Extraordinary taberna in the Plaza de Chueca. Incredibly beautiful. It has one of the few tin bars…read moreremaining in Madrid. The perfect place to have a vermouth and olive aperitivo. Fantastic ambient.

El sitio es una perfecta representacion del siglo XX. Decorado con un estilo antiguo. El personal…read morees amable y respetuoso, a lo que te sirven sus cervezas frías y refrescantes.

Amazingly well sourced vermouth bar in a beautiful corner in one of the most interesting areas in…read moreMadrid. The gildas and other encurtidos are the best possible snack with the drink. The right place for the very Madrileña tradition of aperitivo.

This one is a hard review to *rate* - one of the, admittedly myriad things I was particularly…read morelooking forward to trying when I was in Madrid for a few days a few months ago, was really good vermouth, and I'd heard this was the best place for that, and in the abstract, they're definitely right. Their house vermouth on draft is seriously cheap, and great, and they have pours of a bunch of fancier vermuts for various, still quite reasonably priced, prices, in various styles. They also had great gildas, i.e. the perfect accompaniment to vermouth, for pretty reasonably priced as well. I would have absolutely loved to hang out at a bar like this, talk to the bartender about all the various vermouths they have and what makes them unique, pair each one with a different small bite... But, crucially, and why it's hard to rate, that is very much not what I actually did when I got there, because this bar is a few seats inside the Mercado de San Miguel, which is *very* much a victim of its own popularity, and when we got there, despite being lunch on a weekday during the off-season, it was still absolutely just crazy busy, to the point that being inside the building was uncomfortable, and good *luck* finding a place to sit. So what I actually did, because darn it, I was *going* to get vermouth here, was stood in a line to order, packed in against all the other lines for ordering other places, got a couple glasses of vermouth and one gilda and paid, took them immediately outside the market, braved the crowds long enough to give them their glassware back, then left. Not nearly as relaxing an experience - and I can't even *imagine* it on a Saturday evening, or in the middle of tourist season instead of in January. I would do almost anything for there to be a place like this back home, though. Just, ideally, not in the middle of a way-too-popular food hall.

Luckily, we got in immediately, and we were seated with ease. Upon ordering our drinks, we recieved…read morea tapa of mushrooms and a sun dried tomato. We then ordered the Anchoas con pesto and the Ensalada verde con dados de salmón y salsa de soja. Everything was amazing. We left with a bottle of the vermut after trying the Manuela. Incredible!

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.

We came here for the tripas and were not disappointed. Bodegas Ricla is a tiny, old-school bodega…read morejust off Plaza Mayor: green shelves crammed with bottles and photos, chalkboards listing a few raciones and wines, brass taps, and a bartender who runs the room with brisk, friendly efficiency. The callos a la madrileña (aka tripas) was exactly what I was hoping for - tender honeycomb tripe in a paprika-rich, brick-red sauce with chunks of morcilla and chorizo you sop up with crusty bread. The tortilla came out thick and custardy in the middle, all potatoes and eggs, the classic bar version you want with a short pour of vermut, which we also ordered and drank with gusto. Nothing fancy, nothing overthought, just simple, beautiful Spanish bar food done right, in a place that's been making locals happy for generations. Cash only, so make sure you hit the ATM first.

Bodegas Ricla is across the street from Restaurante Botín, which is verified as the world's oldest…read morerestaurant by Guinness. At 9 pm, Bodegas Ricla provides a nice pick-me-up before dinner at 10 pm. There is a nice vermouth on tap, nice and dry with a great blend of herbs. The tapas are exceptional. The Matrimonio could be the most perfect tapas bite. It is the perfect marriage of boquerones en vinaigre (fresh anchovy fillets marinated in vinegar and olive oil) with anchoa (salted anchovy) on a piece of bread. It is tangy, sweet, and salty, all at the same time. Fuet is a Catalan cured pork sausage that is sliced and placed on bread.

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.

