More of a touristy vibe, but solid joint if you're in the area. My friend ordered the seafood plate which she loved. I ordered the tomato steak, which was beautifully plated with mango, papaya, avocado, cucumbers, onions, and nuts. It was surprisingly delicious, although a bit light for a full meal. The mango in particular stood out--clear, bright, and sweet--one of the better mango dishes I've had. The decor and silverware were gorgeous, and the location makes for a trendy Instagram spot. Minus a star only because the vegetarian options were limited and the portions a bit smaller that we liked. read more

Celso y Manolo - Celso y manolo- tomato steak - Tapas Bars Near Me - Madrid, M

Fantastic experience, ended up going two nights in a row. The restaurant is walking distance from Gran Via but still tucked away from the main streets. Ambience is intimate and noise level is great for family or a date. Definitely order the tomato salads, rice dishes and fresh seafood. Get a reservation if you're coming in after 7:30. The first red on the wine list is great and only 2.75€ a glass! read more

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Great attitude, very friendly. The wine list is very good also. We liked vegetables and tomatoes but that is about it. Croquetas tasted like a raw flour. We did not enjoy it. read more

Holy tapas! I cannot believe how good the food here is. Let me take you through our food journey. My mom and I stopped in on the recommendation of my brother who was in Spain recently. We walk in to a small space that was very crowded and busy bc when your reputation is amazing, that's what happens! We had a reservation and were seated immediately. Service was great. I checked in on Yelp and got a free vermouth drink. We ordered five different tapas which were split among two people plus two drinks each - our food was filling and came to about 65 Euros. First thing we tried and, in my opinion, is a must - the Entrecot de tomate: avocado, anchovies, fresh cheese and olives on a tomato. Sounds simple but something about the spices and oil used created a heavenly flavor explosion. Next we had a fresh cheese plate with raisins and nuts. It was OK. Nothing to write home about. After that, we had an amazing potato chorizo soup which sounded awkward to split among two people but it worked out pretty OK and was well worth it. Then we had a good calamari dish but apart from it tasting very fresh was good but, again, nothing spectacularly of note here. Fourth, we had the chicken wings with chimichurri and that was also delightful. I loved my drink the perfect boyfriend and highly recommend it. Service was great and our server was very friendly. We enjoyed our visit and definitely recommend it to others. read more

Madrid vibes at its best! This little (literally) jewel box hidden in the streets behind La Gran Via is almost like a Secret Society gathering spot. Their clients are dressed so chic of course Madrileños. By reservation only, unless you want to sit at the bar, which is always a good idea . The Ibérico Jam and cheese are superb. Tapas cod fish croquettes and sea food are a must. The rice selection made with fresh ingredients (share portions). The wine by the glass selection I highly recommend all Spanish selection, they also have an extensive wine list. And of course... your Madrid trade, the lady that apparently runs the show does not mirror the ambiance. She is quick to turn clients away if they don't have a reservation and is busy performing all kinds of tasks at a high speed. The rest of the staff is delightful, kind and engaging. I give this intimate, secretive, and high quality place a five start rating and would love people to enjoy this experience and delicious Spanish food Don't forget to ask for the free Vermouth it is delicious! read more

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Lot of 5 star reviews for this place which is why I sought it out. But I think those reviews are overstated based on my experience. What they do have right is that the place is tiny. So if you're timing is off or you have no reservations you will have a long wait. In my opinion you're better off looking elsewhere if you can't get in. For a place so small you'd think service would be outstanding - nearly all patrons are in clear view. Our service was super slow and I never understood where the server was rushing off to cause it clearly wasn't to our table. The menu they presented is very large in size but not in content. It's almost the size of an unfolded newspaper. But there wasn't much food on there so I had a difficult time deciding among the few full plate options. Settled on beef tenderloin which was served rare and was quite small. To be fair, it was tender and very tasty. My wife had the seared tuna which was prepared exactly as she likes it - very rare. She loved it. Perhaps I was expecting more so my disappointment shows in my rating. Obviously others find it 5 star. I sure don't. read more

