After spending several hours at the Reina Sofia, Jamie W and I were feeling quite peckish and…read morerather indecisive about where to have lunch. We guessed many options around the Prado area might be tourist traps. Fortunately, this didn't appear to be one of them as it's a taberna that attracts local regulars as well as tourists like us. The manager/owner looked to know quite a few customers. It was pretty busy, so we were seated at a hi-top table in the bar area next to other non-Spanish, English-speaking customers. There were many small-to-medium tapa plates to consider in their menu. We weren't looking to stuff ourselves, so we ordered the 6,9€ half-order of Chiporones à la Plancha, which was grilled baby squids nestled on a mixed salad drizzled with balsamic (Photo 10). Our second dish was the 6,1€ half-order of Parrillada Verdu. It was a simple but satisfying grilled vegetable platter of sliced tomato,, onion, and root veggies (Photo 9). The last dish we ordered was an unexpected taste of home, the 9,9€ Ensalada Cesar. The reason for the higher price point was the addition of chicken and bacon to the lettuce, tomato, cheese, croutons, and Caesar dressing (Photo 8). The combination was pretty hearty and familiar-tasting. Even though we probably ate enough for a mid-afternoon meal, I couldn't help but inquire about the availability of grilled octopus (pulpo) because we saw it look quite tempting on a neighboring table. It was just as well that they were out because we didn't have room in our bellies for that. Our tapas selection was just fine all on its own. FOOD - 4 stars...skilled execution of familiar tapas, pretty tasty AMBIANCE - 4 stars...compact but cozy taberna, crowds quickly at lunch SERVICE - 3.5 stars..,efficient though a tad brusque because it was busy TOTAL - 4 stars...a serious dining option close to the museums RELATED - Exploring Madrid? Here's a collection of places I've visited and reviewed: https://yelp.to/WCRoD4CVJE

Just mas please!!! Best sangria we have ever had! Outstanding seafood. So fresh and ample fruit,…read moregreat amount and flavor. Ample inside dining and some outdoor patio dining. About 15 minutes to Atocha station. Helpful service. Pluses A. Best sangria we have had 1. Scallops on the shell were amazing so light and fresh 2. Grilled cuttlefish were nicely charred 3. Octopus was large amount and with potato / he loved it, I thought it was too spicy for me. 4. Grilled shrimp with the heads so juicy in the head 5. Caramel dessert was good 6. We got free shots, twice and yes very good 7. Great value food Areas to improve 1. Bathrooms Highly recommended for sangria and seafood!! Happy faces on the diners.

This place was OK. It is located right by the Plaza Mayor, which is really beautiful at night…read more The restaurant it very cozy, and there is enough room to accomodate large parties. They had tuna performers come out to serenade our group. I would say the paella was not very flavorful, but I did really enjoy the fried calamari appetizer. Food was ok all around.

The restaurant is in a busy Plaza Mayor area. We were seated immediately even during busy hours…read more Downstairs is tapas and upstairs is restaurant just like other Madrid places. Also, I assume you need to close the menu for them to come and serve because it took them very long to do so. -Crispy pork belly 4/5. Super crispy but salty. -Cocido madrileño 5/5. The presentation was cute. -The soup was tasty and rich with flavor. The dry portion was filling with various meat cuts. Meatballs with house special sauce 4/5. The house special sauce was like BBQ sauce and meatballs were good but not too extraordinary. -tuna potato salad 5/5 was too the points with flavor. I love this dish. I wish there were more chips. Overall it was a nice tourisy restaurant with paintings and decorations

Stumbled upon this place wandering the streets of plaza mayor and ea sin a the mood for some…read morepaella. El rincón de ati did not disappoint. My group shared the croquetas de jamón for appetizer and we shared a seafood paella and a chicken paella and there was enough left over to feed a 5th person. The service was great, fast and attentive. They even messed up are chicken paella order and since it takes a while to come out they comped it off the check which was extremely nice. All in all a perfect spot for casual group style food sharing experience

We stopped by here for a quick lunch. Food is decent. Service is relatively quick and the waiter is…read morefriendly. We had the Arroz Negro and it was delicious. My favorite was the pepper.

