Best pulpo and grilled calamari I have ever eaten anywhere in the world and that says a lot because I have eaten a lot of pulpo and in many different countries. We were wandering around the area doing touristy things and wanted to get my hubs a snack since he had not yet eaten all day. After being ignored at a few places on Calle Mayor, he found this spot and we ventured in. The place looked small but lively, and we saw some steps and figured there was a dining area downstairs. Before we could decide as a group if we wanted to go in, we were quickly greeted and welcomed by the manager/owner. What a welcoming place in comparison to the other establishments that had snubbed us Americans. The stairs led to a larger dining room and it was filled with locals which was very telling of the authenticity. The waiter shared with us the specials for the day and we were sold. They all sounded amazing, so the intended snack turned into a full on meal. Bill was $100+ but no regrets. Check this place out. It is fantastic. The worst part is I will now be craving the delicious flavors from half way around the world. And I will most definitely order the dish that all the locals seemed to be ordering. We weren't sure what it was but it looked like a tenderized flattened meat with cheese that was deep fried to a golden crisp. Had we not already ordered our food and filled our stomachs before seeing that, we likely would have ordered one for our table, too. So you probably should. read more

Friendly service and pretty good, but not spectacular, food. Great introduction for us outsiders to the very foreign-to-us cuisine of Asturias! The natural cider was exceptional, and like almost no other cider I've had before. Super tangy with fresh fermentation. The rice pudding was also excellent. Of their specialties, it would've been nice to have either the Madrid tripe _or_ the Asturian bean stew, but they use the same tomato sauce base, chorizo, and black pudding for both of them, so they were somewhat repetitive. That said, the beans and tripe were incredibly melt-in-your-mouth tender, which was really nice. Potato omelet and chorizo slices were both relatively standard. read more

A very good place to visit when in Madrid. The Fabada, bean soup is Soo delicious. The accompanying chorizos were delicious. The bombón coffee was incredible! The service is unhurried with an old fashioned feel to the place. read more

See all

This was our first meal in Madrid. What a way to start. Absolutely fantastic. The first thing I noticed was the People Love Us On Yelp sticker outside. Promising so far. When you walk in it seems like a typical narrow bar with some tapas behind glass. At the end you head downstairs and the into the restaurant. The restaurant is divided into several rooms with tables. It was amazing how we kept going and kept seeing more rooms. How big is this place? The walls covered with all sorts of stuff. Finally we entered the main dining area. Our group of 14 fit perfectly. El Ñeru specializes in traditional Asturian dishes (Asturias is in northwest Spain). One of those dishes is the Fabada asturiana, a white bean stew). This is what I got. Hearty and delicious. Perfect for two people. They also serve dishes from other regions of the country. My wife went with a traditional Madrid dish, the callos a la madrileña. Also, hearty and delicious. Both dishes are heavy, you're gonna want a nap afterwards. The rest of the group was satisfied with their orders. Zero complaints. My son tried his first asparagus and liked it. Other favorites were the croquetas, pulpo a la gallega, and the oxtail. This is a must try. I agree with the Yelper love. read more

See all

Our first dining experience in Madrid and we were impressed. As you enter your first view is a busy room with people enjoying all sorts of tapas while standing. Love this, but we were looking for a little more space and a sit down. Luckily, there's a restaurant that is huge in the back as you walk down the stairs. The gentleman who saw us peaking in quickly got us to a table and from there we enjoyed some very authentic cuisines. The grilled octopus and the grilled squid were specials for the day. Absolutely delicious and cooked to perfection. read more

El Ñeru - Spanish Near Me - Madrid, M

See all

Disgusting...gray cheese. Rude staff...hated us from the first time walking in the restaurant. Don't recommend. So many other awesome places to go read more

