We were looking for inexpensive dining options and Lateral was recommended by our hotel staff. The menu had a very unique take on familiar options. I was craving a burger. They had one but it as made with veal, which kind of turned me off. Instead I decided to have the gyozas. (Dumplings which were half with veggies and half with minced chicken.). They were good, but they were not quite warm. They came with a dipping sauce which added a little kick of flavor. My sister had the veal, which was very thin and breaded. She said it was quite good. The restaurant was clean inside, but very informal and plain. Service was good and they had a full bar. Lateral was good; but nothing special to warrant a second visit. read more

Lateral - Gyozas - Tapas Bars Near Me - Madrid, M

This place was recommended by our Airbnb host. This was his favorite spot for tapas. You should know, majority of Spain eats dinner late by American standards, like 9-11pm so we were lucky that they were open at 6pm. I'm embarrased to say we ordered like typical Americans and ordered like half the menu lol. The restaurant had AC, clean bathrooms, and everything was delicious! read more

Lateral - Bread - Tapas Bars Near Me - Madrid, M

Food was fabulous! Recommend the crispy octopus. Service was friendly and very helpful. English menus helped immensely. Will be back while we are staying in Madrid. read more

¡delicioso! los camareros fueron muy atentos. la comida era excelente. Platos de tamaño compartible a precios asequibles. delicious! the waiters were very attentive. the food was superb. shareable sized plates for affordable prices. read more

Lateral - Tapas Bars Near Me - Madrid, M

We went late in the evening looking for a cup of coffee when a young lady offered us a cup at this restaurant. I was a bit surprise because it actually looked like a wine bar but she assured me they have good coffee. Truly, I was reliving not only was the coffee good but their lemon dessert was fantastic. Truly, this teaches not to judge by its look. So if your in the area then stop on by. Sorry no food pics. read more

Lateral - View from the bar. - Tapas Bars Near Me - Madrid, M

Perhaps they are better for lunch or dinner. A friend and I came here for breakfast and it truly was not the best. Prices were very cheap but the food was lackluster. I ordered the eggs with bacon and ham sandwich with cheese. Everything with bread was pretty bland and the bread was too dry. I felt like I was eating chalk. The cafe con leche here is also subpar to many places that I have tried in Madrid. Waiter was also pretty dismissive and unfriendly. Needless to say I will not be coming back here. read more

Lateral - Tapas Bars Near Me - Madrid, M

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We are at this restaurant while visiting Madrid in December 2022. The restaurant is very busy. Fast service and staff are very nice. We ordered the artichoke and Huevos Rotos and they were both good. read more

Lateral - Tapas Bars Near Me - Madrid, M

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A lively tapas bar located in the plaza Santa Ana serving a great variety of tapas and drinks. On the recommendation of our hotel concierge we walked up to the square for an "early" dinner (7:30) of tapas. The large patio was full in the square but we were able to get a table for two inside. Lots of tables (mostly tourists) had arrived just before us so service was a bit slow to start but eventually a waiter took our order and we got settled in. Like most tapas spots, the food and drinks arrive in no particular order. My wife tried the calamari (***) and I had the chicken quesadilla (*****) and we also got the buratta with tomatoes (***) and for dessert the lemon "cake" which was really lemon merengue tart (*****). A bottle of Albariño topped off the meal. By the time we left there were lots of people waiting for tables. We enjoyed it. read more

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Lateral is one of my fiancé's favorite spots for tapas and this location in the Plaza de Santa Ana is my favorite. It's a safe bet for groups because they have a little something for everyone and are friendly to tourists that may not know Spanish. On our last visit, their tortilla española really stood out to me as it was soft in the middle and a very decent portion. I'd also highly recommend the solomillo con brie but really, just go with whatever you're craving. Besides your standby Spanish tapas, they also have a variety of seafood dishes like tuna tataki, sashimi, and even ceviche. Everything comes out at lightning speed so don't be afraid to order a couple at a time or just be prepared for your table to be stacked with plates. It took us forever to get our check but alas, such is life in Madrid. I would definitely recommend this spot if you're looking for a quality tapas experience. With plenty of outside seating, it's ideal for nice days but they also have an indoor dining room with lots of seats in the basement, as well. read more

