An absolutely fantastic place for dinner - small, charming, and intimate with an obvious local following. The staff was friendly, engaging, knowledgeable, and spoke English very well. It was just far enough of the Main Street to be removed from the noise and chaos that you see in many Madrid restaurants, but close enough to not feel isolated. The food was excellent and reasonably priced. There was quite a variety of dishes and they obviously make a priority of using locally sourced meats and vegetables. Highly recommended! read more

So I'm told San Sebastián and Barcelona are where you hit when you want to experience the cutting edge creative styles that have given contemporary Spanish cuisine its GOATED reputation for the past few decades. Madrid, on the other hand I quickly came to realize for the most part leans into traditional styles, to the point that some could deride it as verging on tired and stuffy. That being said, you could do far worse than getting a taste of Madrid here, where said traditional dishes are presented in updated and fresh ways in an extremely lively convivial atmosphere, in a gorgeous sultry dark wood barroom setting. I originally popped in here during the height of lunchtime, the Spaniards most important meal, if not overall part of the day. Perhaps not surprisingly the place was packed to the gills and electric, with a typically fashionable Madrid crowd gathered around the bar nibbling on tapas and sipping on Tinto de Verano and vermouth with chatter and laugher filling the room. We came back a few hours later (Madrid proved to be the exception to anywhere else we traveled in Spain in that a good number of places were actually open during the traditional siesta hours of 3;30-7:30 whereas most every establishment elsewhere would be completely shuttered) to find the place pretty much empty and were able to steal ourselves a very nice snacky meal. I am in general a sucker for chorizo of all stripes from the soft and spreadable Mexican vartieties to the more solid traditional Spanish version and the simple presentation here of thick slices of thee sausage served in its own thick, syrupy delicious juices and topped with a fat green pimiento pepper were as lovely as any I can remember, I gobbled the dish down way too fast. Also scrumptious as hell was the squid sandwich or calamari boccadillo. A smallish yet well stuffed sandwich on a soft roll, packed with perfectly lightly fried yet wonderfully crisp squid and smattering of aioli alongside some house made potato chips, this is apparently curiously one of the landlocked cities signature dishes, despite the considerable distance from the sea. I've heard that mediocre versions of the dish are quite common so if you want to sample it when in town I would certainly recommend stopping off here for one. This place is very centrally located to tourist heavy Centro district yet still manages to retain an authentic and sophisticated, decidedly non touristy vibe and clientele and the staff was uniformly gracious and professional. Definitely worth a stop in and if you want to partake in the lively lunchtime bar scene maybe arrive as early as possible in hopes of securing a coveted bar seat before they are inevitably quickly snatched up. read more

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Hotel concierge recommended this place. Every plate was delicious. A couple of years later we went again and the quality was just as good. Super cute restaurant. Enjoy read more

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Food was impeccable. Friendly and attentive service. The space is small but comfortable. They have a little room in the back with three tables where I was seated. Less lively than the bar but a nice spot. Great experience! 10/10 would dine again. read more

Centrally located "tapas" place. I say "tapas" because all items can be half size (60% of full price) to make it tapas or you can share with a group of friends. My husband and I did not have reservation but we were able to sit at the bar and it's the same service. The host was friendly and spoke English. We immediately noticed everyone around us were Americans. Perhaps they found the restaurant via Yelp. However, the food was seasonally and fresh. Wouldn't say it "cheap" because menu prices range from 13-20 euros each. Bread is extra (normal in all restaurants in Madrid) so don't accept bread basket if you don't plan to eat it. The tomato salad (first menu item) is a must. It tasted light and fresh. The potato salad is also great. Looks like a hummus platter that can spread on crackers. The chickpeas with shrimp and calamari was full of flavor - def worth a try. We also got the one of the beef dish that was all fried (don't recommend because the steak was deep fried like a chicken fried steak) and tasted okay. Lastly ordered the flan dessert. Wouldn't say it's the best either. Overall good service and friend appetizer type food. read more

