Great spot with delicious food and a welcoming atmosphere. We loved this place so much that we came back for breakfast several times during our visit to Spain, and even stopped in one evening for a few bites. The service was fast and very friendly, which made the experience even better. Everything we tried was delicious, well priced, and absolutely worth the visit. We had café con leche, freshly squeezed orange juice, toast with tomato, olive oil and ham, toast with Spanish tortilla, and ham croquettes. Highly recommend stopping by if you're in the area, we'll definitely come back next time we're in Spain. read more

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They said that never meet your hero. Thats how I felt. It is an institution that the locals recommended and the place has tons of characters to spare. The calamari sandwich can only be described as I had better. Maybe I didn't order the right thing. The service was interesting not bad but interesting. An American's perspective. read more

I don't know why this place doesn't have a higher rating! Reminds me of an old school NYC cafeteria with efficient service, food that comes out quick, good menu, and tasty. The history of this place is a nice bonus too. The chocolate and porra were delicious! We also got the ham and egg sandwich, jamón y tomato paleta, tortilla pincho, and coffee. All hit the spot that we came back the day after too! read more

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This quickly became my favorite place in Madrid for its great location, good food, wonderful staff, and its "very local" atmosphere. Dinner and lunch were great, and at a good price. They truly have the best bocadillo in Madrid. The staff is kind and attentive, even when they are busy. Bosco is the best! **** El Brillante se convirtió en mi lugar favorito para comer en Madrid por su excelente ubicación, buena comida, maravilloso staff, y su ambiente "muy local". La comida y la cena fueron muy buenas y a buen precio. De verad que tienen el mejor bocadillo de Madrid. El personal es amable y atento, aún cuando están llenos. Bosco es excelente, y serás afortunado si él te atiende. read more

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Very good place. A bit of a tourist trap bc they're right on a main street. Known for their calamari sandwich, which I ordered with a beer. My wife ordered the tripe stew also with a beer. We were seated outside and although it was a bit cold it was very nice to people watch. Lots of birds looking for food (which of course I shared) and lots of homeless looking for money. Service was super quick, I believe they're a bit understaffed. My sandwich was great, tender and tasty w/ a hint of lemon. I added some of my wife's red sauce which made it even better. My wife didn't love the tripe. The paprika was a very strong flavor and some of the tripe was tough. All in I'd eat there again. read more

El Brillante - Calamari sandwich and beer. - Spanish Near Me - Madrid, M

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The only food that is good is calamari and calamari sandwiches. Their Octopus is under cooked. It is a busy place for quick meals. Service is ok and environmentally friendly but kind of noisy. read more

El Brillante - Octopus - Spanish Near Me - Madrid, M

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This is pretty much a staple with locals and visitors in Madrid. Because of its proximity to Atocha train station, El Brillante has been either our first or last stop in Madrid on s couple of occasions. While the place is very popular, the food is just ooooook. That said, it is a nice introduction into (or farewell from) the city. The restaurant has a variety menu options from meat, to seafood, to pastries, to coffees. Maybe there is not so much of a variety when it comes to the veggie options. The service is kind of intense. For example, it's not really a place where you'd ask the waiters for opinions on menu items. You pretty much order and go and the service is pretty fast-paced. The food pretty much comes out whenever it's ready without any rhyme of reason. The prices are in line with what would be expected in Madrid. I'd recommend dropping by if the wait for a table or a spot at the bar is no longer than 10 minutes. read more

El Brillante - Spanish Near Me - Madrid, M

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Get the house specialty- the fried calamari sandwich on homemade bread! You will not be disappointed. This place is loud and bustling and they know what they are doing with this sandwich. read more

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Great location, across from the train station. The tapas were good, the server was friendly and it was a nice place to by time until the train arrived. read more

Bar El Brillante is right across from the Atocha train station, which makes this a perfect lunch spot before catching the train. The Calamares Super Baguette is a ginormous fried calamari sandwich. The squid is battered in a light and crispy chickpea flour batter and fried in olive oil. The baguette is crusty and soft in the middle. It really is a well-executed sandwich that goes well with a caña of Mahou. My only issue is that personally I like a fair amount of sauce and seasonings, so I found it to be a bit dry. Overall, Bar El Brillante is a cool place to chill out. There is a long counter that with stools that you can sit next to. There is even a receptable below the counter to catch your napkins. read more

