Great place in Malasaña. I was there 5 minutes before they open and was the first one there, and…read morewithin a half hour the place was packed, and people were ready to snatch your table. Service was friendly and welcoming. It's a relaxed place. I was there for the croquettes because I'd read online that they have a lot of vegetarian options. You can get 6 or a dozen croquettes. You have to get a mix, I got 2 each of blue cheese, spinach, Gorgonzola, and mushroom and leek. They cost 9 euros. They gave me some olives, which were made grandmother's way. Very nice recipe!

We decided to try Casa Julio after getting a recommendation from a local. It's a small, traditional…read moretapas place. We dropped in on a packed Thursday evening (9:00pm). The inside is small with half a dozen seats at the bar and five tables. Two bartenders running the place. Menu is up on the wall, no English menu available. Seven types of vermouth along with beer and wine options. - Bread and olives - complimentary. Olives were decent, bread dry. - Lacuesta reserva (3,70€) - dry style vermut from Riośa. Smooth, didn't find it particularly dry. - Vermuza con lupolo (4,00€) - sweet style vermut with hops from Huesca. Slightly sweet, well balanced. - 1/2 Croquetas (8,00€ for 6) - bonito, huevo cocido (tuna and boiled egg), morcilla con membrillo (black pudding), setas con puerro (mushrooms with leeks), jamon (ham), espinacas, pasas y gorgonzola (spinach, raisin and gorgonzola) and queso azul (blue cheese). Favourite was the bonito. Croquetas were perfectly fried. - 1/2 Papas con mojo picón (3,50€) - boiled potatoes with salsa verde and salsa roja. Half portion was a perfect size. Sauces were tasty, potatoes cooked just right. An enjoyable, cheap tapas meal at CJ.

I noticed this homestyle, family-run spot on a YouTube video featuring not a pair of obnoxious…read morehipsters but a couple of silver-haired nomads looking for the best of Madrid's cheap eats. Kindred spirits that carry the same logic, Jamie W and I took their advice and came here when they opened at 8:30 for dinner. There was already a queue of mostly locals who seemed to know the presumed owner, an irascible woman who pointed at the customers she liked most and gave them dibs on the available tables. We eventually got seated and reviewed the long menu presented in five different languages. Uh-oh, is this a tourist trap? No, not really. The prices here are pretty low considering how close it is to Gran Via. We started with a 10€ pitcher of Sangria (Photo 6). Our server abruptly left us to pour it ourselves, and I immediately produced a red wine puddle on the tablecloth. Oopsie. What made it into the glass was quite tasty though. She dropped off a couple of rustic bread rolls that were nearly loaves (Photo 12). Our shared salad arrived, the 4€ Ensalada Mixta, a combination of tuna, egg, green olives, onion, lettuce, and tomato (Photo 7). A sprinkling of oil and vinegar made it the right starter. A couple of small plates followed. The 5€ Croquettes were savory good with a mix of potato and cod mashed in the middle, but it inexplicably came with fries rather than the Russian salad advertised (Photo 10). The 5€ Tortilla Espanola was a complete winner with the potatoes mixing seamlessly with the fluffy eggs (Photo 8). Our entrees were nicely executed. Because they were out of roast chicken, Jamie went with the 6€ Half Fried Chicken in Garlic Sauce. It was not breaded but more pan-fried, but the pieces were tender thigh meat accompanied by fries (Photo 5). I ordered the 12€ Grilled Veal Steak, a generous cut prepared medium and also accompanied by fries (Photo 9). The veal was juicy with just a tad too much gristle to finish off the steak. If you're looking for a no-frills tasty meal in the thick of Madrid's tourist zone, this is a solid bet. FOOD - 4 stars...earthy down-home Spanish food at low prices AMBIANCE - 4 stars...crowded but atmospheric in a good way SERVICE - 3 stars...a bit brusque, not much on interaction TOTAL - 4 stars...one of the better deals to be found near the Gran Via RELATED - Exploring Madrid? Here's a collection of places I've visited and reviewed: https://yelp.to/F7loS8mvZb

Loved it. Best chicken cutlet I had in Spain…read more Fast service. Next time in Madrid will eat there again

3 euros for vino tinto de Espania? This comes with jamon and chips…read more Hottie Madrid bartender chicks slicing up jamon right at the bar and serving me? This is totally dope. Rad motif...very original...plus locals chanting/singing at any point in the evening.

