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    El Sur

    4.5 (970 reviews)
    ModerateTapas Bars
    Closed 12:00 pm - 1:30 am (Next day)

    El Sur Photos

    EL SUR ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Moderate noise
    Dogs allowed

    Recommended Reviews - El Sur

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    Reviews With Photos

    Chicken Curry
    Renee I.

    Our dining experience was just okay, but could have been better. We had a large group, but we were accommodated within an hour. The staff were friendly for the most part. For some reason the Chicken Curry(s) took at least 40 minutes longer than everything else. No explanation or apologies were given for the wait, but it was clear that an error had been made. When it finally came out, I was so underwhelmed. Although the curry was flavorful, the chicken was dry and the rice was extremely undercooked. It was my first time experiencing rice that crunchy. All of this pretty much tainted the experience for me. During the long wait for my food I tasted the Risotto and that dish, however was a10/10.

    Mix salad
    Monica C.

    Loved this local gem in Madrid. Was the best authentic spot I found while visiting and highly recommended it. The long wait in line is worth it.

    Moussaka, we were surprised how good it was!
    Alex K.

    El Sur is a pleasant restaurant serving fantastic Tapas and drinks with pleasant vibes. The music was 90s alternative from US. The staff was welcoming and accommodating seeing we were warm from our travels and put us right in front of the AC to cool us down. The drinks were on point and much needed on a hot summer day. We were drawn in by the grilled scallops and we're surprised by the moussaka. We've been fortunate with Greek family recipes in our neighborhood that are hard to beat and El Sur didn't disappoint. The place is deserving of a star in our book. We are going to miss this place and if we know travelers heading to Madrid we would recommend in a heartbeat.

    Patatas bravas on the left, iberico ham on the right.
    Larry H.

    Stopped in last night for dinner based on reviews. Nice little place, great atmosphere, good music playing inside, and the menus are in Spanish and English. While the waitstaff isn't fluent in English, they do a great job of making it work. I ordered their paella, which I thought was very good. My party also tried their patatas bravas as an appetizer, it was very good. One person in our party order their ceasar salad, which came with balsamic dressing on it also. It was different, to be sure. Not bad, just not what we were expecting. At the end of the meal, we were giving a free shot, on the house. While I don't drink, my party enjoyed it, and it topped off a fun dinner. Give this place a try, I don't think you will be disappointed!

    Tabla de quesos
    Mario A.

    I was really excited to try out this place. It had great reviews on Yelp and it was right behind our hotel. We had made a reservation and the place was not that busy but the water came behind the bar and sat us down. He then disappeared and I had to flag down the bar tender to take our order. We ordered the Tabla de quesos, the Croquetas de Jamón, Patatas bravas and the Paella Marinera. The food came out quick. The quesos were delicious- served with a jelly and walnuts. The croquetas were really silky but I could not taste the jamón. The patatas bravas were inedible. First off- they were not traditionally made. These were either steamed or boiled and they were underdone. They were served with a hot sauce that resembled Frank's Red Hot sauce. Definitely not what I was expecting. I get that this was their interpretation of PB's but it is a failed execution. The Paella was descent but nothing to right home about. It lacked saffron and seasonings overall. I was fairly disappointed with this place. The workers seemed like they didn't want to be there on a Sunday night. There was no ambience as the place was daily empty and not much going on. The service could better and the food was definitely not a destination I would recommend.

    Soroosh P.

    Lackluster dining experience. Yelp led me astray on this one. This is a classic example of why you shouldn't just go off the reviews. None of the pictures prior yelpers had posted were Incredible and I should've trusted my gut. A shot of chocolate milk with liquor isn't enough to say this place is decent. Service was ok. We ordered a few starters including the baby squid salad, salmon tempura, risotto, and steak with padron peppers. None of the dishes were memorable. For drinks my wife tried the non alcoholic San Francisco which at eight euros felt stiff considering the wine is three. Overall I would take this place off your list. Trust me you won't regret it. The seating in the front is cramped and the ac is non existent .

