The 10 best tapas bars in Madrid
Trawling the tapas bars around the oldest parts of the city is the quickest and undoubtedly most enjoyable way to get into the swing of Madrid. Many have been open for a century or longer and are as popular as ever. Look out for places with wooden frontages painted maroon or brown, tiled walls and a cluster of chattering madrile?os on the pavement outside.
To do things properly, tapas should be eaten standing up and shared between two or more people. Order a couple of things in each place, then move on, going to at least three or four in a daytime or evening session – but of course no one is going to mind if you just want to sit down, stay put and get stuck in.
For further inspiration, see our guide to Madrid and the city's best hotels, restaurants, bars, nightlife, shops, things to do and things to do for free.
Find a tapas bar by area
Barrio de las Letras and Lavapiés
Casa Alberto
With its wine-red frontage, you can’t miss Casa Alberto, which opened in 1827 and is believed to be the oldest tavern in Madrid. Back in the 16th century, Miguel de Cervantes lived in a house on the site, where he wrote the second part of Don Quixote. Tapas are displayed on the onyx counter, with more substantial meals served in the restaurant at the back. Order the ham croquetas, battered cod, braised oxtail and – if you dare – the lamb sweetbreads, tripe or snails.
Contact: casaalberto.es
Prices: ￡
Reservations: Not possible for bar (tables move quickly), advisable for restaurant
La Casa del Abuelo
If you only have time for one tapa in Madrid, make it an earthenware dish of prawns, sizzling away in olive oil pepped up with garlic and chilli, at this family-run bar. The tradition began in 1939 at the end of the Civil War when bread was scarce yet prawns were readily available. Founded in 1906, La Casa del Abuelo is now an Instagram favourite owing to the list of tapas painted on the windows in bright colours – the original is at Calle Victoria 12, with half a dozen more branches dotted around town.
Contact: lacasadelabuelo.es
Prices: ￡
Reservations: Not required
Taberna Antonio Sánchez
Dating back to 1787, this classic bar and restaurant was founded by a matador and has been run by various ex-bullfighters over the centuries. With its zinc bar, marble tables, tiled walls and a bull’s head on the wall, there is no shortage of traditional character here. Pop in for a draught vermouth with some tapas or have lunch or dinner in the dining room at the back. This is a good place for typical dishes such as tripe, braised bull’s tail, snails and cocido madrile?o, followed by torrijas, made from bread soaked in milk, sugar and cinnamon.
Contact: tabernaantoniosanchez.com
Prices: ￡
Reservations: Not required
Taberna La Dolores
With its mosaics dating back to 1908, this pretty tavern near the Prado museum is easy to spot. The draught beer is still pulled by the traditional method of leaving it to settle, then topping it up to create a creamy head before serving, so order a ca?a (small glass) or a doble (twice the size) and choose a few montaditos – bread with tasty toppings – from the array on the marble bar.
Contact: esmadrid.com; instagram.com/tabernaladolores
Prices: ￡
Reservations: Not possible
Chueca, Malasa?a and Conde Duque
Bodega de la Ardosa
The Ardosa dates back to 1892, with red paintwork and an engraved glass sign. It is a much-loved institution between hip Malasa?a and the boutiques along Calle Fuencarral. The tortilla is made to the recipe of the owner’s mother with gently fried pieces of potato and slices of onion. Have some artichokes too and a few croquetas. Sit on stools around barrels or dive under the bar to one of the tables at the back.
Contact: laardosa.es
Prices: ￡
Reservations: Not possible
Taberna de ángel Sierra
This tavern with a wooden fa?ade has been in business for a century and is still going strong. You may recognise it from Pedro Almodóvar’s films The Flower of My Secret and Parallel Mothers. The tiled interior has the original tin counter, frescoes on the ceiling, oak barrels and tables in the wood-panelled back room. The draught beer is excellent, so order a ca?a or a vermut con sel – red vermouth with a splash of soda. From the simple tapas chalked up on boards, try the smoked cod or anchovy canapés.
Contact: tabernadeangelsierra.es
Prices: ￡
Reservations: Not possible
Puerta del Sol and Gran Vía
Casa Labra
Casa Labra, a favourite of Ernest Hemingway, was established in 1860 just off the Puerta del Sol and is renowned for being where Pablo Iglesias founded the Spanish Socialist Workers’ Party (PSOE) in 1879 in the restaurant at the back. Their excellent draught beer, cod strips in batter and squidgy cod croquetas make this a handy place to take a break when shopping around Calle Preciados.
Contact: casalabra.es
Prices: ￡
Reservations: Not possible for bar, advisable for restaurant
Plaza Mayor, Opera and La Latina
Bodegas Ricla
With wrought-iron pillars, earthenware wine vats and a brass bar, family-run Ricla, which opened in 1867, packs a lot of character into a tiny space behind the Plaza Mayor – there’s nowhere to sit and it’s often a bit of scrum but that’s all part of the fun. There is vermouth on tap and good wines by the glass. Order the cod with peppers in olive oil, Cabrales cheese in cider and cecina (salt-cured, air-dried beef).
Contact: esmadrid.com/en/restaurants/bodegas-ricla
Prices: ￡
Reservations: Not possible
Taberna Los Huevos de Lucio
'Fast food from the 17th century' is how this renowned bar describes itself. The signature dish is huevos rotos: fried eggs ‘broken’ over a pile of chips – magically much more than a sum of its parts – with optional extras including Ibérico ham or the veggie mix called pisto. The bar is run by the younger generation of the family behind Casa Lucio across the road, which is one of the city’s most famous traditional restaurants.
Contact: loshuevosdelucio.com
Prices: ￡
Reservations: Not required for bar but advisable for restaurant
Casa Revuelta
Founded in the 1960s, unpretentious Casa Revuelta behind the Plaza Mayor is a locals’ favourite – and one of the few places in Madrid that still serves wine in the little unstemmed glasses known as chatos. Pop in for the legendary cod strips in batter and meatballs in tomato sauce. They do one of the best tortillas in town too.
Contact: casarevuelta.com
Prices: ￡
Reservations: Not possible
How we choose
Every restaurant in this curated list has been tried and tested by our destination expert, who has visited to provide you with their insider perspective. We cover a range of budgets, from neighbourhood favourites to Michelin-starred restaurants – to best suit every type of traveller’s taste – and consider the food, service, best tables, atmosphere and price in our recommendations. We update this list regularly to keep up with the latest opening and provide up to date recommendations.