Celso y Manolo is a cozy little tapas restaurant that turned out to be one of my favorite tapas restaurants during my entire stay in Madrid! Having not made reservations beforehand, we grabbed a seat at the bar, and I was amazed by everything we had. A creative step up over normal tapas dishes is what you'll find here. First, they had a whole menu section focusing just on tomatoes from Spain, so that's exactly where we started. The (huge) tomato slice with chunks of avocado, mango, papaya, olive oil, cucumbers, and fresh herbs was an extremely creative dish and looked absolutely beautiful! But most importantly, it tasted amazing--the fresh, juicy tomato slice paired so nicely with the tropical fruits, and the olive oil, pine nuts, and red-colored salt sprinkled on top of the dish brought all the bold flavors together! Amazing!! We also had the grilled venison filet, which came out a perfect medium rare and was tender and gamey--it was served with the creamiest mashed potato on the side that completed every delicious bite of the meat! Entranced by my first visit, I actually came back a second time and tried the tomato dish with avocado, olive oil, olives, anchovies, and cheese, but the tomato slice I had before (with the 5 accompanying tropical ingredients) was far more interesting. The cod with egg, caramelized onion, raisins, pine nuts, and straw potatoes was a nice take on a Portuguese dish, but it was rather salty for my tastes. The slow-cooked casserole (cazuelita marinera "cidillero") with octopus, mussels, and cockles in a smooth potato puree was divine--the seafood was tender and flavorful, and the potato brought the entire dish together! Finally, the bocadillo sandwich with a thin slice of veal, super crispy bacon, caramelized onion, and melted cheese was unbelievable--each of the hearty ingredients melded beautifully together, and the crunch of the bread and the bacon went so well with the gooey cheese and tender veal! All in all, an excellent tapas restaurant that does a modern take on dishes, using the freshest ingredients and perfect execution! I'd definitely recommend a visit if you're in the area! read more

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Celso y Manolo is an informal eatery serving Spanish tapas. The eatery was small and intimate. The servers were friendly. The prices were a bit high for what you get. The tapas were a bit hit and miss. Let's start with what I enjoyed. I enjoyed the Spanish seafood rice. The rice was flavourful and the seafood was fresh. The seafood casserole was very rich. It came with cockles, mussels and octopus. The plate of calamari, octopus and fishballs was a bit disappointing. There wasn't much on the plate. There were other tapas bars that we enjoyed better. Celso y Manolo was not bad. It was just not as good as some of the other tapas bars I had the good fortune to enjoy while in Madrid. read more

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AMAZING!!!! On our last day in Madrid we wanted to try a new place, which is not hard to do in Madrid. However we were staying in the touristy are which had lots of poorly rated restaurants. I found Celso y Manolo on yelp which was about a 20min walk from our hotel, not something we minded in Madrid. At CyM we had the Chuletón de tomate de Huesca con 6 cosas ricas, the best tomato salad I've ever had. Then we had the Arroz campero which was mind blowing delicious and that should have been enough... But, we didn't have the chance to try the Bocadillo de Calamares which was on our list to try, so we decided to... it was better that we imagined, freshly made bread and crispy fresh calamari! This was definitely a gem not just the food but also the service, and will definitely go back next time we go to Madrid!!! read more

Absolutely delicious and a must if visiting Madrid! We ordered chicken wings, a jar of agua de Madrid, steak tartare ( you know me), ensalada and arroz campero. Everything was so good and we literally left nothing behind. Would highly recommend this place to any and everyone and would come back here again if we visit Madrid in the future! read more

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Absolutely delicious food! A charming little spot tucked away on a narrow street in Central Madrid. Wish we had time to come back!

This place is very good. They have local food and the people are very friendly. Good for Americans to know experience spanish food.