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Over hyped tapas place. Touristy. Blah. Food is ok. But you won't be blown away. Presentation is great, nice ambiance, quick service especially with the button on the table (quick waiters and english speaking....yep, for me personally, kills the whole Spanish experience) i like the struggle of translation. The octopus in potato cream was BLAH and overpriced (and I almost never comment on price), clouds the whole subjective point of view. The bread with cheese subpar, felt like I ate nothing substantial. I wanted to like it, but i didn't and i regret wasting my last tapas dinner here before returning to the US. All dishes were blah, my friend really liked the croquettes but thats all. The mojito 7euros, sweet, good looking, barely a drop of alcohol. The house red wine from LAN, 2.50euro, good choice. read more

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After missing a food tour because I got lost and walked in circles, I decided to sit at Lateral and drink all the wine and eat all the food. The thing about Spain and being solo is that you can't ALLLLLLL the food, but I did try a few things. The croquettes... hot, crispy, one with ham and one with mushroom. I liked them both equally. The inside is like if mashed potatoes and fondue cheese had a love child. Next, tripe stew. Albeit a bit salty, it was cooked to a gelatinous texture that stuck to my lips and perfectly sopped up with delicious bread. Lastly, matrimonio on toast. Brown and white anchovies on toast with a sweet jam/marmalade. It was good.. because I adore anchovies, but I probably wouldn't order it again. Great people watching and street performers who come and go quickly before the policia break up the party. Come Eat Talk Relax. read more

I'm not sure why there are so many critical reviews. We had a wonderful experience at Lateral. It's located in a fun area with many places to go before and after. The service was very attentive and the tapas were brought to our table with perfect timing. The food excellent. The bar was well stocked with many choices. Even the spicy margarita was excellent. Highly recommend. read more

This place was amazing! Unbelievable cocktails and tapas. This restaurant is in a very fun and happening part of the city! Their cocktails are to die for, I especially suggest the passion fruit mojito. There is a fresh fruit bar of which is included in all of the amazing cocktails, ensuring the ultimate freshness. We ordered many tapas and a bread basket between the three of us ladies and loved every single one! One of our friends has a diary allergy and had a ton of great options for her as well! This restaurant has an allergy menu which listed if each dish had diary, gluten, etc, super helpful! We sat down here at around 10:20pm and stayed until around 12:20am and it was still packed!! The waitstaff was both helpful and fun, definitely elevated the dining experience! One of the best places I ate in Madrid! Highly recommend! read more

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Super slow service. Took multiple tries to get drinks for whole table. Expensive and not worth the price.

Food was good but service was awful. The waiter brought out red wine instead of white, then just shrugged his shoulders about his mistake. My wife's food was served about 10 mins before mine, leaving an uncomfortable wait. Our waiter seemed to have no interest in serving at all.... Madrid is full of good cheap restaurants which are happy and willing to help. read more

There is NOTHING unique or special about this place except for the plaza it's located in. For tapas, this is mediocre. The Jamon Serrano had oil added since it was too dry. The gambas al Ajillo had 3 gambas only. The tuna tataki was salty. Let's not forget the waiter's explanation of wakame salad "ummm it's from the ocean". And when we asked how the Jamon was , he said "ummm it's dry". All in all its "ok" at best if you just want to shove some tapas in your mouth and dine around a bunch of tourists in a nice plaza. But nothing exotic or worth walking more than 2 blocks for food-wise. Sorry just being honest. read more

Really delicious and well located! Lots of tapas, whether you like fish, jam, cheese.. you'll find something you like! The service is good and waiters friendly (some speak French!). You can enjoy a terrace even if it's a bit cold outside: get the "fake"' fire lighten! :) A really cool place to eat at! read more

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Service a bit disorganized; I'm quite sure our order was forgotten until we mentioned it to our server 15 minutes later. And dining outside can be touchy as the panhandlers will weave in and around the tables. Definitely keep your purse closed and close by, no hanging on the back of the chair! The degustación de pinchos was perfect as a light lunch for two people. read more

