tl;dr the ambitious lineup of tortillas and croquetas is worth navigating the out-the-door queues…read moreat this Malasaña tapas bar Across tapas staples, one lesser-known dish is tortilla española (Spanish omelette). This fritata-like dish traditionally features potatoes and onion, but one popular tapas bar, Pez Tortilla, is known for pushing the boundaries of tortillas. This casual spot on Calle de Pez has a whimsical menu of tortillas and croquetas: think ingredients like morcilla (blood sausage) and squid ink. The consistent late-night crowds will confirm that these are some of the best in the city. Blink and you might miss the diminutive, hole-in-the-wall bar. The storefront is largely unadorned, and the interior features a minimalist-modern design. A single marble-topped table is tucked up to the window; other customers are relegated to a few barstools or left standing. The food menu is chalked onto a large whiteboard behind the far side of the bar; the sophisticated components will take time to review for the non-fluent. Drinks are listed on a giant backlit letterboard display on the opposite wall. Instrumental rock blends with multilingual chatter. Arrive early and don't be surprised to find yourself shoulder-to-shoulder with fellow patrons. My mother and I arrived in the pouring rain on a Thursday evening, and, still, every table was taken; fortunately, a party left as we were perusing the menu. I opted for the Brie, Trufa, y Jamon Tortilla; the Puchero de la Abuela and the Chipirones en Su Tinta Croquetas; and a small glass of vermouth. The quarter-slice of custardy, runny tortilla was rich, earthy, and mildly funky. It paired well with the chewy bread slices on the side. My only criticism was that I would have preferred it warmer than room temperature (although I concede that may have affected the consistency). Both croquetas sported an expertly crispy exterior with a molten, flavor-filled heart. Of the 2, I preferred the warm embrace of the chickpea stew-based rendition, although the briny squid ones were no slouch. Lastly, the vermouth, served on the rocks, was one of the strongest, most heavily spiced glasses that I have tried across Spain. Service was efficient -- the staff fulfilled orders like clockwork, and an employee was always ready to bus a newly empty table. Each component of our meal cost just 3-4 euros, and just these few items left me feeling content. These are by no means traditional tortillas españolas or croquetas. But, put simply, the flavors just work.

We got here right when it opened at 12PM on Sunday. There were about 12 patrons when things got…read moresettled. When we left at 12:45 PM, every table was filled with a few patrons waiting to sit/stand. When you get in, have some people grab a seat while one person goes to the front to order. Their tortillas are sold by the piece, which is one sixth of a giant circular frittata. They also sell croquettes in pairs and there's a discount for getting 8. Most patrons got the original, which is egg + potato. We tried the Brie, which was a crowd pleaser. Cheesy and eggy, with bites of cooked potato for texture. Also, got a goat cheese + caramelized onion one that was more goat cheese than onion. Would sub this one out if I come back. Got 4 jamon and 4 carrilerra (cheeks) croquettes. I thought they were medium sized based on the other Madrid croquettes we had. All croquettes we had on this trip were great, and these were certainly on par. I can see why Pez Tortilla is so popular with many locations. It's a hearty meal at a very affordable price.

One of the better meals I had while in Madrid. I had the salmon tartare, asparagus and Love Cheuca…read morecocktail. The salmon was refreshing - the fish, mango and avocado were a great combination. The asparagus arrived hot and crisp and was essentially a vegetable tempura. My cocktail was light and balanced and I really liked the hint of vanilla. The place was small and intimate with a neigborhood feel to it. Service was quick and friendly.

Delicious food, excellent service, fun vibe. The best meal out of many great meals I had in Spain.read more

Stopped by on a mid-morning on a Monday and it was empty inside with only a few patrons. I…read moreordered a light bite of toasted bread with tomato, Iberian ham, salt and olive oil. The ham was delicious, rich and savory. It was a very simple dish, but the quality of the ingredients stood for me. I also had fresh squeezed orange juice and hot coffee. The coffee was a bit bitter. The place is welcoming and large. The staff were kind and friendly.

Quick service. Pricey in my opinion for the portion size and food quality. Gambas with garlic were…read moredelicious. The olives with sardine (?) and the Iberia on bread were just okay. Wine and beer were okay too.

