Feels like a hole in the wall but old restaurant. You are seated first come first served. No…read morereservations. The restaurant does accommodate 50+ people. We order Paella, which was awesome. The Calamari came with small side salad. I liked the Salad better than Frued Calamarri. Tasted like any other. But in the end it is totally worth your while to try . You will enjoy .

El Sur is a charming little spot in Madrid, tucked right into the wall of a narrow street. The…read morespace is very small and they manage to fit a surprising number of people inside, so you immediately notice how tight the squeeze is. It has that classic bustling tapas bar energy where everyone is close enough to feel like part of one big conversation. The food was the highlight. The clams were flavorful and fresh, the octopus was cooked beautifully and the paella was delicious. It is a great place to stop in for a drink and a quick bite, especially if you want something authentic and lively. When we visited, it was packed to the point where you were shoulder to shoulder with other guests and close enough to easily hear the party next to you. It adds to the charm if you enjoy that classic crowded European dining atmosphere, but it is something to keep in mind if you prefer more space.

Must visit if only to meet Vicente Fernandez!…read more Friendly staff, great drinks, great appetizers, great ambiance, great vibe. Perfect place to end the night.

While visiting my daughter in Madrid, she took us to this little quaint tapas bar for lunch. A very…read moresmall and cozy place. Server was friendly and efficient. Took our order within 5 minutes. We had the jamon platter, veal meatballs, and tortilla. Food was good overall. I highly recommend the meatballs.

What a great find! We asked ChatGPT for a tapas recommendation and double-checked it on Yelp--both…read morepointed us to El Botero, and they were 100% right. This spot is perfect for a midday break. The place isn't very big, but absolutely worth trying if you can get in. Ice-cold beers, outstanding food, and warm, attentive service made it a memorable stop. Everything we tasted was fresh and full of flavor. Highly recommend for anyone looking to relax and enjoy great tapas in a casual setting!

Absolutely phenomenal. Good and reasonably priced wine list. The food was well prepared and tasty…read more Nothing pretentious about this place, but a local hang out with good music and great drinks. May do it again before leaving Toledo.

An absolutely fantastic place for dinner - small, charming, and intimate with an obvious local…read morefollowing. 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!

So I'm told San Sebastián and Barcelona are where you hit when you want to experience the cutting…read moreedge 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.

this place has excellent food, but make a reservation, or you'll be waiting a very long time, and…read moremay not get a table at all on the same day. The ambiance is cute, but basic.

One more star on the Instagram trail and I'd agree--it's our fault for not being more discerning or…read morefor staying on the beaten path. But Juana La Loca has an aseos issue. We sat at the bar, and all we could smell was the semi-clean bathroom--and I say that not from visiting it, but from the sheer odor. Things went south when a burly German Messerschmitt sat next to us and compounded the smell. I'm not being Teutonophobic--I'm just telling it like it was ( said every xenophobic ) The tortilla that lured us here was fine, but too sweet for my taste--like the rest of the pintxos. Or maybe it was the side of Clorox.

I absolutely adore this restaurant! I have visited it twice, and definitely next time I go to…read moreMadrid, I will visit it again. The restaurant is located in the heart of Madrid on a very cute street, and it is easy to find and walk there if you stay in the city center. The place is not very big - both times I went there for lunch, there were no tables available, so I had to sit at the bar; once I even had to wait about 7 minutes until one bar spot became free. The restaurant's design is simple, but pretty and lovely. Overall, the restaurant is in very good condition and was perfectly clean both times I visited. The only small downside is that the place is quite noisy, but it did not bother me. One of the best things about this place is the people who work there - both a guy and a lady at the bar were extremely nice and friendly to me; plus, both spoke very good English. They gave me recommendations on what to try, and I followed their advice. The restaurant's menu is not big, but it has all the most popular traditional Spanish dishes. Both times I ordered Rabo de Toro (a traditional Spanish stew), Fardos (squid rolls with bacon and squid ink mousse); and once I also tried croquetas de jamón (ham croquettes). The croquettes were tasty - I loved their flavor and soft texture. One portion includes 6 pieces, and they are quite big and filling. It was my first time trying Fardos (I ordered a 1/3 portion), and it was a great experience - the dish turned very delicious after the bartender mixed it for me. The squid was cooked very nicely, and combined with the fresh bacon and ink mousse, it tasted fantastic. Rabo de Toro (I ordered a 1/2 portion) was also my first time trying this dish, and I loved it - the stew was perfectly cooked, very soft and moist, with rich flavors, and it melted in my mouth. The restaurant also offers a wide variety of drinks, especially wines. I do not drink alcohol, so I was recommended to try grape juice - Mosto, which was extremely flavorful and tasted like fresh pressed grape juice, even though it came from a glass bottle. I loved that drink! Price-wise, all items on the menu seemed reasonable. I paid €8 for 6 ham croquettes, €12 for a half portion of Rabo de Toro, €8 for a 1/3 portion of Fardos, and €3 for one glass of grape juice. It is possible to have a nice full lunch here for around €22, which is reasonable for a restaurant in the heart of Madrid. The place accepts all major credit cards and Apple Pay, which is a big plus. If you visit this restaurant, I strongly recommend trying 1/3 or 2/3 portion of Fardos, a half portion of Rabo de Toro, and their grape juice Mosto - it's enough food to feel full and experience traditional Spanish flavors.

Casa Lucas is a MUST on the La Latina tapas tour! Casa Lucas serves tapas with a creative twist,…read moreand if I'd had more time (and wasn't a party of one), I would've tried so much more! I ordered the Oxtail (Rabo de Toro) and wooooow... easily one of the most tender and delicate pieces of meat I've EVER had. They serve it boneless, but I'm pretty sure if they would have provided a bone, it would've fallen right off. The whole place gives cozy tavern vibes with a rustic interior that feels perfectly Madrid. NOTE: the portions are a bit heavier than most spots. I hate to waste food, especially when it's as immaculate as the Oxtail, but if you're a party of one, you got to do what you go to do.