Looking for local cafe during your senior in Madrid? Or just place to people watch after your time at the Reina Sofia museum? This is just around the corner close Reina Museum and the grand central station (Atocha). It has fast service (esp for Madrid) and friendly staff. The cold beer is refreshing and tapas a must. I opted for the torreznos (fried pork akin to chicarrones) and a beer. I suggest you ask for Aoili to compliment the torreznos. The plate was enormous to share for two or three. My husband opted for the jamon sandwich. The bread was freshly baked. read more

El Brillante - Torreznos - Spanish Near Me - Madrid, M

Bocadillo de Calamares is the classic Madrid snack, made of lightly battered calamari rings in a crusty bread roll. Located next to the Reina Sofia, El Brillante (which means "the diamond") is a classic old-school tapas bar claiming to have the best Bocadillo in the city! Though popular, there was nothing particularly remarkable about this sandwich, as the calamari rings were bland and underseasoned, and they didn't have much crispiness from the batter either. I also tried the Tortilla Española, a beautiful yellow omelette made with potatoes and eggs and served with crusty bread on the side. Though not necessarily a memorable culinary destination, sitting at this rustic Madrid institution, ordering from the waiters in broken Spanish, and throwing used napkins to the ground made for a memorable experience! read more

Absolute disgrace! I can't believe how cheap, moronic and business shortsighted this stablishment has become. Plenty of places around to go in Atocha, do yourself a favor and avoid it! Originally from Madrid, I have enjoyed the food in this place many times in the past. I've lived abroad for a long while, and tonight I suggested to go there with a group of friends, first time since I came back. 11pm, we order some beers, and although originally the waiter said he will bring the traditional free tapa (chips, olives...), then he came back saying they won't serve tapas after 11pm, it was 11:03, honest. With a pathetic smile he said, those are the rules, he couldn't do anything, which is nonsense knowing the madrid bar culture... We were hungry and ready to order a few paid tapas from the menu, but after such a careless attitude towards customers, we decided to leave and definitely never come back again. We'll also spread the word around to make sure none of our multiple friends will set foot in this place ever. read more

It's a Madrid institution and one of the places for Madrid style tapas. It was chock a block when we arrived and the outdoor area was packed as was the inside. There are multiple bar counters on the inside with bar tenders screaming orders to the open kitchen opposite and the food keeps coming out by the tray loads. They have many of the local delicacies like morcilla (Spanish black pudding), lambs brains, mushrooms cooked in pork fat and so on. You will really struggle here as a vegetarian. Almost nothing available for vegetarian or vegan here. There are troughs to throw your napkins and so on right below the bar seats and they were overflowing :-( not a nice atmosphere to be in. It's basic, cheap and noisy. If you like that kind or place you will love it here. Food is ok and the service is quick and efficient. Expect nothing more :-) an ok place to experience the old style Madrid tapas. The locals love it, I am not sure I did. read more

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I usually like to wonder around and find things away from the tourist attractions, so while walking around i wondered into this large open bar and thought cool i found some cool local spot. I took a spot at one of the many bars and took a minute to look over the menu. I somehow got the impression that they were known for their fried calamari sandwich, its must have said that somewhere. I ordered the mini fried calamari sandwich and some papas fritas (french fries) he asked if i liked spicy. Si i replied. In a few minutes the mini sandwich and cubed potatoes with some sort of red orange sauce on it. The sandwich was pretty plain, just fried calamari rings on bread, the calamari itself is tender but lacked any kind of seasoning. I wish there was some sort of sauce or maybe even lettuce and tomato or something? The spicy papas fritas pretty boring too. They were just fried cubes of potatoes with a bland mildly spicy sauce, again Spanish don't really do much heat, which wouldn't be too bad if it was just more tasty. Both the sandwich and fries were both filling, i dont think i finished everything, I'm glad i only got the mini. When i was done i walked out what i though was the back door, only to find the Reina Sophia Museum right in front of me! Darn, so much for trying to get away from the tourist attractions! On the bright side i found the Reina Sophia Museum, which houses lots of abstract art from Pablo Picasso and Salvador Dali. It's a pretty rustic looking place that looks and feels like maybe its just where locals go but i think it just gets most of its traffic from museum goers. read more