You're in Spain! Calamari's is the law! Calamari is squid in a carb blanket. No sauce. No frills…read more Just crispy rings stuffed in breading! Think about it, Madrid is iconic to the food scene by using only two ingredients. This spot had these puppies perfectly salted. Absolutely delicious! Some of the best calamari I have ever had. This shot gun spot is welcoming and the service is super fast. Belly up to the bar. They are ready for you.

We stopped by because we wanted to try the calamari sandwich. We didn't realize this but be sure to…read moreask for mayo because it's dry otherwise. We washed it down with a light beer and our whole meal was ridiculously inexpensive. It feels like a little hole in the wall place. There is an upstairs with more seating and a bathroom.

I wish I could have tried more things on the menu! A fun fusion take on Spanish food and each tapa…read morewas delicious. We got: - alcachofas (artichokes) - pintxo de champiñón (mushroom and shrimp pincho) - Calamares - Pintxo de foie - gyozas de rabo (oxtail gyoza) - mini beef hamburgers Everything had amazing flavor and the sauces that complimented each dish had me drooling. The foie was so buttery and had no funk. The portions were also very generous! Our waiter was very friendly and attentive as well, giving us a large downstairs table where he put music on and turned on heaters for our comfort. Great spot.

Me encantaría regresar y lo haré pronto . El plato está casi vacío porque estaba tan delicioso que…read moreni cuenta me di de tomarla...

This is a spot that feels like a little bar but is actually more like a casa with some food items…read more Here, they are big on pig and there are Iberico hams located on and around the bar for easy access. If you are vegan, coming here will only piss you off. In fact, a vegan in Madrid in general is ill-advised. The setting feels historic and rustic with exposed brick and stone that appears to be centuries old. They seem to make everything (both food and drink) behind that cramped bar which explains why most of their menu items are cold, pre-made, or easy to assemble from short lists of raw ingredients. This does not mean that anything is bad. It just means it is like producing charcuterie in a dorm room bar. A large number of items involve Iberico Ham and one of the barmen is constantly shaving off thin pieces for service. In fact the freebie snack they send out from the kitchen had some Iberico ham and Manchego cheese on it which was a really nice warm up of what to expect. Over the noonish lunch hour, I was the only tourist in the place surrounded by many locals that clearly know about this spot. I liked those odds for assuring me of a genuine authentic experience. It was an accurate predictor. I'm not the most experienced when it comes to true Spanish tapas but this seemed to be a very genuine depiction of what the locals look for in a rustic Iberico ham experience. And frankly, even if it wasn't I can't find anything to really complain about. It was a cool historic setting, there was ice-cold vermouth from a tap, and I spent an hour shoving local Morcilla (blood sausage) and Iberico pig parts into my pie hole for the better part of an hour. It was a great experience any way you choose to look at it.

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.

A long layover meant I got to swing by Calle Ponzano on a quiet weekday. I'd read that Arima had…read moregood pintxos and that was enough to get me in the door. Ordered a glass of txakoli, plus several small plates. The croquetas de chorizo were perfectly smokey crispy-creamy bites. The buñuelo, a sweet piquillo pepper stuffed with a ground beef sauce then battered and fried, would've been great even without the dough which dulled the flavors a bit. The lechuga batavia, giant bowl of lettuce and sliced onions in a vinaigrette, was nothing out of this world but the acidity was a welcome shift from the fried foods. The briotxe de pastrami was delicious---the toasted brioche and pull-apart pastrami were an excellent match. I only wish there had been less tartar sauce drizzled on top since the pastrami and buttery brioche were rich enough on their own. Overall, the pintxos were great and I'm looking forward to trying more of the menu next time I'm in the city.

If you're a regular vermouth connoisseur you'll love the variety. If you've never had one, this…read morewould be a great place to start. Food was ridiculously good. Basque style menu, excellent raw materials and simple preparation that allows the food to shine for itself. Waiting staff helped us to navigate with regards to portion sizes in order to avert a disaster.