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This was an absolutely perfect experience! All of our tapas selections were delicious, as was our wine, and our waitress was a delight- personable, helpful, and genuinely happy that we were happy. This all adds up to a delightful ambiance and happy customers :) Highly recommend! read more

I really enjoyed the sangria and the ambiance was great. For food however I had light bites from the appetizer and I did not enjoy those much. Menu has a variety of dishes so maybe something on it is great. The staff was friendly and attentive. read more

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Good, reliable spot in Madrid with fresh ingredients, good service and a nice selection of tapas. We ordered 4 tapas and 1 jug of sangria for 2 people, which was the perfect amount of food for us. Croquettes de "Bacalao Cantabro": My least favourite of everything we ordered. Was expecting more of a bread-like dish with eel. Eel was like big fishy chunks with some fried potatoes. Potatoes were very good. Overall ok dish but not quite up my alley. (edit: I've been informed that Bacalao is not eel; however the English menu describes this as a conger eel croquette, so it seems like this was more of a translational issue than issue with the dish. Would recommend updating the description to avoid confusion in the future!) Chuleton de Tomate: Full of ingredients I dislike (tomato, papaya, cucumber) and yet I still enjoyed it! Very very fresh and a nice combo of ingredients that make the dish refreshing and ready to eat a lot more tapas! Alitas de Pollo: Was a bit hesitant to order because I thought these would be boring wings, but very well flavored and full of meat! Nice and crisp on the outside. Waffle fries were also ok. A bit too thinly cut so they tasted a bit oily. Arroz Campero Zamorano: Def the best dish we had. Rice a bit undercooked as per the usual in Spain. Lots of flavor and jam packed with mushrooms, chorizo and other goodies. Was a delicious stir fry. Sangria: Not as sweet as typical, also a bit weaker than usual. One jug for $14 which is a pretty good deal. read more

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This tomato was one of the best things I ate in all of Europe while living there for 5 months. A tomato. I don't know if I need to elaborate because if they can make a tomato taste this good I think it would be silly not to try. I am an omnivore and didn't even miss meat in this dish. Must go if in madrid. read more

Celso y Manolo - Tomato - Tapas Bars Near Me - Madrid, M

Ate here Aug 2022 and thought it was good but definitely more on the pricey side than other restaurants we went in Madrid. Since it's such highly rated on yelp, guess many diners came from the States and didn't mind the price. The tomatoes were great but imo not ~15 euro great. Service was OK. read more

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Another Spanish restaurant that I should have reviewed years ago (more specifically 4 years ago when we visited Madrid). I remember the restaurant being a bit unassuming. However, when the food came out, we were seriously impressed. It's hard to write a detailed review 4 years after the visit, but one thing I do remember clearly is the tomato salad. I believe it was the chuletón de tomate, which translates to T-bone steak of tomatoes. It was unlike any tomato salad i've had before, both sweet and savory. Looking at the menu and picture, it was loaded with avocado, papaya, onion, cucumber along with pine nuts and fresh herbs. To this date, still the best tomato salad ever and one of my favorite dishes ever. Anyways, if I ever find myself in Madrid again, I will visit Celso y Manolo agian! read more

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With such great yelp reviews we wanted to check out this restaurant on our last night in Madrid! We were lucky to get a reservation. This restaurant is very popular! The tomato salad was delicious, as was the steak and the rice dish. Everything is fresh and locally sourced. Finishing the meal with flan was perfection. Writing this from home in New York, and I am aching to go back to Madrid and Celso y Manolo. read more