One of our favorite meals in Madrid! The restaurant is tucked below and behind the bar when you first walk in. When we entered, the bar was filled with locals. The bartenders were warm and inviting. The restaurant servers were great and were familiar with gluten allergy, which is a relief. We went with safe choices but if I were to come back, I would order one of their upgraded meats. They come out on a grill plate and it's cooked right in front of you. We salivated watching other tables who obviously knew how to order better than us. The wines pair well and they really know gastronomy here. The salmon was cooked perfectly and the steak was tasty even if a little tough (not the best item on the menu). We'd definitely recommend Ñeru for ambience and food! Thank you El Ñeru! read more

El Ñeru - Spanish Near Me - Madrid, M

See all

We had a nice dinner at 'El Neru' during our last night in Madrod. Recommended by two different people, and it did not disappoint we started with an appetizer of Piquillo Peppers stuffed with Bull's Tail which was very tasty. They are famous for their Fabafa Asturiana (white bean stew with ham and sausage) so I had to get one of those. My son had it also. Our other sons had the Salmon en Sidra and the Entrecot. Both were good. My wife had the breaded steak and daughter had a steak & fries. For dessert we split the house specialty - Arroz con Leche. One of the best I've ever had! Good food, very good service and friendly wait staff. I woukd recommend. read more

See all

We were here in 2019, but it's definitely worth a return visit. This place was packed on a Sunday. We almost felt we were going to get turned away. Grandma gave us the suspicious look. She knew we were not locals or even Spaniards. Maybe it was our broken Spanish that gave us away?? Duh! After a few minutes of waiting, the host led us through a maze to a table downstairs towards the back. We were lucky to get a table. This place is known for their Fabada Asturiana which is a bean stew. We devoured that. It came with blood sausage, a chorizo, and a pork belly slice, and it had a good consistency. It wasn't watery, and the huge beans were buttery delicious. We also ordered a fried cod dish as an appetizer. This was lightly breaded, so it did not feel heavy. The fish itself tasted fresh. The last dish we ordered was the suckling pig, and this was succulent and moist. We enjoyed our meal overall, and the service was quick and efficient. Although, this place was packed with many waiting, we didn't feel rushed through our meal. We will be back! read more

See all

Love this place. The Cider is good and the staff are amazing. I like to sit up front and just enjoy the cider and snacks. One of my favorite spots when I am in Madrid to relax. read more

Authentic Asturias Restaurant in Madrid. Don't freak out when you have to walk through 9 different rooms full of empty tables before you are seated. By 10pm this place is packed and swarming with people. Our waiter, Fernando (i believe) went above and beyond with his service. He recommend all our plates (basically ordered for us) and told us about Asturias. Bread is brought our as you are being seated at the table. Each person gets an entire loaf of bread to themselves. In addition to the bread, the bring out this spread of cabrales cheese that you are allowed to smoother all over it. For those who find blue cheese strong, i would suggest go light with this spread. For those of you who enjoy the pungent flavor, go all out. For an appetizer, we ordered pulpo a la gaina. This is one of the plates i miss most from Spain, best done in the northern parts, for some reason, pulpo (octopus) tastes so much better over there than back home. The meat just melts in your mouth, and the potatoes which were boiled to perfection fall apart if you try and stick your fork in it. We also ordered fabadas soup. This is a soup made with blood sausage ham, and large white beans. the beans were also cooked to perfection. They melted in your mouth without falling apart before they got there. (for those of you who cook beans, this is a nearly impossible task to do). For our main plate, we had the cochinito (small pig or baby pig). The pig was served over sauteed onions an potatoes in a light garlic sauce. The pig skin was absolutely crunchy, and the meat inside was tender. We got about 6 pieces. We were three, and we all ate well. For dessert, we had a arroz con leche Catalina style. Think, the arroz con leche part, with a hard candy sugary layer on top. It even had small hints of orange inside. The authentic way it should be made!! We shared a couple shots of Orujo (think baileys but 10x stronger). Should we come back to Madrid, you know i will be back! read more

See all

One of the best meals we've had during our Andalusian trip! Highly recommend the Suckling Pig (the gamiest pork we've ever tasted...) and the Pork and Beans dish. Super authentic Austurian fare, reasonably priced, and delicious! We were so full we regret not trying their desserts! read more