I'd had Casa Macareno on my list to try for a few years. I waited patiently as the staff seated…read moreothers who'd arrived after me, before being told I would have to sit on a stool at the narrow bar against the wall since I was solo. Service was slow; I ordered a tinto de verano and a water, and was approached again and had to ask several times. Then, staff were pushy about my ordering plates of food; no media ración or tapa-sized offerings. While trying to decide, I noticed lots of English speakers and direct asks for tips from adjacent guests. Only after I shared that I'd changed my mind about ordering lunch was I offered a complimentary dish of boiled potatoes with mayo (neither I nor any of the surrounding guests finished them)?! I couldn't pay and leave fast enough, though not before being shocked by the price: €8 (!). And yes, the tarjeta machine was set to ask for a tip (nope)! Too bad, as I'd heard good things about this spot and had excellent experiences elsewhere in the neighborhood/city during my month-long stay.

Very good food in a vibrant atmosphere. The staff is brusque but helpful (telling us not to order…read moremore because it would be too much food) (we listened, and they were right). The "false risotto" (orzo) with seafood is a particular highlight.

This is a spot that feels like a little bar but is actually more like a casa with some food items…read more Here, they are big on pig and there are Iberico hams located on and around the bar for easy access. If you are vegan, coming here will only piss you off. In fact, a vegan in Madrid in general is ill-advised. The setting feels historic and rustic with exposed brick and stone that appears to be centuries old. They seem to make everything (both food and drink) behind that cramped bar which explains why most of their menu items are cold, pre-made, or easy to assemble from short lists of raw ingredients. This does not mean that anything is bad. It just means it is like producing charcuterie in a dorm room bar. A large number of items involve Iberico Ham and one of the barmen is constantly shaving off thin pieces for service. In fact the freebie snack they send out from the kitchen had some Iberico ham and Manchego cheese on it which was a really nice warm up of what to expect. Over the noonish lunch hour, I was the only tourist in the place surrounded by many locals that clearly know about this spot. I liked those odds for assuring me of a genuine authentic experience. It was an accurate predictor. I'm not the most experienced when it comes to true Spanish tapas but this seemed to be a very genuine depiction of what the locals look for in a rustic Iberico ham experience. And frankly, even if it wasn't I can't find anything to really complain about. It was a cool historic setting, there was ice-cold vermouth from a tap, and I spent an hour shoving local Morcilla (blood sausage) and Iberico pig parts into my pie hole for the better part of an hour. It was a great experience any way you choose to look at it.

Everything here was perfect: prices, quality of food, service and the authentic touch of Spain!…read more Gracias Sara!!!

Friendly locals spot with ice cold beverages and boisterous conversation. The proprietor offered me…read moresome fideuá and what a treat it was. If you want to escape the bustle of Plaza España and enjoy some local flavor, stop in.

Ok, This is one of those places locals go to, since the facade isn't the most inviting for…read moretourists. You can tell by looking around, the place was emptyish while the tapas places nearby and across the street were full. We actually went inside the restaurant across this place, it was touristy and extremely expensive, we thought, this is not the experience we wanted. We left and entered the Sidreria. Here goes nothing... Here is the lowdown: it is CHEAP, LARGE PORTION sizes, DELICIOUS, super FRIENDLY (bar tender did Everything and was really nice to us. It helped that I speak spanish though) and were you get FREE TAPAS with your drink. Tell me when was the last time you got free tapas in a touristy bar? We ordered a Tinto de Verano (red wine, lemon soda and splash of vermouth) and it was great, cost about 2 euros or so! the only beer though, was San Miguel, but it tastes much better from tap than bottle, we repeated our orders shortly after downing the first batch. The free tapa came as a surprise, we had ordered several (including fried calamari already, and a tortilla) portions again, were cheap and huge. We were full then. At the next round of drinks, another free tapa came. I was surprised again and as a sign of respect, we ate it all again. No comments. A plate of peanuts and soft bread topped with a mayo/potato/fake crab meat. It looked so simple but it was so good! That's when they got me. Simple-delicious (like the tomato on bread and Olive oil) that's it. I was sold and happy we decidedly to enter.

Circo de las Tapas was an outstanding lunch experience. The atmosphere was relaxing and…read morecomfortable, not overly crowded; making it the perfect place to unwind and enjoy the afternoon. The combination of great food, great music, great drinks, and excellent service creates a setting where you can easily spend hours enjoying the lively people-watching. Arneo provided exceptional service and made some fantastic recommendations. I started with a complimentary appetizer, and a Vermut, followed by the Entraña a la Parrilla, which was perfectly prepared and absolutely delicious. From start to finish, the experience was memorable, and I'll definitely be returning.