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We went in at 8 on a Monday night. They were already busy so I would highly recommend reservations no matter the night! Luckily, they were able to put us at a shared table. They brought out some delicious olives for us to snack on as we waited. What we ordered: we both got a red wine- we got the cheapest options because tbh to me all red wine tastes alike. (I guess my pallet isn't cultured enough yet:(). To eat we ordered the entrecot de tomate norteño and the second cod dish (cod, scrambled eggs, candied onions, etc). The tomato dish was so yummy and fresh! The sardines on top were delicious! I wish there were more than 2. The cod dish was good, but really didn't seal the deal for me. The onions on top were a little soggy and not super crisp. NOTE- the bread they bring out has supperrrr hard crust. It wasn't worth the 3€. Overall the only dish I really liked was the entrecot de tomate norteño, but they Experience was so nice; therefore it gets 4 stars. Also- check in on yelp and get a free vermut!:) read more

Celso y Manolo - Entrecot de tomate norteño - Tapas Bars Near Me - Madrid, M

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Stumbled by accident into this place and it caught my attention. It probably was one of the best stops I made that day for food cause that arroz campero was Devine! read more

Oh my goodness this place was adorable. We ate here our first night in Madrid. The service was fabulous and the food was amazing!!! We are still talking about this dinner seven days later. read more

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The food was authentic and absolutely delicious. Our first night in Madrid, we enjoyed the ambience and the service I highly recommend.

Food was delicious. Great place to unwind and share drinks with friends. Service outstanding. I will definitely be back. read more

Celso y Manolo - Tapas Bars Near Me - Madrid, M

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Great food and the best service in Madrid!! The olives are amazing and the rice with chorizo is out of this world! Plan on returning soon!

We stopped here for tapas on a visit to Madrid and had a great experience. Has the atmosphere of a small neighborhood spot, friendly service, and the food was excellent. read more

Our hotel recommend this spot . Very good tapas and nice size portions. Good local food.

This was fantastic. We came and sat at the bar (right in front of the big stack of tomatoes), and got three tomato-based dishes (the carpaccio, the salad with avocado/mango/papaya/etc, and the tasting of four types of spring tomatoes with four types of olive oil), followed by the steak "taquitos" and two desserts (lemon pie and chocolate mousse). Everything was great -- the tomatoes were excellent, and the steak borderline blew us away, and the desserts were both fantastic as well. The only thing I might do differently next time is order even more stuff -- we were both full, but everything was so good that it would be hard to not order more. One other thing to note -- it was very busy, and we were lucky to go as early as we did (we only waited about ten minutes for bar seats), because they did not have any reservations left and the place was pretty mobbed by 9pm. Overall, an awesome dinner that I'd highly recommend. read more

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This was given to us as a recco from the hotel. I did my yelp research and decided to give it a try. We were only able to get a reservation at 7:30pm on a Saturday night. So, I would recommend reservations and if you want something happening and lively go at 8pm or after. That is when the place was jamming. This was our one and only night in Madrid so I wanted it to be a kick ass meal. Ok so if you are thinking about this place you obviously need to try the tomato salad. Simple and delicious. We also got the arroz campero. We got a plate of ham and cheese. The cheese (was some of the best cow milk cheese I have ever tasted). Service was pretty good as we don't speak Spanish well at all. I will say the vermouth was amazing. So check in on yelp and let that be the start of your meal. read more

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Our last meal in Spain was a great one! Did my research and selected here for dinner. Believe the rating, it is good! Make a reservation here or you may risk not getting seated. We arrive around 8pm and witnessed many patrons getting turned away. Love the Spanish tapas concept: small plates. Great for sharing with a group! We ordered: tomato salad, patatas bravas, chicken wings, razor clams and the chorizo fried rice. The stars: chicken wings, razor clams and chorizo fried rice. Chicken wings, brushed with pesto, were the best wings I have had in a long time! Tender and packed with yummy flavor! I yearn for more chorizo fried rice (tomato sauce based)--soooo good! WoW! The razor clams were favorites for the rest of the gang: we got a second order! If it were up to me, i would've ordered seconds of the wings and the fried rice! Their tomato salad is very popular and a crowd favorite. A small salad dressed with pesto and olive oil. We tried it: it is good but not rave-worthy. Patatas Bravas is a Spanish staple. I made a point of ordering it at most restaurants. Make a reservation and visit here. You will not regret it! Maybe start your vacation here to set the tone for the rest of the trip! read more

