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Amazonico
Opened by restaurateurs Sandro Silva and Marta Seco of Ten Con Ten and El Paraguas, Amazonico has been drawing Madrid's trendiest crowds since its inception in 2016. Guests come in off the manicured Salamanca street and are immediately immersed in...
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Bar Tomate
The wildly successful Barcelona restaurant group Tragaluz has brought its magic to Madrid. Bar Tomate’s pale wooden floors and rough-hewn tables are brought to life by bright plastic chairs and creative lighting fixtures hanging from a metallic ceiling. The playful...
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Bazaar
Just around the corner from the Mercado San Anton in the trendy Chueca neighborhood is a lively modern brasserie called Bazaar with excellent farm fresh food.
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Benares
After opening several Indian fine-dining restaurants across Europe (including the hugely popular Tamarind in London), Chef Atul Kochhar launched Benares in Madrid in 2015 to be an outpost of his London restaurant of the same name. The first Indian chef to win...
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Café Gijón
Most travelers remember Gijón for its picturesque terrace along the Paseo de Recoletos, but the café also has a fascinating literary history. In its heyday, it hosted frequent tertulias, informal discussion groups in which the day’s leading thinkers and artists,...
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Casa Lucas
A hidden gem on a lively street, family-run Casa Lucas delights guests with their warm service and delectable flavors. The owner will help you choose from an extensive wine selection, and menu items will be listed on the chalkboard behind...
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Casa Lucio
In business since 1974, this revered tavern near the Plaza Mayor draws a regular crowd of locals and the occasional visit from royalty and visiting dignitaries. Although the bar, hung with drying ham hocks, is a fun place for an...
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Cisne Azul
Mushroom lovers cannot miss this famous temple to mushrooms. The restaurant and bar nearby are not fancy (linoleum floors and pizza parlor like ambiance) but the chef Julian Pulido is known as an absolute wizard when it comes to preparing...
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DiverXO
Madrid-born chef David Munoz refers to his high-end Chinese-Spanish fusion cooking “a gunshot to the head." The talent behind Madrid’s only three-Michelin starred restaurant might be prone to exaggerating, but ranked among the world’s best 50 restaurants, DiverXO is one...
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DStage
One of the most anticipated restaurants to open in 2014, Dstage is the brainchild of acclaimed chef Diego Guerrero. Having earned two Michelin stars at El Club Allard (a Madrid classic), he took a year off to travel the world, gathering...
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El Escondite de Villanueva
This popular neighborhood bistro serves small bites like ham croquetas and chicken tacos as well as hamburgers and sandwiches. The dining room has a refined but laid-back atmosphere and attracts lots of families early and hipsters late. The original idea was...
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El Jardín de Orfila at Hotel Orfila
The highly lauded Mario Sandoval oversees the menu at this fine-dining restaurant, located on a lovely terrace in the backyard of the Hotel Orfila. Be sure to order the award-winning dessert: migas de chocolate con helado de yogur y frutos...
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El Landó
For a quintessentially Spanish dining experience, come to El Landó, operated by the owners of Casa Lucio. With its unassuming exterior across a quiet plaza Madrid, you might be surprised, once you step inside, to find photo after photo of...
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El Paraguas
Elegant and popular, El Paraguas is the place to go for a big night out – but you need to be sure to get a reservation first, not an easy task, and to arrive properly attired. The handsome dining room...
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El Riojano
Dating back to 1855, El Riojano was founded by the royal family’s pastry chef. When he decided he wanted to make pastries for the people, the royal family allowed it under one condition: he make it the most beautiful pastry...
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El Ventorrillo
Break up a day of sightseeing between the Royal Palace and Old Quarter with a stop at El Ventorrillo, located just next door to Corral de la Moriera. Great for an afternoon tea or glass of wine (skip the food),...
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Estado Puro
Travelers tired of the traditional tapas bars paneled in dark wood and hung with ham hocks will appreciate this airy café’s fresh take on Spanish cuisine. Conveniently located blocks from the city’s museums, Estado Puro is modern and hip, with...
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Juana La Loca
For over 20 years, Juana La Loca has attracted locals and out-of-towners alike with its creative takes on traditional pintxos—specifically its take on the Spanish omelette, with a special onion confit. Located in Madrid's bustling La Latina neighborhood, Juana La...
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Kabuki Wellington
This Michelin-starred sushi restaurant draws Madrid’s most sophisticated diners for dinner or lunch. Entering the Wellington Hotel, you’ll pass portraits of Spain’s most famous toreadors before entering into the subdued interior space of the Kabuki. The taupe toned walls draw...
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La Bien Aparecida
This hot spot also serves incredible food in a stylish, minimalist-chic setting. The ambiance is reminiscent of ever-popular Ten Con Ten, as are the reasonable prices. Note that reservations are a must. This is truly one of Madrid's most popular...
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La Cocina de San Anton
A great spot for enjoying good weather and the bounty of Madrid is on the roof of the Mercado de San Anton. The refurbished market in the heart of the Chueca neighborhood includes the rooftop restaurant La Cocina de San...
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La Pizzateca
Artisanal pizzas in classic Roman or Neapolitan combinations, such as tutti funghi or capriciosa, are sure to satisfy the appetites of anyone in your family. Vegetarian and vegan pizzas are also available, but, alas, no gluten-free ones as yet. The...
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La Tasquería
La Tasquería de Javi Estevez derives its name from a combination of the words tasca, meaning tavern, and casquería, meaning a shop that sells tripe and offal (the edible entrails and internal organs of an animal). A cozy restaurant on a quiet street...