    Sour Gummies with Bill
    Pamela L.

    My son wanted paella before leaving Madrid. So I typed in BEST PAELLA on Yelp, El Sur popped up, and for good reason. It's tucked away in an alley in a residential neighborhood from the hustle and bustle. We came for lunch. The gates were closed but just be patient, they opened shortly after 12pm. I absolutely love love the decor here. The walls are adorned with old movie posters. You can feel that this place has been around for a long time. Here is what we ordered: - Seafood Paella (incredibly flavorful) - Gambones al Ajillo - Grilled Baby Squid with Salad - Fried Eggplant (love the sweet glaze) Dishes are served tapas style. I wished I could have ordered everything on the menu. I saw two other patrons ordering the Squid salad and man, it did not disappoint. When another customer down next to us, she asked where she could find that Squid salad on the menu. As for the paella, my son loved it. The owner and staff are super friendly. We felt very welcomed. I liked the little gummy candies that came with the bill. This was one of our favorite meals in Madrid because every dish we had was delicious. 10/10 for food, decor & service Highly recommend

    Gambones Al Ajillo
    James M.

    We happened to be in the neighborhood and randomly found Taberna El Sur on Google maps (4.5, ~7k reviews) Gambones Al Ajillo - 5/5 (perfect!) Chipirones a la Plancha - 4/5 (good but not great) Steak: 3/5 (overcooked, way too chewy) Great food, friendly staff, excellent service!

    Patatas, Manchego Cheese, Sushito peppers
    Kareem A.

    Good vibe, nice service staff, loved the movie posters on the wall. Some of the food was pretty good, but some was a bit underwhelming. We still had a good time!

    Feels like a hole in the wall but old restaurant. You are seated first come first served. No reservations. 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 .

    With Oswaldo and Jhoan
    Raymund G.

    Very cozy atmosphere and laid back feel. Came in early maybe the first ones but less than an hour the place is half full. We had the seafood Paella and grilled baby squid salad. I wish they have a bigger order of the Paella! They are so good and full of flavor! Freshest ingredients and rice cooked right. The Chipirones a la plancha or grilled baby squid salad can be ordered half or full. We got half order so we can just taste it but ended up ordering a full order again. It's that good!! The squid cooked perfect! So soft and fresh! Never pass on trying El Sur. The only disappointment you'll have is not having enough of the grilled baby squid!!! Jhoan and Oswaldo are the best people we met at Madrid. Buen Provecho!!!

    John L.

    We had El Sur bookmarked even before we went to Madrid and it did not disappoint. It was an easy walk from the Antón Martín Metro station at Calle de Atocha and it took us about 20 minutes before we got seated. Zamburiñas a la Plancha - Found on their "Sugerencias" menu, these half-shelled scallops were heavenly! They were perfectly grilled with garlic butter sauce and were definitely the highlight of our dinner. The dish came with an equally tasty salad with a balsamic vinaigrette dressing. Chipirones a la Plancha - Another grilled specialty from their kitchen. These were well-seasoned baby squids with head and tentacles included. Again, their salad won me over. ¡Está riquísimo! Gambónes al Ajillo - Sizzling succulent prawns in garlic oil done wonderfully! If I were being picky, I would have wanted the prawn heads as well. That thought still makes me drool. Paella de Mariscos - This was a single serving of their seafood paella which got a lot of flak in the reviews primarily because people were expecting to see it served in a pan. Although it lacked the soccarat that we all crave for, this was still a winner. Considering the price, serving size, ingredients (lots of cuttlefish strips), and flavor, I'm rounding up my 4.5 rating to a 5. Service was friendly and dessert shots of crema de orujo (Spanish version of Baileys) were on the house to cap off our delightful experience. We are heading back to Madrid later this year and we will be visiting El Sur again for sure. My wife enjoyed her sangria here too so we have been counting down the days. ¡Hasta la vista!

    calamares a la romana, fried calamari
    Terrence S.

