We stopped in this place after our original plan failed and we were glad we did! The best beef…read morecarpaccio ever (seriously so fresh), coupled with nice service who worked with our limited Spanish skills. Couldn't believe we were the only people in the restaurant the whole night (although it was a Monday) - would definitely return!

We were in Madrid and touring with a private guide who strongly recommended that we take a taxi…read moreoutside of the tourist part of town and experience Samm for, what he claimed was the best paella in all of Madrid. Open only for lunch on weekdays, this place seemed to be a popular spot for business lunches. We arrived at 1:35 for our 2 pm reservation and were the first ones in the place; however it was full by the time we left so definitely recommended to make reservations. We were seated in the small bar area but they had a lot of tables in a nice glassed-in terrace too. Olives arrive as soon as you are seated and drink orders are taken. As it is customary to have at least two courses at lunch we started with the ham (jamon iberico)-a plate full of delicate slices and crispy bread. For the main course - seafood paella and you definitely want to request some rich garlic aioli to mix in too. The paella takes around 40 minutes and arrives in a large flat skillet. The waiter takes a spoon and scrapes up all the delicious crispy bits and piles it up in the center then you serve yourself. It was much more than we could eat and it seems most of the locals had pretty much the same order as us except they started with a beer ( we had a glass of wine), then the locals had a whole bottle of wine too. We really enjoyed the meal and the trip outside of the tourist zone was a nice change of pace.

comida deliciosa, personal maravilloso y Vicente Sr. y Vicente Jr. son excelentes anfitriones…read more ¡Gracias a ambos por hacernos sentir como en casa!

Stopped by this place on a food tour. We were there to try out the local beer (Mahou) which is…read morefamous for the way the head is created in the beer. The tapas we had were a skewer with pickle, anchovie and olive (yum!). We also had muscles which were not great they had a weird texture and temperature.

Amazing seafood! You can't go wrong with anything. Try the vermouth on tap. The locals love this…read moreplace. A MUST when you visit Madrid. We had the anchovies, scallops and gambas.

Delicious tapas, excellent wine, very friendly bartender even when the place was packed. Casual,…read morelively atmosphere.

Some friends live on Calatrava, and this is their favorite of the bars/cafes/restaurants on that…read morestreet. This place is classic Spain, or rather classic Madrid: dark wooden interior with a raised bar manned by well-dressed bartenders, clientele a socioeconomic mix, united by proximity, beer slung beside vermuth and all your traditional cured meat plates and some seafood with the "cecina" standing out as the heavy hitter. We always end up spending more money here than we mean to. One more plate of cecina, another round of vermuth, another hour soaking in the setting, tossed on the waves of conversation. That's Spain for me, and in that undertow it's hard to escape with your bank account intact. It's not that Casa Gerardo is an expensive place by any means; it's that the place foments prolonged social engagements so characteristic of its host culture. Having a good time costs money! TL;DR Casa Gerardo is a must-see if you want to be immersed in a typically Madrileño experience.

My friends and I always discuss about the feasibility of this place…read more So this is how it works: 1. Wait for a while (there's always people) making a line surrounded by loud and already-drunk people. 2. Order a drink for 2,5€ (beer is what everybody drinks, but you can also have tinto, or any soft drink) and take it with you where your friends are. 3. Go back to the bar and take some tapas the waiter has prepared for you. It's great that tapas are "for free". Even though the drink is expensive, you will always have huge plates of whatever they have. They always give you "Bravas" (and they are great) but also "croquetas" or sandwiches. The good thing about this place is that you can have an extremely cheap dinner. Bad things? It's always crowded and hard to find a place to seat, you can't chose what you're have for eating (and healthiness is not their thing), and waits take too long. However I've already been there 2 times during the past week!

I had heard about Sierra from a few friends and seeing as it was in my neighborhood I decided to…read morepay it a visit asap. I knew what to expect. Your typical El Tigre type of bar heavy on the tapas but a slightly more expensive drink. Did I leave disappointed? Course not. If you're a food snob or in search of the chic dining experience, this is not your place. When you come here you're looking to eat, really eat. Get in line and order any standard drink, Even non-alcoholic, and be prepared to receive a substantial portion of tapas. Tapas include bravas, chicken wings, croquetas, and grilled cheese sandwiches. This isn't gourmet. What it is is a humble, cozy bar frequented by everything from universitarios to older couples. Come ready to eat and try not to overindulge. It happens. ¡Aproveche!