El Brillante - Mini calamari sandwich and spicy papas fritas. Nothing special - Spanish Near Me - Madrid, M

This place was recommended by someone at the hotel I was staying. This is an iconic place across from the Atocha train station. The locals go to this place. It is an old fashion type of place. It is very noisy and the servers yelled the orders. It took me a while to figure out the place. I did not know where to sit or how to order. I had to approach one of the employees. It is not a place to have a pleasant time. But to get something to eat and leave. Service is quick. We had a baguette with Manchego Cheese, tortilla española and coffee with Milk. I really enjoyed the food. Once I get used to the vibe of the place everything was fine. read more

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Great buzz to the place given proximity to train station. Had blood sausage and a few other offal based dishes I wouldn't find stateside and left happy. read more

I never tried bocadillo de calamares or calamari sandwich. You claim that it's the best in Spain. I can say that its delicious and fresh. I would never think that this simple recipe would work, but it sure does. I love the vibe - old cafeteria style inside filled with locals buzzing with energy and the scents of good food and drinks. We sat al fresco outside looking towards the plaza and the Museo de Reina Sofia. Such a treat. I know that around main street is so crowded since you are centrally located (Estacion del Arte metro #1) and Paseo or huge boulevards the Real Jardin Botanico or Royal Botanical gardens, but this was a retreat moment. Thank you! read more

El Brillante - Spanish Near Me - Madrid, M

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I only came here b/c I was starving and had just checked into a hotel nearby. I knew I would not get a 4-star experience by looking at the environment: chaotic, noisy, and very tight table arrangement. The waiter was too busy to give me much attention and they did not have items that I ordered. read more

Highly overrated. This is your typical tourist trap. Food was tasteless. Ordered the El Brillante"bocadillo which is basically a mid size baguette filled with fried calamari... Worst calamari in Spain!; A mini baguette with fried chorizo which was overcooked and dry and the baguette was hard, at least a couple of days old. The same with the iberico baguette. The courtesy tapa that is traditionally offered in Spain when you order a glass of wine or cañita (draft beer) in this place is a bag of potato chips... All of this for 30 euros...$$$$ Stay clear of this place just walk a block or two and you'll find better and cheaper places to eat. It is difficult to find bad food in Spain. This is a clear example of places to avoid... And BTW, I'm from Spain. cheers and thank you for visiting Madrid. read more

They said they are famous for their Bocadillo de calamares, which is basically a sandwich with long pieces of fried calamari. It was kind of boring to be honest, in the sense that it really did just taste like a sandwich with calamari, with no other seasoning or dressing to spice up the flavor or make it taste better. It ended up just tasting kind of plain, and salty, which are neither of my favorite things. read more

El Brillante - Spanish Near Me - Madrid, M

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This place is what is must be like to walk into chaos itself. We wandered in here for lunch on our first day in Madrid, since our hotel was literally next door. When you eat in Spain, you get charged more when you sit outside at the tables with umbrellas, so we opted to sit inside. Ok, so there is only bar (long table) seating. We were fine with that but we just kept getting shoved around. Thank Goodness we had several people with us who were fluent in Spanish, but even with that help we were still shoved around and ignored. Each person had to order at this little window and then just stand there and wait for their food. I have no idea if we were doing it the right way, but we were hungry and we couldn't figure another way to order. My chicken burger with peppers on it was totally fine, but it was a serious mess to get the food. As I stood and waited my turn to order, I could watch them make the food. Wow, I know this isn't the US where we have sometimes obsessive levels of cleanliness, but the food prep area was pretty gross. Come here with CASH. I tried using my credit card to pay for several people's meals (so it wasn't some tiny charge) and it was like a totally new concept to them. They finally worked it out, but it took some persistence on my part. Everyone ate their food, so they get 2 stars, but don't expect decent service here. Good Luck! read more

El Brillante - Spanish Near Me - Madrid, M

El Brillante was recommended in our tourist guide for Madrid. Having walked all the way from el Retiro, my friend and I decided to try this well known spot for lunch. We were lucky to get a spot on the terrace, great for people watching (especially the large line forming at the Reina Sofia museum during the free hours). My choice was quickly set on the bocadillo de calamares which is apparently the specialty. Our drinks and food arrived promptly and to my surprise, the calamari sandwich is just that: fried calamari rings stuffed into a small baguette. No dressing, no sauce, no salad leaf. Nothing else. Nada mas. The calamari rings were tender and probably one of the best I have had, but the whole thing was just... Let's say you need a large bottle of the drink of your choice to help the food slide down! It is so dry... My friend seemed happy with her tortilla and bacon sandwich and the croquetas we tried were okay. The place being quite touristy, the toilets were quite filthy... It was not the worst experience of my life but I would not choose to go back. That taught me a lesson though: don't trust your guide book, trust Yelp instead! read more

