth will do just well for washing down any meal.
Top 10 restaurants in Madrid, Spain
Here’s a rundown of Madrid’s finest restaurants that will please any tourist.
- DiverXO
- Angelita
- Casa Dani
- Sala de Despiece
- Tripea
- Fayer
- Sacha
- El Cisne Azul
- Botin
- Destage
1. DiverXO
DiverXO, one of Madrid’s most renowned Michelin-starred eateries, serves a creative mashup of traditional Spanish cuisine with Asian flavors. If the restaurant’s three Michelin stars weren’t enough to tempt you, surely the fact that in 2021 it was awarded to chef de cuisine David Muoz for being the finest chef in the world would.
DiverXO’s interior is light and airy, with a mostly white design scheme accented by bright pops of color. It’s the type of eatery that, to be believed, needs to be tried for itself; a visit here would be a highlight for any foodie.
Dabiz Muoz’s massive reputation for outlandish, attention-grabbing meals was cemented after he won the Best Chef Award for a second year in a row. DiverXo, located in the NH Eurobuilding Hotel just off the Paseo de la Castellana, features the food-as-theatre creations of Chef Muoz in the form of inventive tasting menus. More laid-back but no less ingenious are StreetXo and the city’s newest dumpling bar, RavioXo.
2. Angelita
Angelita is well-known in Madrid as a top-notch wine bar, and it surely is one of Madrid’s top restaurants. While sightseeing and drinking are important, we don’t think your visit is complete until you’ve had something to eat.
Two brothers in Chueca had the idea to open this beautiful restaurant and give their mother’s traditional recipes a contemporary twist. Many of their items come right from their organic garden, ensuring the highest quality and freshness.
Of course, while discussing Angelita, wine must be mentioned. There are roughly seventy wines that may be ordered by the glass out of a total of 500. Finish off the perfect evening with a drink in their posh cocktail bar.
3. Casa Dani
A mouthful of the award-winning tortilla de patatas at this quaint little market bar will make you see what all the fuss is about. Since its founding in 1991 by a local couple with the intention of offering a warm and inviting place for area employees to get a bite to eat, the restaurant has stayed loyal to its beginnings.
Casa Dani must be doing something well since they turn out over 300 omelets every day. What is the trick, then? The eggs are brown, the potatoes are from Castilla-La Mancha, and the texture is just right—juicy without falling apart. This place is, without a doubt, one of the finest and most popular restaurants in all of Madrid.
In a no-frills neighborhood pub like Casa Dani, napkins are strewn over the floor, cafés con leche (more on coffee in Spain here) are served in half-pint cups, and the staff yells orders through a window.
On a typical day, the kitchen will serve 400 customers, during which time they will fry 1,700 pounds of potatoes and break 2,000 eggs. Take one mouthful of this still-warm omelet, and you’ll see why it’s so popular: oil-poached potatoes, caramelized onions, and an oozy egg.
4. Sala de Despiece
Sala de Despiece is one of the few restaurants in Madrid, if not the globe, that can truly take you to the future with its menu. That’s what makes this place one of Madrid’s finest restaurants.
The cutting-edge eatery on Calle de Ponzano, formerly a butcher shop, has been transformed into a neo-industrial gastro venue that connects the past and the present through its emphasis on meat products.
The major components, cooking technique, and any additional ingredients used in each meal are all listed on the menu, so there’s no guesswork involved in ordering. Locals continue to show up in droves to see chef Javier Bonet’s inventive take on traditional Spanish fare.
5. Tripea
As Madrid’s culinary scene develops rapidly, so do the quality and variety of available restaurants. Many people have praised chef Roberto Martnez Foronda ever since he opened Tripea in Chamber’s bustling Mercado de Vallehermoso in 2017.
His colorful tasting menus are influenced by Spanish and Peruvian cuisine as well as Southeast Asian cuisine and feature dishes like tiraditos, ceviche, stews, and aromatic curries that are served family-style at large communal tables.
6. Fayer
If you eat at the same boring old Spanish restaurants in Madrid, you’ll become sick of the heavy stews, fried fish, and endless hog dishes that help preserve the siesta tradition. The alternative to all that food is a meal of fayer and Argentine-Israeli cuisine.
You’re in for a treat if this is your first experience with Argentine-Israeli cuisine. Warm pita sprinkled with za’atar and dipped into beet hummus or baba ghanouj made with premium Israeli tahini is a great way to please your appetite. Or, you could spice up the mezze platter with a few savory Argentine meat empanadas.
Fayer is truly one of Madrid’s finest restaurants offering high-quality dishes with a cultural twist that will please any person with any taste.
7. Sacha
Sacha, a romantic candlelight cafe far from the bustle of the city, is the perfect place to take a date. At first look, the menu appears uncomplicated: cardoons with salt fish, lamb chops with garlic shoots, or plain lentils can be on offer in the early spring. Don’t be fooled, though; the execution is always top-notch.
Do not pass up the rich imitation lasagna piled with uni, which is a house. If you strike up a discussion with Sacha, the owner who seems to fill the room, you may never want to leave. You’ll feel like you’re at a small, exclusive dinner party with his crew.
8. El Cisne Azul
When asked where to get the greatest wild mushrooms in the city, local food writers and chefs will always recommend El Cisne Azul, a hidden restaurant in the middle of Chueca.
This restaurant is a heaven for mycologists, as it serves only the freshest seasonal mushrooms, such as crinkly morels, mustard-colored chanterelles, and toadstool-shaped amanitas. Incorporate them into scrambled eggs or try them a la plancha, seasoned with little more than olive oil and a pinch of crispy salt.
Add-ons like goat cheese and foie gras are not required, but they can drastically improve the dish. Simple grilled meats and a variety of cheeses are also available.
9. Botin
Do you read with great enthusiasm? You may be familiar with Botn since he was cited by authors such as Hemingway. In addition, it has the title of “oldest restaurant in the world” from Guinness World Records.
If you want to live a little like the people in The Sun Also Rises, give in to your hedonistic desires and get yourself a plate of roasted suckling pig and a bottle of Rioja wine.
El Sobrino de Botn, or more frequently just Botn, claims to be the oldest restaurant in the world, having opened its doors in 1725. One of the top restaurants in Madrid, and they’ve been around for over three centuries!
The old-fashioned feel of the cabin’s decor will take you back in time. It’s a great place to enjoy some authentic, home-cooked, traditional fare.
10. Destage
This is one of the top restaurants in Madrid to go out for a special occasion dinner, such as an anniversary or a birthday. With over seventeen items on the menu at all times, this restaurant has it all.
It’s not easy to get a reservation, as is to be anticipated at a Michelin-starred restaurant, yet, the restaurant’s roasted avocados and veal with caviar completely reimagine what it means to enjoy authentic Spanish cuisine.
Reviews from both residents and visitors show that this destination is unlike anything you’ve experienced before. The experience is elevated by the fact that each meal is served with a carefully curated wine pairing.
Conclusion
Restaurants in Madrid are a star-studded extravaganza that you just must experience at least once in your lifetime, as the city is sometimes called the culinary capital of the world.
We’ve done a lot of research and created a guide on Madrid’s top 10 restaurants that will please any picky eater.
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