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The tomato salad was one of the best things I've ever eaten, period. For sure the best salad I've had. Also, the best thing I ate on my recent trip to Spain and France. So fresh, simple and flavorful. Thick juicy tomato, avocado, mango, papaya, olive oil and fresh herbs - it was light, acidic and had a little crunch with the pine nuts. You MUST order this. The chicken wings were incredible too - the chimichurri seasoning was super flavorful. I like wings, but I loved these wings. Loved the vibe of this place - minimalist, clean and definitely on the smaller side, I recommend going for lunch and/or making a reservation for dinner. We ate at a small table for lunch and the bar at night for dinner (no reservation, it was packed got lucky on timing and snagged a bar seat). We were in Madrid 3 days and went twice but I couldn't eaten every meal here. read more

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Delicious food, unexpected flavors, wonderful ambiance and environment but especially friendly and helpful staff (2 waitresses/host) with very good service. Americans from Southern California highly recommending this place! Gracias de todo. read more

As recommended in so many reviews, we made a reservation for 8:30 at this restaurant with vegan and vegetarian options. The menu was the same as online, so it didn't take long to order. The restaurant was pretty formal, not tablecloth formal, just service formal. I loved my vegan entree, rice with vegetables, mushrooms and truffles. My friends enjoyed their meat dishes and their wine. Our neighbors at the next table recommended the tomato dishes, apparently a restaurant specialty, but our meal was at an end by that point. I happily add my recommendation to the many already written. read more

Delicious elevated tapas with a trendy vibe. Reasonably priced as well. Our favorites were the tomato and olive oil plate, three cheeses, arroz, and the chocolate mousse. read more

We dropped in without a reservation about 1:30 pm and were lucky to get a seat. Food was very good, we had their Spanish potato salad and the Spanish chorizo sandwich (bocadillo style). Wanted a small meal before we headed off to Retiro Park. Service was attentive and efficient. Recommend reservations as this place gets busy. read more

Fun stop after the Prado was an unexpected delight. The local fare was first rate. Do not miss the tomato salad. Very unusual and excellent.

Impossible to get tables without a reservation. The place is very small, there is also a bar and you can have a spot at the bar area. The nicest part is the chef that cooks salads and all organic dishes in front of you. Strange that he does not use any gloves, even though from cutting salads he switched to my beef tar tar and cooked it right there. The bar is not equipped with any sanitary stuff, waitresses pouring drinks, he is cutting tomatoes, others are giving you checks - all in the same area ... well.... let's not think about germs. We felt a bit scammed by all organic staff even though tomatoes did look organic and tasted also delicious. But organic is not just enough to make food delicious. Overall 3 stars, food is good but not for the offered price. read more

Celso y Manolo - Steak tar tar - Tapas Bars Near Me - Madrid, M

Awesome food and great service! Our server Marco was friendly and helpful. Would definitely recommend this place to anyone visiting Madrid. read more

Celso y Manolo - Tapas Bars Near Me - Madrid, M

Love, love, love this place. It was so good that I went back the next night as well. Both nights I went it was very crowded. If you can, you should make a reservation. As I was alone, I had no problem sitting at the bar. The drinks were tasty and came strong. I had the sangria both nights, but sampled a few other drinks from the bar. The food was so good. Each night I had different items and none of them disappointed. The tropical salad was my favorite. read more

Celso y Manolo - Seared Tuna... delicious! - Tapas Bars Near Me - Madrid, M

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What a great little restaurant find on yelp! We came here for lunch and thank goodness we got there on the early side as we were able to get seated right away. 30 minutes later closer to 130, the joint was packed and standing room only. We ordered a variety of tapas including paella, a mango avocado salad, cheese and ham tasting. Nothing disappointed and they had a really nice selection of wines by the glass including cava. If you check in on yelp you get a pretty vermouth martini which isn't my thing. But hey free! I also like that as foreigners we were uncertain how much to order and our waiter made sure we didn't get too much (nice touch). read more