    This was my very first meal in Madrid, and it was great at the time, but after trying other places and revisiting my experience here, I would say it was average. We showed up around 5pm on a Sunday and the place was about 80% filled, with most people speaking Spanish, despite the high number of Yelp reviews of this place which suggested that it is a touristy spot. Iberian Ham Platter- One of the best dishes here in my opinion. It is salty, thinly sliced, served with a couple of pieces of crunchy breadsticks. I do wish there were more of the breadsticks, as I feel something as salty and fatty as ham should be eaten with a carb, and if there were a breadstick for each piece of ham, it would've been perfect. 4/5 Scallops- One of the items on their daily menu. Comes with corn and lettuces drizzled with balsamic vinegar. Each scallop also has a sweet-ish and sour-ish tomato based salsa-like sauce. I've never had scallops with this kind of sauce before. It does taste better with the lemon, but I wouldn't say the sauce is my favorite pairing with something that has as high potential for flavor as scallops. 3/5 Fried calamari rings- Also comes with corn and lettuce drizzled with balsamic vinegar, along with a delicious garlic aioli mayo-consistency salsa on the side. Interestingly the calamari is completely unsalted which was off-putting. Cooked great with crispy batter and great with the garlic aioli sauce though. 3/5 Beef Sirloin with tartar sauce and fried potatoes- The most disappointing dish. The beef was extremely tough despite being cooked to ~medium rare. The flavor is good but just too chewy. Tartar sauce and potato chips doesn't necessarily make it better. 2/5 Cockroach made a surprise appearance on the wall behind our table halfway through. Service is good though. Very nice of them to give us two rumchata shots on the house at the end!

    Paella !

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    3 months ago

    Maybe I'm at the wrong place? No worth the hype! Service was bad, food was just ok. Atmosphere is nice.

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    El Sur Reviews in Other Languages

    Review Highlights - El Sur

    Jhoan took excellent care of our party of 5 including two young kids who loved the ropa veija and steak.

    Mentioned in 31 reviews

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    Taberna La Concha - Vermut blanco con tapa

    Taberna La Concha

    4.5(86 reviews)
    0.8 kmLa Latina

    My fav vermut bar in Madrid. Love the vibe. We stopped by on a weeknight and the place was packed…read morewith friendly locals. We wasted no time and ordered their white vermut and red vermut and then tried their spanish wine.. their wine was great but their house vermut - undeniably the best I had in Madrid (trust me I had plenty). They give free tapas with their drinks - mushrooms (wow) and also ham and mini breadsticks. This was perfect to pair with our vermut and wine. We loved their house vermut so much that we ordered 2 bottles to take back home with us. Staff was friendly and loved the vibe of this bar. I will miss this place for sure! Highly recommend.

    Next on the La Latina tapas tour -- Taberna la Concha. Taberna la Concha is a quaint tapas-bar that…read moreis best known for their vermouth. Unfortunately, I opted out of the experience, but from what I saw and heard, patrons were raving about this drink! Instead, I stuck to my vacation Spanish drink-- Sangria. Solid, strong, refreshing & delicious! There are tons of tapas options and true to how tapas are meant to be, portions are small -- perfect for those who want to try more on the menu or explore other delicious options in La Latina. I ordered #20) the meatballs in tomato sauce (albóndigas caseras en salsa de tomate) and was SO disappointed -- they arrived cold and tasted pretty basic. There are definitely stronger contenders on the menu -- I just happened to choose the wrong one... If I could do it over, maybeee the 14) White Prawn Carpaccio or the 3) Smoked Cod on Toast

    Photos
    Taberna La Concha - Inside

    Inside

    Taberna La Concha - Meatballs in Tomato Sauce

    Meatballs in Tomato Sauce

    Taberna La Concha - Vermut tinto

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    Vermut tinto

    Casa Lucas - Free tapas to start

    Casa Lucas

    4.6(182 reviews)
    0.8 kmLa Latina
    €€

    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.