Tried almost all the the paella dishes here and all were absolutely delicious! My favorites were…read moreFideuá de Mariscos & the Paella de Arroz Negro! Make sure to try the sangria too! Sooo good!

Highly recommend for tapas and drinks!!…read more We found La Gastro on yelp since we were at a cafe close by and wanted to stop for dinner. They open at 9pm and were full for reservations but had a bar table open for the 3 of us. We got a bottle of wine and tapas that were delicious. The liquid cheese croquette was appealing and unique so we tried it. Loved it but it's very rich in flavor. The burrata was a prefect appetizer along with the flatbread we ordered. We also got the mushroom croquette which was the best we had in Madrid! The waiter was actually the bartender and he was awesome. Very friendly and gave us recs on what to order. Overall, well deserved 5 star and would recommend trying this place out! Might want to make reservations if going for dinner since it's so popular and in demand.

Fusion of Spanish, Asian, Middle Eastern and Latin American influences - this is a gastronomical…read moreexperience that blew our minds away. We tried the croqueta - mushroom and Cheese. The Gambas are heavenly - masterly prepared by the chef in front of you. This is exactly why we are in Spain - to experience new things that rock our world

Really nice unique bar…read more Super hot day in Madrid but the air conditioning was working well! There's a typical bar when you walk in and then a nice lounge upstairs. We had some kind of gin n tonics that were wonderful. Waiter poured them at the table. Nice decor and I loved the 80's music.

Three of us went to lunch here in Madrid. We sat in the…read moreupstairs after much discussion of whether to sit outside or at the bar. Tables were small so the three of us shared two round tables against the wall and it was perfect. We ordered the octopus, croquettes, mini sliders, and the Russian salad. I had an aperol spritz. Mini sliders were awesome! We all agreed. A weird thing to order in Spain, I had no regrets! My friends particularly liked the Russian salad. The layer of diced calamari olives was an interesting twist I had not seen and I liked it. I was also a fan of the octopus skewers which were prepared very differently. They were flat and had a brown sauce that was very tasty! Service was super friendly and they were patient as we moved tables 3x in the beginning! Cool memorabilia along the stairway. Highly recommend!

The ONLY bad thing I can say is that this place is sooo busy, you have to be a SHARK about getting…read morea table. It is PACKED, so stealth mode must be in effect! Once seated, you are treated like a local who is well loved. Excellent appetizers that are fresh and mind-blowing (you seriously cannot choose a bad one), and fabulous love, attention and drink service. You'll leave with a smile on your face and feeling like a local. Excellent fresh food, excellent generous beverages.

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.

Went here twice! Was EXCELLENT !…read moreAnd the service was so sweet. This is one of my favs !

Everything about our dining experience was excellent from the very warm welcome we received to the…read moregreat service and wonderful food, the atmosphere was intimate and cozy! It appeared to be a destination for the locals.

La comida deliciosa, el servicio excelente y el ambiente muy tranquilo y agradable. Repetiremos.read more

We had a great meal upstairs in the restaurant. We were delighted to find Very fresh seseafood…read moreaway from the coast. Each delicacy from the sea was lightly seasoned so the flavors inherent in each could truly shine. Best calamari steak I have ever had anywhere and razor clams were a delight. Croquettes were very good too. Good wine and good food at great price in casual, comfy atmosphere. And great service by all the wait staff too. Highly recommend!