El Ñeru - Suckling Pig! - Spanish Near Me - Madrid, M

Since I was in Madrid and had a day to myself (which I love), I decided to Yelp on area restaurants to visit between Museum stops. El Neru is an Austurian restaurant in the Opera neighborhood. It feels very cozy with so much around you that you never would feel alone. Between the patrons, the staff and photo/art on the walls, you will never feel lonely here. I didn't want to eat too much and ordered Asparagus with the Beef Stew. The asparagus was delicious but the beef stew wasn't as amazing as the folks next to me told me it was. Well, we all have different tastes :-) Overall it was a good restaurant. I saw some of the dishes others were eating and most of it looked really good. I think the trick to coming here is to come with a big group and order family style and share different plates. read more

We were trying to decide where to eat so I pulled up the trusty yelp App and found Suzanne's review for this place. It was just down the street from our hotel so we decided to give it a whirl. When we arrived the place was packed - a good sign - but we were hungry and preferring to sit so we weren't sure if it would work. Then we spotted a sign at the back for the restaurant. When we neared it the place seemed dead and we wanted to be near the action. A waiter noticed our hesitation and led us further into the restaurant (this place is huge) to a room full of diners. We started with a bottle of apple cider as this place is a 'sidreria'. It was dry, crisp and tasty. Then we moved on to Spanish wines. We ended up ordering too much food but it was all good. The asparagus is white (seemed to be the common type in Spain) and the artichokes were good. We ordered a Basque style fish dish for our pescetarian which she liked and two meat dishes. The 'beef blocks of the house' was the best stew I've ever had. Super tender morsels of beef in a delicious sauce. Highly recommended and a nice change from jamon! This place is totally old school with photos of diners all over the walls. It seems like an institution. Nothing overly fancy but fun and decent prices. read more

El Ñeru - Apple cider - Spanish Near Me - Madrid, M

See all

We were impressed by our meal. Because of the location very close to Plaza Mayor, I was worried about being disappointed at an overpriced tourist trap, but the entrance would definitely scare away many casual tourists. We were glad we persisted, because the simple salmon dish I ordered was really amazing. It was cooked quite simply, but the crispy texture and moist morsels of meat inside were an absolutely winning combination. Not often I shake my head, look at the dish again, and say "this is so good." My wife seemed to like the suckling pig, blue cheese spread that came with the bread, and the complimentary dessert drink. I was not a fan of any of those, but man, that salmon. Plus it was healthy!! Seems like a good place to watch La Liga. The closest US-based analogue to the atmosphere of this place I can think of is a neighborhood Italian restaurant. Different food, obviously. Virtually no English spoken by staff to us. Menu is translated, though. read more

This is a great place to experience the Northern Spanish (specifically Asturian) cuisine. Their speciality is different kinds of sea food and also their beans for which they actually have a separate kitchen. Their monkfish and octopus were delicious. The octopus didn't have at all that leathery texture. As the place is also a sidrería you'll have an excellent opportunity to try the cider from Northern Spain. Spraying it from the bottle with high pressure to a glass far away or trying your skills at pouring it from above your head to get the drink more sparkling is good fun. The staff is really friendly and funny although quite limited with their English skills. read more

I tried this place based on previous yelp reviews. I was not disappointed! The place looks small from the outside but there is a huge basement restaurant with plenty of seats. I went on a weekday with my family and the bar (first floor) was crowded but the restaurant was virtually empty. We sat in the restaurant. Customer service was good! Our waiter was friendly and attentive. We tried the following - 1. Asparagus - it was good, large and white which is a change from the thinner green asparagus we normally eat in the USA. A lot softer and soggier in texture. 2. Basque Hake Stew - this was delicious if you like seafood flavors. 3. The beef stew which is listed as something like choice beef cuts - this was my favorite and probably one of the best dishes I tried in Spain. Tomato flavored sauce and comes with fries. 4. Desserts - flan and rice with milk. Both good. I'd eat here again just for that beef dish. read more