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    Casa Lucas
    Casa Lucas - Squid with ink mousse

    Squid with ink mousse

    Casa Lucas - Ribera Tempranillo

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    Ribera Tempranillo

    Malaspina - Tarta de chocolate

    Malaspina

    4.2(229 reviews)
    0.6 kmSol

    I've been visiting Malaespina for over a decade -- from my time living in Madrid to every trip back…read more-- and one thing has never changed: it's easily one of the best spots in Madrid for a no-frills, delicious tapas meal and amazing sangria. The quality of the food has remained consistent for the 10 years I've been visiting! Tucked away just off Sol, Malaespina is the epitome of a classic Madrid taverna. The inviting, unpretentious atmosphere, the cozy charm, the prices, the energy -- it's hard to capture it all in words. There's a certain magic at Malaespina. The tavern has been around for hundreds of years, and I often wonder what it was like a century ago. I'm always amazed that such a gem exists in the heart of Madrid, a city center filled with tourist traps. Malaespina draws both locals and tourists -- and for good reason. The food quality to price ratio is unbeatable. On our most recent visit, we had huevos estrellados, tortilla tapas, sangria, and espressos, and spent about $20 for the two of us. You really can't beat that! Here's hoping they stick around for many more years to come.

    Came here for lunch and had a decent experience. Staff were super friendly and restaurant was nice…read more We sat outside and ate our meal and it was quite pleasant. When we first sat down they gave us a welcome bruschetta and bread for free which were pretty decent portions. We then ordered our food and it was pretty good as well. We ordered their half chicken (pollo asado con patatas), sirloin steak, and Malaspina tosta. The portions were huge and we definitely over ordered. We thought they were more the size of tapas but each dish was a huge portion itself which definitely isn't a bad thing. The food tasted pretty good but I think it just lacked flavor occasionally. All the meat was cooked well and was very juicy, just could use a little more flavor. Otherwise everything was good. Solid 4 stars

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    Malaspina
    Malaspina - Patatas bravas

    Patatas bravas

    Malaspina - Drinks and tapas

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    Drinks and tapas

    Plaza España 9 - Una delicatese

    Plaza España 9

    4.4(52 reviews)
    1.7 kmArgüelles, Moncloa
    €€

    After sightseeing all day we came in for a very late lunch. From reviews I read I wanted to try the…read moremix paella since it's one of the best in Madrid. We were seated by the table near the window and ordered right away since we knew what we wanted. My friend and I split the mixed paella which comes with shrimp, calamari, crawfish, chicken and sausage. We also ordered two big glasses of the sangria. The paella took about 45 mins to make since all the paellas are made to order. While we were waiting we were sipping on our sangrias which were delicious! The only thing was that it was a bit too sweet for me and I could taste the grains of sugar at the bottom of my glass. The paella finally came and it was a beautiful site to see ! So colorful with the different elements in the dish. The rice was cooked perfectly and everything was seasoned well. It was a bit oily though when you scrape the bottom of the pan to get all the rice but it was delicious!!! During out meal the owner and our waiter has a disagreement about something and were yelling at each other across the restaurant. Kind of disrupted our dining atmosphere but overall the food was good and our service was good. Def. Recommend this place to anyone who wants a good plate of paella and glass of sangria!

    The staff were incredibly friendly to our family. They made good suggestions for food choices the…read morekids would like. The food came out hot and quickly. I appreciated their use of ripe veggies- avocado in particular- for many of their starters. The seafood paella had a generous portion of shrimp/langostino and calamari. For dessert they offered natural ice cream served inside its own fruit. Wonderful place!

    Photos
    Plaza España 9 - Ensalada de aguacate y gambas con tomate kumato exquisita

    Ensalada de aguacate y gambas con tomate kumato exquisita

    Plaza España 9
    Plaza España 9

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    El Sur - tapas - Updated May 2026

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