After we tried few places to eat in Madrid we try this place. The best unique food in the area . Fresh and clean . Definitely will back to here read more

Loved it. The food is brilliant - new, creative twists on traditional Spanish cuisine. Something for everyone, be it meat/jamon eaters, pesceterian and even though there aren't many dishes to accommodate for vegan/vegetarian what they do have is great. Do not miss out on at least one of the dishes they serve over tomatoes. It's a house specialty. Very popular with local crowd, always a good indication, but not at expense of staff English fluency, which is great if you need it. The staff is also very friendly and efficient. The place is lovely, lively, not very big, so it's hardly quiet, but it's part of a great atmosphere. Warmly recommended. read more

Celso y Manolo - Brilliant, beautifully served and refreshing starter. - Tapas Bars Near Me - Madrid, M

We came here after being turned away from another place because it was booked and we had no reservations. When we got here it was packed and it's a pretty small place. We were told it was fully booked also but as we start walking down the street another employee comes out and said the other guy was wrong and they did have a table. The 3 of us got crammed into a very small table between two other groups. However after a long day we were happy to have a table at all. Moral of the story is make a reservation if you come on a Friday night. The menu is like a newspaper it's huge which is a little annoying when you have such little space. Anyways we were having trouble deciding and honestly the server wasn't much help. Service overall was not the best, maybe the guy had too many tables or something. Anyways we ordered a couple items to share and the food was as very good. The "tacos" were not tacos at all but actually very nicely cooked steak. The rice and chops we ordered were also excellent. Price was on the higher end but nothing crazy given the area. Overall great food, so so service and definitely get a reservation. read more

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This restaurant was small and quaint. The food was so incredible and I highly recommend the tomatoes of many varieties and the tuna. The wait staff made you feel like family. I would highly recommend!!! read more

Very good service and the food was delicious . The bread and olives were a delight and the first tomato dish was beautiful to the eyes and palate read more

I wish I could give this 6 stars it was so good. We got the top tomato dish with the papaya and mango and it was absolutely delicious--one of the best dishes I've had in Madrid. Then we got the arroz campanero which was fantastic. Finally we had the chocolate mouse which was heavenly. The staff were also incredibly kind and seated us quickly even though we didn't have a reservation. read more

We didn't have reservations and they still sat us right away. The sangria was delicious. We also had the chuleton de tomate and albondigas de peacado. I can't even describe how good both of those dishes were. We wanted more from the menu but we were full. Great food for our first day in Madrid. read more

Celso y Manolo - Chuleton De Tomate - Tapas Bars Near Me - Madrid, M

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Wow...We arrived at a nearby hotel (Lusso Infantas) and wanted something great to eat. Look no further. We walked in without a reservation and was warmly greeted by the hostess. She accommodated us as a drop in and seated in the front. Let me start by saying that I'm a fairly picky eater. Given that context, the food here is superb. We enjoyed every dish that came out. Think back to meals you had where you thoroughly enjoyed each bite and the overall experience. Celso Y Manolo is that kind of restaurant. If you are lucky enough to get in, do not hesitate. Enjoy! read more

Must try! Best thing we had was the tomato salad, it was phenomenal! Fresh heirloom tomato, sea salt, papaya, mango, cucumber, and avocado with fresh olive oil. Such a delicious bite. I would consider getting like 2 or 3 they were so good (but save room for other things too!) read more

Celso y Manolo - Tomato salad (out of this world) - Tapas Bars Near Me - Madrid, M

Walked in at 6pm without a reservation and got a seat, with the understanding that we'd have to be out by 8pm for a reservation. Unlike so many places in Spain, the waiters were very organized -- they had all of the olives and cold tapas ready before the typical 8pm rush. The food was very good: the seared tuna, the steak with whisky sauce, a cow's milk cheese, and cooked vegetables. The bread and olives were also quite good. A little pricey, though, particularly as everything is a tapas-sized portion. The staff understands English far better than I speak Spanish, so there was no patience for me to speak Spanish. I completely understand that. But, I also understand Spanish far better than I speak it, so I didn't enjoy hearing that the fat lady ordered the cow's milk cheese. read more

We called to ask about wait time, they told us none and to come in. 10 mins later we arrived and hostess told us she had no tables available even though we saw three empty tables. We explained that we had called and she dismissed us. Extremely rude read more

Love this restaurant! I've been for lunch and dinner many times! And I always come back The staff is attentive, they remember my name, they recommend the best dishes The food is excellent! I have tried almost everything with fish and vegetables on the menu! A place to visit if you are in Madrid! read more