The only place we found in Spain that had Cider - and they cook with it too. In Spain its Sidra, and this was the only place in which we found it, Highly recommend this place. From the street it looks like a small tapas bar. But go down a couple sets of stairs, and the restaurant keeps going and going and going. I counted between 65-75 tables, in 6-7 rooms. We went on a Sunday, at 8pm , and we were the only people in the place. Our waiter had pretty good english, we struggled a bit, but since we were the only people in the place - the bar up top was crowd - watching Real Madrid v Barcelona FC. We both select Asturian style fish meals - I had the Hake and the wife had the Salmon. Asturian is a providence in the and North Central Spain, and their style of food is to serve the main component in a broth, with other ingredients. So my Hake, was a cut of fish about the size of a bread plate and inch high (like a slice of bread), bones and all, in a broth covering the Hale, with clams, mussels, shrimp, white asparagus and peppers. It was excellent. Of course their was bread and for tapas we had their signature blue cheese spread - which is blue cheese blended with their cider. It has a great location close to Plaza Mayor and Puente de Sol. read more

This is a hidden gem in Madrid. Asturian cuisine, starts with a loaf of bread for each diner. Absolutely amazing. Check out the many pics I posted. 5-Star for sure. read more

See all

I recommend their pork and beans. Very tasty. Suckling pig was great too! The sit down is downstairs but if you want tapas style is @ the bar. Their house white wine was good $14 a bottle. Good service. read more

See all

Great food- my parents loved it. A bit pricey but it was definitely worth it. We really enjoyed the food.

One of my favorite places to eat in Madrid, our lunch started with an order of pulpo a la gallega, and for the main course we had a Fabada Asturiana (it is the best I had) and to finish Arroz con leche. The service, ambiance and food was excellent. read more

See all

What a pleasant surprise! What looks to be a very small tapas bar is only the beginning! Don't be shy, go inside and walk down the stairs to a charming "local restaurant" with multiple small dining rooms. The octopus is superb as well as the other seafood dishes! Sit down, relax with a glass of wine and .......be local! You may wish to make a reservation. Enjoy! read more

As other reviewers have said don't be daunted by the full bar on the first flooR, or the empty tables you pass on your way to your seat if you're eating before 9:00. Really delicious lamb and a lovely tuna stew. read more

El Ñeru - Spanish Near Me - Madrid, M

See all

Objectively the best bar in Madrid. Pouring cider from great heights is one of the most thrilling experiences I have ever had. I did not know joy until I visited this establishment. I have a girlfriend. read more

Delicious food from Asturias. The menu is partly in Catalan so make sure you have your Google translate app handy if you don't speak it. This place is good if you are a celiac as they keep gluten-free bread on hand which, when covered with the house cheese, goes super well with the cider. We tried the grilled squid and the chorizo - both were delicious. Staff do not all speak English so make sure your restaurant Spanish is passable. Place was packed to the gills with locals when we came as well. read more

Had a wonderful dinner here for Father's Day. The suckling pig and grilled salmon were great, and I would recommend the Naranja con liquor as a good, light dessert. The menu is Spanish/English, but you are better off ordering in Spanish if you can manage it - the waitstaff was friendly but makes no pretense of knowing English. Anyone living in So Cal can wing it easily. They bring a Spanish liquor for dessert that tastes just like Baileys. read more

I preface my review with the fact that this was our first madrid dining experience so we were probably naive with some of our expectations. The restaurant size first was a big surprise- room after room in bsmt. Arrived @ 8pm & they opened the dining room for us. In retrospect we should have done tapas at the bar instead at that time. Overall the food was very good. Didn't even ask for bread but they gave it to us & charged us 6 euros. Thought we were ordering glasses of wine but was brought a 14E bottle instead. We thought 2 entrees were adequate for 3 of us but waiter pushed us to 3 & a tapa appetizer. Way too much food! Waiter way too pushy but blame ourselves for letting him. Thought this should be a 3 euro instead of 2 as it was $101 to get out the place. Chalk it up to paying for knowing better next time. read more