Delicious food full of flavor. The interior was quaint and cute. Our visit was during the siesta…read morehour and was full. Unfortunately there was only one waitstaff attending to everyone. But she worked hard and attended to everyone. The desserts were not too sweet and quenched my sweet tooth.

We were walking back to our hotel one evening and realized bodega de la Ardosa was nearby. We had…read moreit in our list to try but had just finished dinner at another tapas spot so saved it for a different night. I don't eat olives unless I'm in Spain, I don't really like olives at all but for some reason when I'm abroad I can stomach green olives and eat several. Theirs were yummy. The Spanish tortilla and artichoke were my fav! I could have ordered two of each. We had a glass of wine and a few tasty plates and were all set. This place is bustling in a great way! Highly recommend. Bar service was great!

Perfect little stop for vermouth. Cozy, warm vibe with dim lighting and a lively crowd. Small space…read morebut super inviting, and the prices are great.

I've been visiting Malaespina for over a decade -- from my time living in Madrid to every trip back…read more-- and one thing has never changed: it's easily one of the best spots in Madrid for a no-frills, delicious tapas meal and amazing sangria. The quality of the food has remained consistent for the 10 years I've been visiting! Tucked away just off Sol, Malaespina is the epitome of a classic Madrid taverna. The inviting, unpretentious atmosphere, the cozy charm, the prices, the energy -- it's hard to capture it all in words. There's a certain magic at Malaespina. The tavern has been around for hundreds of years, and I often wonder what it was like a century ago. I'm always amazed that such a gem exists in the heart of Madrid, a city center filled with tourist traps. Malaespina draws both locals and tourists -- and for good reason. The food quality to price ratio is unbeatable. On our most recent visit, we had huevos estrellados, tortilla tapas, sangria, and espressos, and spent about $20 for the two of us. You really can't beat that! Here's hoping they stick around for many more years to come.

Came here for lunch and had a decent experience. Staff were super friendly and restaurant was nice…read more We sat outside and ate our meal and it was quite pleasant. When we first sat down they gave us a welcome bruschetta and bread for free which were pretty decent portions. We then ordered our food and it was pretty good as well. We ordered their half chicken (pollo asado con patatas), sirloin steak, and Malaspina tosta. The portions were huge and we definitely over ordered. We thought they were more the size of tapas but each dish was a huge portion itself which definitely isn't a bad thing. The food tasted pretty good but I think it just lacked flavor occasionally. All the meat was cooked well and was very juicy, just could use a little more flavor. Otherwise everything was good. Solid 4 stars

We were recommended this spot when visiting, and came for dinner on our first night out. They have…read moreall the classic tapas, and we got quite a few to share along with a pitcher of sangria. The sangria was a little watery for our taste, but not bad. The food came out quickly and we had quite a large spread - jamon, pan con tomate, patatas bravas, pork cheeks, spanish omelette, and calamari. Most of them were good, with my favorites being the pork cheeks, potatoes, and jamon. I would skip the spanish omelette next time as it wasn't quite up to what I was hoping for. Prices were reasonable as well for the portion sizes. Pretty good spot overall but not a must try.

This was one of the recommendations from my friend who's lived in Madrid for the the last 10+…read moreyears. For a chain restaurant, I think it's is close to as good as it gets. They don't take reservations so you have to wait in line, and depending on the time of night, it could take up to an hour wait. We came here on our first night in Madrid - it happened to be just around the corner from our hotel which was super convenient. We had a super late and big lunch that day, so we didn't go until around 11pm. It was a Friday night and we waited about 25min to get a table. It was quite cramped in there, with tables basically on top of each other, though that's typical in Europe. We started with a bottle of red and some small plates including octopus, ceviché, pork with caramelized onions, beef nigiri, etc. In fact, we actually ordered multiple orders of some of them cause they were so delicious! We were so incredibly full with the small plates we didn't get to order many of the other items from their extensive menu. I never thought I'd have room for dessert but when the server said they had hazelnut gelato I knew I had to get it. Well, let's just say we did not waste any of it! Even my husband who's normally not a sweets person ate his fair share cause it was so good! We had a great time there, and the prices were extremely reasonable. We liked it so much that we decided to come back 4 days later for lunch before heading to our next destination - Barcelona!