Although I do not understand Spanish really well, I have to somewhat agree with what the other Spaniards have to say about this place. After a night at the Museo Reina Sofia, I decided to go to this place to get a bocadillo calamares fritos, which is a fried calamari sandwich. Since I was in Spain, I have high expectations for calamari. I thought I had some of the best calamari in Andalucia, particularly in Malaga and Sevilla, and I hoped that Madrid, the largest city in Spain would deliver some tasty calamari. Unfortunately, this was not the case. The fried calamari tasted really unusual compared to eating fried calamari cooked Chinese style or Spanish style. The texture of the calamari was soft, and it tasted more like eating a mediocre scallop than an actual calamari. It was definitely not a really delicious calamari sandwich, but it did get my stomach full. The baguette was satisfactory, was crispy on the outside, but not soft and chewy on the inside. The staff was nice enough to give me a small tapa dish, which consisted of a small plate with a piece of olive and a tiny fish. I thought this prices on this place were a little high, the bill came to a total of €6.80. It was the most amount of money I have spent on a bocadillo and a beer. I spent probably a little more than the same amount on a feast of tapas dishes with other travelers when I was in Andalucia. The place is also at a great location. Not only it is near the Museo Reina Sofia, but also within a good walking distance to El Retiro, and the Atocha Renfe train station. Overall, this is not a bad place to get a somewhat decent calamari sandwich after visiting the Museo Reina Sofia, but I definitely think there are better places in Madrid that can serve a really good bocadillo calamares fritos. read more

El Brillante - Bocadillo calamares fritos - Spanish Near Me - Madrid, M

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Next to Atocha train station and in the heart of downtown. For generations, travellers used to stop here for a quick bite of fried calamari (Madrid signature sandwich) before they take their trains. So it is safe to say it's a famous and Iconic place. The food is still OK, but not brilliant. You definitely can eat a better Bocadillo de Calamari and pay less a few hundreds meters away. The service is hit-and-miss. But it's the vibe that brings me here, I prefer to sit on the counter rather than the terrace. Oh! This familiar old school, rustic and nostalgic place! read more

Amazing sandwiches. We all loved the food we ordered, though they forced us to sit down even though we wanted to take it to go. Calamari sandwich seems dry at first, but it's actually very good. read more

El Brillante - Spanish Near Me - Madrid, M

We had the famous Bocadillo de Calamares and Tortilla de Patatas con Callos. Both were delicious and good portion sizes. Friendly staff and good location near the train station. read more

El Brillante - Spanish Near Me - Madrid, M

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After a long visit at the Museo Reina Sofia, we needed sustenance. Not wanting to go too far, we ended up at the doorstep of El Brillante. Little did we know that this place would later come recommended by locals and our tour books. You can't miss the fact that the bocadillo calamares is what this place is famous for. There are photos of the sandwich everywhere. If you can't speak Spanish, all you need to do is point at one of the posters or menus taped to the walls to order. I thought the calamari rings were good, but I really would've loved some mayo/aioli to give it some additional flavor. (Seems like none of the locals felt this way, though!) Waiter was very quick to take our order and serve us. Getting the check was the hard part... Overall, a pleasant little fast food experience in Madrid. Mahou cerveza cost 1.30 Euros, and 1 very large sandwich was 5.80 Euros. read more

They just warmed up the prefried calamary... ugly. I provably was not lucky, but for the very expensive and low quality products they have, just go somewhere else. There is very good food around! Mis calamares estaban asquerosos: recalentados ¿quién puede comer pescado recalentado? -o directamente fríos, no recuerdo bien- Aunque me lo cobraron como si fuera de oro. Una pena que haya acabado así, hace unos años fuí y lo recordaba rico. Gasta tu dinero en cualquier sitio, hay muchos bares por la zona. read more