Certainly the best upper-to-middle price restaurant I found during my recent stay in Madrid. The pride the owners and staff take in it is obvious from the hundreds of photographs of happy (and often well-known) diners on the walls - even more photographs than in Vilas, the classic Santiago de Compostela restaurant. There is actually a certain resemblance between the two. Here the staff strike a rare immaculate balance between friendliness and respect. I was struck by the elegantly bearded young maître d'hotel - with a ruff and black doublet instead of his light grey suit he would have fitted into that painting by El Greco in the Prado, The Burial of the Count of Orgaz. He never smiled. but his demeanourve. A middle-aged waiter, obviously in his element and extremely competent, was quietly jocular without being over-familiar. I remember too a young (but happily-married-looking) waitress, beautiful in a way you'd like a friend to be in your home rather than an actress to be on a film screen. I ate fabes con almejas - beans with clams - followed by cabrito - roast kid - actually a whole leg of a very young animal. I'm not keen on sweet things and don't always feel like coffee in hot weather, so I ended the meal with a small glass of aguardiente blanco, the Spanish equivalent of grappa. As far as I'm concerned, more or less perfection. And I went back and ordered exactly the same lunch the next day, and it was just as good. read more

This is a very popular, classic, Austurian sidreria/restaurant in the city center, located in the Opera neighborhood. Upon entering, there's little doupt that this place is on Madrid tapas bar hot lists in travel guides, websites, and is also local common knowledge & word of mouth famous. The crowd ranges from groups of hip 20-40 somethings, families, college age students from abroad, and the "characters" or old timers who've probably haunted the place since it's opening. It is packed most evenings, but it retains its charm- hence, its perpetual popularity. A friend took me there one evening 9 years ago during one of our tapas & cañas marathons and we were packed in there like sardines, but we were like one big happy family: the sidra was flowing, the supremely poured beer, as well, the standout cabrales (strong) with bread, tortilla (spanish omelette), the empanadilla (tuna pie) and the chorizo a la sidra served by some of the fastest, most organized bartenders around. The noise level is high, of course, but the acoustics of the place are good enough so that you won't need to talk-shout at the person standing right in front of you. Don't miss out on the other tapas options. Take at a look at the "Sugerencias" menu on the wall or pick up the bar menu. Standouts: fabada con almejas (white beans with seasoned and sauteed clams), croquetas de cabrales, and chipirones a la plancha (grilled squid). mmmm! Make advanced reservations if you would like to dine downstairs. I've heard it's a great experience. Have a look at the photos on the wall as you go downstairs for further proof of the bar's long history of success and happy customers. And, if you look a little closely, in nearly every photo, you will see "Mr. Ñeru", the owner, posing, smiling and looking off into the distance. read more

I really liked this restaurant as it is a fun, traditional Austurian style restaurant. The whole experience is classic Spain in my opinion. Jam packed tapas bar upstairs, big, brightly lit restaurant downstairs. We went on the early side (9p) because we had tickets to a show afterwards, and the restaurant was still surprisingly full (mostly with tourists at that hour, but by 10p lots of locals too). Lots of slow cooked meats and fishes. Fish stew, merluza about 5 different ways, cordero, cochinillo, you get the picture. As expected the wine is well priced and good. The copas are big. The service is excellent. They were pouring a lot of cider, which we didn't order because its not our favorite, but that is a house specialty. Truth is that I don't see myself frequenting this restaurant. If guests come in town and want to eat something very Spanish, it will be top of my lists of places to go. But it probably doesn't top my places for a return visit on my own, simply because there are many places like it in Madrid. I would absolutely drop in again to the tapas bar. That scene was lively and fun. read more

What an expensive mistake !!!! Yelpers steered us wrong on this one :(. We were looking forward to this but it was a colossal failure. Food was tasteless except for morcilla and bean stew. Steak and pig were so bony, as if the butcher were new at the job. Food was brought out so slowly despite us going early to beat the crowds and the kids were left hungry. We chose to leave after second course as we couldn't bear any more, but the bill took forever. What a waste of an evening, esp. Since we only had a few to spare on an otherwise lovely vacation. read more