Happened on this very small tapas restaurant on our trip to Spain. Giving 5 stars only because 6 is not an option. The Bad: VERY small. We were fortunate to make reservations for four, early seating for Madrid (8:00 seating on Monday night). Otherwise saw at other websites the wait can be very long. MAKE RES. The It Is What It Is: Loud. NOT a quiet place. CASUAL. NOT a fancy, dress up venue. A hole in the wall, really. ALL ELSE (AKA OMG): 1. Food: We are older, have always enjoyed travel, food and spirits. This is easily in the top one or two percent of anywhere we have eaten, at very moderate prices (not cheap, but incredibly reasonable for what you receive). Four of us, ordered one tomato salad, one "standard" salad, the Iberian ham combination plate, an artichoke dish and a beef dish. All were superb. In addition, the house bread (from northern Spain) is heavy, rich and to die for. We are big eaters, but could easily have done one tapas each (or even three for the four of us) and been perfectly satisfied. 2. Wine: Unless you read Spanish, you must rely on your server for suggestions (food menu has English translation, not so for wine list). Had two bottles of red and one of white. All were wonderful, and all were under 20 euro per bottle. Ridiculously good value! 3. Service: Understand they are incredibly busy, and wait staff were running and gunning. Nonetheless, Priscilla, our server, the designated English speaking staff person, took all the time we needed to work with us on both food and wine selections and was very attentive. 4. Price: Our total bill including VAT was $148 Euro. Remember, for five superb tapas plates, three superb bottles of wine. This was an incredible value. 5. Tipping: Guidebooks say tip nothing or very little in Spain. THINK how many mediocre meals with mediocre service you have received in the good old US of A, and you still tipped 15-20%! We tipped $12 Euro on the bill. GIVE SOMETHING. Thanks for listening. Do NOT miss this place if you can help it. read more

Favorite restaurant in Spain - period. From the very tall dude making those gorgeous heirloom tomato salad creations to the lovely wait staff, it's a Michelin level dining experience (surprised they haven't gotten a star yet hope soon.) The attention to detail and quality in this dining experience starts with the heavenly house marinated olives and bread and carries strongly throughout the meal. I had tomato and avocado appetizer, razor clams and veal with wine pairings and the house beer recommended by the bartender Priscilla who is just a lovely human being who has studied and mastered the art of hospitality. She had a shot of liqueur with me at the end and gave me a complimentary mini chocolate mousse as I hadn't ordered a dessert. In fact, the bar is the place to sit as I made some amazing friends who were sitting beside me. I came back for my last meal in Madrid here and was exquisitely happy. read more

The best tomato I've ever had in my life. The martini for checking in was a nice bonus. We're planning to come back tomorrow because this was the best meal on our trip so far. They charged us for bread that they brought without asking which was annoying but still 5 stars. read more

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

Where to begin. We scored an early dining table, 7:30 PM and entered into a realm of dining perfection. From start to finish, our experience was flawless. The food, plating and vibe was wonderful. The Spotify playlist was old world Spanish. I downloaded the list for future listening pleasure. Our servers were wonderful. It's a bit cramped but worthy on every level. read more

Ambiance was fantastic. Every piece of food we got was delicious and prepared very well. The service was pretty solid and I loved the sand which I got. read more

This place great. Portions are good Staff is good Tastes is amazing Only downside is pricing. Wish that was a little better For those that dont speak the Espanol, they do speak English. Anyways I ate there a bunch When I was in Madrid. read more

My fellow yelpers have always come through during times of need. I was visiting Madrid for one night and looking for a place to eat and enjoy drinks without having to beat down the tourists. I posted on yelp talk requesting suggestions and Celso y Manolo was suggested along with other places. I chose this place because it was walking distance to where I was staying. The ambiance is very relaxed and hip, with beautiful people and simple décor. I read about the vermouth martini and it did not disappoint. The menu is quite extensive so take your time going through it. I ordered a smattering of dishes to try and all were good. I enjoyed my house red wine and admired at all the beautiful people eating here. Definitely recommended for a pleasant night out with friends or date night. read more

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

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This has got to be the best place in Chueca. The food is simply incredible. I've ordered the Atún rojo, sea food casserole, the chuletas, and arroz. They were all fantastic. The prices are fair. They are also a tapas bar open till 2 am. Sit at the bar order a drink and enjoy free aperitivos. read more