We ordered some Pankitos, which are strips of breaded chicken, but one of the strips was still raw…read morein the middle. Also, if you go towards the end of the day, they might not have as many tapas available since they will run out.

Perfect little spot that we would return to any time…read more Super nice owner, Nacho, was a great host. Service was excellent and we loved every dish! Nice wine, too. Resolving art display adds to an eclectic, and chill ambiance! One of our favorite stops in Madrid that I highly recommend!

We loved the atmosphere of the old building and the food, but the service soured our experience…read more We ordered some wine, the mini tapa sampler and a steak sandwich to share. Loved the mini tapas as the stuffed clams were amazing and you have to have anchovies while in Spain. Steak sandwich was great with the addition of roasted peppers and tomato. Unfortunately our server seemed like she really didn't want to be there. We wanted more wine, which never came. We had to wait a strangely long between each transaction. Generally felt unwelcomed.

Popular multilevel sports bar attached to the very nice north hotel in the center of Madrid. The…read moreservers and bartenders really hustle, and are very friendly. A Real Madrid football match against Barcelona was on TV upstairs. We had ham and cheese croquettes and toasted sandwiches of ham, Iberian ham, and liver pate. The Iberian ham is excellent!

We wanted to try a restaurant close to our hotel and came across Tierra del Queiles. All the…read morerestaurants in this area are fine establishments. It's difficult to choose when you're only going to be in Madrid for a few days. We were able to get a table at 12:45 pm on a Friday without waiting. ***OUR PICKS*** SANGRIA ~ refreshing! I don't think I had one bad sangria while in Spain! So you can't go wrong when you order one of these. 5/5 BEER ~ House beer on tap. A good choice if you're a beer drinker. Cold one on a hot day just hit the spot! 5/5 CONFIT ARTICHOKE ~ tender artichoke with a puréed potato underneath. 5/5 CESAR SALAD ~ this was needing more greens as it was a tad bit salty. 3.5/5 HAKE INORIOSAUCE ~ delicate white fish adorn with red peppers and garlic. Tasty, yet a very light meal. Wish there was a bit more on the plate. 4/5 The restaurant was modern and clean with bright, natural lighting. It's set up much like a cafe. The server was attentive and accommodating, but somewhat aloof. Food was good and appetizing.

Yelp Review…read more I visited this cozy Spanish restaurant on my first night in Madrid, and it was a perfect introduction to the city's culinary scene. The food was absolutely delicious--exactly what I was hoping for when I imagined authentic Spanish cuisine. The restaurant is small, with a warm, family-like atmosphere that makes you feel right at home. It's the kind of place where you can imagine locals gathering regularly for good food and great company. The service was another highlight--so friendly and welcoming.

This was the best find in Madrid. It is right near the royal palace. The restaurant is very clean…read morewith excellent service. The food is reasonably priced with a great selection. We had the pimento and smoked sardine appetizer, the ensalada lechuga with avocado and tuna and the Rabo de toro ( oxtails). Everything was delicious!!! Great sangria as well. We liked it so much we came back a couple of days later.

Our best meal while in Madrid. We just visited the Royal palace and was starving. The oxtail paella…read morecaught our eye so we wanted to try it out. The salad was delicious and paella was so good. It could have used more oxtail but we're not complaining. The tapas was delicious. Service was great and they do offer a meal of the day. We would return.

Nice spot with an unsuspecting entrance. We were ushered…read moreinto a room which seemed like all the tourists sat (everyone spoke English). Everything we ordered was good from the shishito peppers to a variety of paella. Oddly, they come show you the paella but serve it from the back. Wish they had just set the paellas down and let us serve ourselves.

First things first: make a reservation, or you could end up waiting an hour depending on your party…read moresize. The paella here is absolutely amazing! They even offer a Valencia-style version with rabbit if you're feeling adventurous, but I went for the Queen of the shellfish one. Note: paella must be ordered for at least two people, but I was hungry enough to eat for two myself, don't judge! The king red shrimp was hands down the best shrimp I've ever had.