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La Trainera
Landlocked Madrid is nevertheless known for fantastic seafood, thanks to daily shipments from Spain’s 3,000-plus miles of coastline. The classic spot to sample this fare is La Trainera, a sprawling, 300-seat marisquería in the posh Salamanca neighborhood. The menu features...
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Lateral
A well-known spot for lunch of chic Madrilenos, Lateral sits in the popular Plaza de Santa Ana and serves great tapas in a low-key dining room or al fresco on a lovely terrace on the square. Surrounded by more touristic...
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Luzi Bombon
The other Madrid restaurant of the Tragaluz restaurant group is not as playful in appearance as Bar Tomate, but is also lively and fun, drawing a well-heeled but youthful crowd. Also located in Madrid’s posher neighborhood, the attractive dining room...
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Mama Campo
Bright, airy and quirky, the newly opened Mama Campo is as much a celebration in design as it is of cooking. The high-ceilinged space is whimsically decorated, with a chandelier of glass-blown lamps dotting the market’s ceiling, reclaimed wood covering...
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Moega
A tiny bakery in the Madrid’s Barrio de las Letras, Moega is a must-stop for bread lovers—especially for a sourdough preñao, a bun which either comes stuffed with chorizo or vegetables and makes for an excellent snack.
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Murillo Café
Located right by the Murillo entrance of the Prado Museum, Murillo Café is an excellent place to stop for lunch before or after an edifying few hours in the museum or a walk in the Retiro Park. The décor is...
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Ochenta Grados
A great stop for lunch during your exploration of the city, this outpost of the popular Madrid tapas chain Ochenta Grados is at the confluence of the Salamanca, Chamberi, and Malasana neighborhoods. It serves up experimental tapas in a fresh,...
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Platea
The food hall revolution continues to evolve in Spain. The culinary country first transformed their antiquated neighborhood markets into elegant food halls like Mercado San Miguel. The latest iteration, though, takes the glamour a step further with Platea; once the...
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Poncelet Cheese Bar
Too much of one thing is never a bad thing—at least that would seem the motto at Poncelet Cheese Bar, a happening gastrobar that lists more than 140 Spanish cheeses on its menu. The specialty restaurant, which features a beautiful...
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Ramon Freixa
One of Spain’s most innovative and celebrated molecular chefs, Ramon Freixa, presides over his namesake restaurant like a happy host, greeting guests and darting back into the kitchen to oversee the magic. Imagine a mad professor crossed with a mother...
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Ramses Life and Food
Most people come to Ramses for the scene, not the food. A hit with the city’s in crowd, the Philippe Starck–designed bar/restaurant/club feels a good deal chicer and sexier than almost anywhere else in town. Low, seductive lighting, killer cocktails...
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Rocambolesc
This colorful dessert stand in Mercado de San Miguel is run by the world-famous pastry chef Jordi Roca of El Celler de Can Roca in Girona (you may recognize him from Chef’s Table Pastry). The treats are innovative and delicious—from...
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StreetXO
The noisy, high-energy StreetXO is run by Dabiz Muñoz, the same chef behind Madrid’s only three-Michelin star restaurant, DiverXO. Located on the top floor of El Corte Inglés Serrano in the Gourmet Experience culinary space, it’s a fun and casual...
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Taberna del Capitán Alatriste
Dating back to the 18th century, the first iteration of this restaurant opened inside a 16th century palace. While both name and owners have changed in the several hundred years since the space became a restaurant, its vaulted cellars and...
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Taberna La Carmencita
Removed from the bustle of the Gran Via, Taberna da Carmencita is a cozy restaurant with an elevated tavern feel in central Madrid. The cuisine is traditional Spanish, and the seasonal menu reflects the best of Spain’s local products, be...
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Tatel
The biggest restaurant news in Madrid is the opening of the joint venture of Spanish superstars Rafael Nadal, Pau Gasol, Enrique Iglesias and others who have teamed up to create what they hope will be the ultimate watering hole to...
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Ten Con Ten
Following on their success with Los Paraguas, the team of chef Sandro Silva and manager Marta Seco have created another Madrid sensation with Ten Con Ten. Ten Con Ten’s aim is to offer equally excellent food, but in a livelier...
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Trattoria Pulcinella
From the portraits of family members that line the walls to the Italian patrons, this casual pizzeria offers a slice of Italy in Spain. Pizzas are topped with fresh mozzarella flown in from Italy, and all are perfect for a...
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Ultramarinos Quintin
This new hot spot in Madrid is referred to as simply Quintin, and as the latest venture of the team behind the runaway restaurant successes El Paraguas and Ten Con Ten, it is no surprise that it is packed for...
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Vi Cool
Spain’s superstar chef Sergi Arola celebrates delicious food and a fun atmosphere in his Vi Cool restaurants. This second one to open in Madrid sits in the chic shopping neighborhood of Salamanca and has a funky cave-like atmosphere. The menu...
Madrid

Courtesy of NH Hotel
Meals throughout Spain are eaten much later than in other European countries. Lunch begins around 2 p.m., and most Spaniards don’t sit down to dinner before 10 p.m. A good restaurant won’t really start to fill until 11 p.m. on a weekend night. Any eatery serving dinner at the more American hour of 8 p.m. is a tourist trap. If hunger strikes at an earlier hour, stop your stomach from rumbling with some tapas and a drink. Also, keep in mind that Spaniards tend to dress more formally, and T-shirts will look out of place even at casual spots. For an abbreviated list of restaurants, read Top Tables Madrid.