Celso y Manolo - Free vermouth with checking in! - Tapas Bars Near Me - Madrid, M

Excellent Razor clams and calamari! This place is so good! I will be back when I am Spain again! read more

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Celso y Manolo is a must visit in Madrid. The tapas selection at this bar is extensive and flavorful. My wife and I tried the Arroz Campero, Taquitos de Chuleton, and Tablita de Degustacion. The Arroz Campero is a savory and flavorful rice mixed with chorizo, ham, ossobuco, churrasco, and paprika. Next the Taquitos de Chuleton were tender juicy pieces of steak with a lightly crisp and salted outside and paired with flavorful grilled veggies. Finally the Tablita de Degustacion was a tasting plate of a variety of flavorful meats. Celso y Manolo will be one of my first stops next time I'm in Madrid. read more

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We walked in without a reservation and got seated right away. The waiter was friendly and the food was delicious. This restaurant was tucked away from the busy gran via so it wasn't too touristy! We got three plates for the two of us and both drinks and food was delicious! read more

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Oh my, oh my, oh my!!! WHAT AN EXPERIENCE! Lets talk about the service first. With my little to no experience with the spanish language, the server carefully guided me along the menu and even made recommendations on what was most popular! Do be careful because we thought we were going to be the only ones there since it was 3:30pm but spanish people apparently start lunch around that time so the place was pretty much booked and packed! The food, I don't even know where to start, Wow! The giant tomato tapas were my FAVORITE. It was SO fresh and it was full of flavor! The portions are a bit bigger than normal tapas dishes but it was worth it. My sister and ai shared three tapas dishes and we came out bloated but satisfied. If you stop by this place, make sure to try their arroz! We got the Arroz campero, which was probably the best spanish rice I have ever had. This place is a must and I recommend 100% read more

Came across this hidden gem thanks to Yelp's recommendation, and had one of the best meals in Spain. Fresh ingredients, bursting with flavors, generous dishes, and great service - this place is the whole package! I just wish we lived closer, and not half way across the globe :-/ read more

Celso y Manolo - Tapas Bars Near Me - Madrid, M

A must visit in Madrid!! Decided to try Celso y Manolo on a chilly Saturday night. Although we did not have a reservation, they were able to find a table for us right away. The Rioja wine was some of the best we've had and at a great price. My fiancé even had a second glass which is very unusual for him! We tried the 4 tomatoes with 4 olive oils, the cheese trio, the arroz con churasco, chorizo & mushrooms, taquitos de rape (monkfish) and crepes with apples and toasted nuts. Each dish was even better than the last somehow! The flavors in the arroz and taquitos dishes were so good and unusual, like nothing I've had before. We left wishing we could go back again!! I absolutely recommend this restaurant to all. read more

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Celso y Manolo was a very tasty restaurant in Madrid. The dishes we ordered were all flavorful and fresh, focusing on key simple ingredients. However, they were on the smaller size for the prices we paid, but they made up for it with great taste. We had one of the tomato dishes, which came with one very large and fresh tomato slice, topped with with fresh veggies + fruits (avocado, mango, papaya, cucumber, onion), pine nuts, herbs, and delicious olive oil. We also had the 9 ingredient salad, which had asparagus, zucchini, broccoli, cabbage, carrot, pepper, pepper, and onion. The veggies were fresh, but served a bit too chunky for me - it made it a little difficult to eat smoothly. The final dish we had - another salad with big pieces of romaine, zucchini, mango, papaya, and cheese. Another fresh salad, although again, difficult to eat due to veggie/lettuce size. Also, the service was very poor when we arrived. We arrived shortly after they opened, and were the only diners there. The limited staff were a bit confused, and were unsure if they were able to seat us. They finally did, but the service continued to be slow. The food was good, a bit expensive, but I'm sure the rest of the menu is equally as fresh and tasty as well. read more

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