I ate here this afternoon, it is very close to Atocha station and the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía. My friend loved her bocadillo de calamari and the paella mixto was pretty good as well.. So why the low score? The paella was 16€ and literally around the corner at Casa Luciano the same paella was 9.50€! So in summary, things are fine here.. But probably not worth the price... read more

The place looks down to earth with a lot of room to stand, not so much to sit. We went for a late night bite and really enjoyed it! Service was good (at the end, our waiter even gave us free souvenier fans) and the food was tasty. We had very yummy caracoles, mollejas, and even items you just don't see everywhere such as pig ears! The pulpo for 20euros was one of the most expensive ones we've paid for though! though the portion was pretty reasonable The napkins were hard and you'll see napkins all over the floor but that just added to the atmosphere A few of us got sick the days after that night. Can't exactly blame this place but who knows. The food although tasty didnt feel like the healthiest.. read more

I don't really get why this place has a kind of lowish rating. It's perfect for exactly what it is. This place never promises to be a 5 star restaurant, it's just a perfect place for authentic food. I ordered a calamari sandwich which was delicious, and which I totally recommend. It wasn't too oily which I appreciated and the bread was out of this world. The waiter seemed really stressed but still had time to be incredibly courteous to everyone, giving advice, and even in some cases advising on Spanish grammar! The tables are what you would expect, metal tables, and there are umbrellas that cover your head so that the sun doesn't get to you as much. It's right next to the Reina Sofia Museum, I mean what's not to love? read more

I feel that this restaurant captures the spirit of Madrid in a certain way. This is not a fancy place but the tapas is good and they are very quick. The service tends to be on the big city, gruff side but in a good way. In that way it reminds me of a Spanish version of a New York City deli. read more

El Brillante - Front of restaurant - Spanish Near Me - Madrid, M

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If you have read any of my other reviews you will find that I am very hard to please. I have extremely high standards for food and I can assure you that if you love fried calamari the way I do, this is one of the top 2 or 3 fried calamaris I have ever eaten - and I've eaten it ALL OVER! I accidentally found this place after leaving the Reina Sofía Museum and was immediately attracted to all the tables outdoors since every single one had a calamari sandwich on it! Of course, I had to go try this amazing looking dish. My husband had the sandwich and I had my serving on a plate instead of with the bread. The calamari is extremely tender, tasty, soft and not at all greasy. I have never seen such large rings of calamari until I had it in other places in Spain since they are almost as large as a bracelet! Trust me, they are amazing and I know that I will always be comparing future calamari dishes with this place for the rest of my life. It was so good that if we were not leaving the next morning I'd be there again the next day. The only reason I took away a star was because the service wasn't great but it was worth it for the calamari! Visited May 2013 read more

The Paellas are amazing here. Had a Paella Mexicana in particular and every bite was amazing. Regular beer was good too. Nice outdoor view of a Plaza of the Reina Sofia. Waiter also provided complimentary dessert for my friend and I. read more

We walked in here for a mid morning snack. Excellent place! The staff are amazing. Ooooh and the hot chocolate Yum YUUMMMY. We also had Empanadillas, filled with the Bonito fish. Yum! We will be back at our return from Valencia. read more

Right next to the museums.... Food was pricey and just not that good... Btw, the service is also terrible. I have been waiting 30 minutes for just my bill!!! read more

Tourist trap. Food was not great. Over priced. False advertising: They had a picture of a pitcher of sangria and rice dish for 16 euros. We ordered 2 rice plates and only got one pitcher of sangria. Upon asking the staff, they told us that its not a pitcher, its just supposed to be a glass of sangria. Ripp-off. Over-priced I knowing what I know now, I'd rather go to McDonalds across the street than eat here. At least you know what you are getting. read more

The most expensive sandwich in Madrid! Go to Museo del Jamon instead. El Brillante charged 7.50 take away (para llevar) for a Jamon Bocadillo, outrageous and not even Iberican Ham. Not very brilliant at all. read more

One of the older waiters tried to rip us off here. He gave us free ice cream and then quickly brought over the bill. You should always suspect anything free and it's very unusual in Spain for them to bring the bill without you asking for it. On it was a sangria we didn't order. We pointed that out and he fixed it but I could tell he was trying to steal from us and the restaurant as well by pocketing the bill directly. I don't appreciate that sort of thing. I hope one of the owners reads this and makes some changes. read more