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This was our last meal in Spain after a two-week visit; and we could not have picked a better location to tip our own hats to our Spain visit. I guess C y M has a stellar reputation and they proved up to it on my night. Their off the main drag location only highlights this go-to tapas bar. The food is all organic; and everyone makes sure to inform you. Not one item we ordered left us wanting The deserts were awesome. We also got some tips from the chef on where the food was sourced and a talk on his inventive combinations. That was special and how Very American of him to come to our table! The beer is cold, the olives salty, and the vermouth based drink is something I will recreate when I return home. Service is stellar, most speak English, and my pigeon Spanish was well received. Clean bathrooms, thanks for that. If you are in the area, make a trip to C y M. You will be happy. read more

Excellent tapa place. It's a little pricier than average, but the food was delicious and well seasoned. We shared 5 dishes between the 4 of us and enjoyed each one. Our favourite was probably the foie gras. The sauce was creamy and delicious! Wonderful place! read more

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Highly recommend this restaurant for lunch or dinner, we walked in without a reservation and shared the tomato salad (amazing!) and T-bone steak. Still dreaming of this meal! read more

Celso y Manolo - A perfect lunch in Madrid - Tapas Bars Near Me - Madrid, M

Excellent food and nice change from other typical Spanish restaurants. This restaurant uses fresh local organic foods - vegetables, cheese, meats - with Spanish spices and flair. We had a tomato salad with blueberries, cheese plate and roasted fresh vegetables. All were excellent - vegetables very tasty, cheeses were unique and wonderfully flavorful. Topped it off with one of the best chocolate mousse we have had in years! This was a great find! read more

Our first (and worst) meal on this trip. Celso y Manolo was highly recommended by our hotel and it was nearby. The ratings on service and atmosphere are impacted by our horrid experience with the overpriced, overrated food and the rude female proprietor. The conger eel croquettes were bland and didn't appear to contain either raisins or pine nuts. We ordered a rice dish with "seven seasonal organic vegetables cooked in an iron casserole." This was probably the best dish we ordered but overall it was bland, forgettable and short on vegetables. I save the worst for last: we ordered CHURRASQUITO: organic veal churrasco with chimichurri sauce, expecting an edible portion of veal seared on a grill. What arrived beneath a handful of (good) fries were flabby slices of fat and bone that were completely inedible. We picked a few fries and attempted to find some meat but quickly realized there was none to be found. After trying to get our server's attention for ten minutes we took the dish to the bar/kitchen and explained the problem to the female proprietor/chef. She explained that her customers like eating flabby slices of fat and bone and refused to replace our dish, refund it or offer some other option. She also explained that since we had "touched" the food she would not do offer us another option other than to pay for it. Worse, she was rude, dismissive and completely disinterested. The good news is that we had amazing food during the rest of our time in Spain. read more

Very well done. Seemed like "new Spanish" food to me. Refined versions of some things you see on every tapas menu, with plenty of deviations too. Great wine list. My favorite is sitting at the bar because the cold prep area and bar share their space and you can watch and talk to the prep cook. Also, the price is great. I might be skewed in my opinion since I'm comparing to NYC prices, but I went solo, had a bunch of tapas, dessert, and three glasses of wine, and my bill was like 45E. And fear not: this is a not a tourist trap restaurant with sub-par food. The locals definitely eat here. read more

I went here between dinner and lunch time so it was only us and one other group that ate here. We just had some wine and their ham and cheese plates. Both plates were great and it was perfect to eat with some wine in the afternoon. Service was nice and attentive. I will definitely try to get back here and try more of their tapas! read more

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I was really looking forward to eating at Celso y Manolo. However, we arrived during a very busy dinner rush. No problem. I asked how long it would be for a reservation. I was told that all tables were taken by reservations and it was bar only at that point. We are used to eating and drinking at the bar so that was not an issue. I looked at the menu and decided on a couple of wines I would like to order. The person I was with did as well. We waited. And waited. And waited some more. We waited at least 29 minutes with expectant eyes and signals that said we'd like to order a drink while we wait. The gentleman next to us tactically had to beg the server for his drink. At this point I felt so out of place that we just left. We weren't sure if we did not get served because we did not look the part of a wealthy tourist. We went and spent plenty of money elsewhere. read more