Lateral - Degustación de pinchos - Tapas Bars Near Me - Madrid, M

Lateral is a small chain of tapas bars in Madrid. At this location, there is seating on two floors inside as well as an outside patio. Downstairs inside is rather stuffy and too close to the bathrooms but upstairs is lovely and outside is delightful. We were promptly seated and offered a beverage. They feature mojitos made with fresh ingredients like passion fruit, rose petals and blackberries. So we ordered three kinds, one 'sin alcohol' for my Mother. Three of us slit 5 tapas and one dessert and felt satisfied but not stuffed. Favorites were fried eggplant with salmorejo, spinach ravioli with goat cheese sauce and crepes with dulce de leche. Not so great - the Spanish tortilla was tepid. Is it supposed to be cold? Each table has its own button to summon the waiter or request the check so service is snappy. Can't go wrong at Lateral! read more

Lateral - passion fruit mojito with roses - Tapas Bars Near Me - Madrid, M

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Love the cold Salmorejo soup. Love anything to eat here is a beautiful outdoor setting

I know Tapas is brought out as it is ready, but my tapas came out an hour after my companions did. Too late and sent-it back Rude waitstaff and management. No apology. Young crowd. Americanized tapas. Much better tapas in area Not worth the wait read more

Don't waste your money or time. Management nor staff seem to care about the quality of their drinks or service. read more

This place was really good but not the best Spanish tapas I've ever had. It's located near everything and close to all the hotels which is why I chose it but I would recommend it as well. read more

Lateral - Tapas Bars Near Me - Madrid, M

Found right in Plaza de Santa Ana, this place has a very nice outdoor seating as well as indoors. The prices and selection for tapas were pricier than I'd like and the selection wasn't too extensive but the quality is amazing! Must try the duck and sirloin with onions and top it off with a beer or sangria. The wait staff is a bit slow, so be patient and sip your drink and enjoy your courses slowly as you wait for the next one. 3 stars for the ambience, quality of food.. But you can definitely find some better and cheaper tapas elsewhere. read more

Lateral - Duck, artichoke, and Spanish tortilla. - Tapas Bars Near Me - Madrid, M

Our first night, first dinner was also fresco. Ordered sparkling and the following: - combo platter - cheese -ceviche -duck Everything was so good. Wish we were staying longer to dine here again. Service was great. The fav of the night was the burrata and the duck. One annoying thing. This guy comes up with a fake rose and wants to sell it. We say "no thank you" he says free. So he give me one and my friend one. Keeps saying "free" do my hubby wants to tip him 5 euro. The guy says no, " two is 10 euro" we are do dumbfounded friends hubby just gave him another 5. Totally irritated and otherwise nice meal. read more

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Got the white wine. The outdoor setup is beautiful and the customer service is great! Got some appetizers but the drinks themselves were pretty good too. read more

Lateral - Vino blanco - Tapas Bars Near Me - Madrid, M

Ready to grab a nice dinner on a patio near my apartment, Lateral seemed liked a good option according the the reviews. I arrived a bit before 9 PM and there were plenty of tables available both inside and out so I was seated on the patio right away. Lateral's patio faces a small square and is set back about 20 meters from the main street so it's a little quieter but will great people watching. The service was polite and attentive but not overtly friendly. It was easy to track down someone from the wait staff as they were constantly floating around. My favorite dish was the duck ravioli which had both lovely presentation and was quite delicious. I ordered 3 tapas dishes and wine which all came out to €19. For a nicer outdoor dinner, I'd say that's not bad. I'd recommend arriving before 9 PM to get a table in a reasonable manner. But overall a great laid back, but nice dinner option in Chueca. read more

Very good Tapas. The best part is the drinks. They have the best mojitos and everything at a very good price. read more

Lateral - Tapas Bars Near Me - Madrid, M

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Urgh those artichokes though. Sooooooooooo good! You must order them!!! I would just come for those but it's also a nice and clean place with friendly staff and a large tapas menu. Much to enjoy here! read more

I have NEVER written a horrible review on Yelp but this place deserves it. First of all, I have studied abroad in Spain and absolutely love the country. I understand that I am American and that we might not have the best reputation, but the waiter at this restaurant was the RUDEST waiter I have ever had in all of Europe. First of all, we had to wait for our table for 2 hours. This would not have bothered me as much if we hadn't seen people who put their name down after us being seated. Sadly, that was not even the worst part. Once we had finally been seated, me and my three friends were absolutely famished and decided to order all of our tapas right away. Now I understand that this is not the Spanish custom, but after we had been waiting for 2 hours, we were fine with doing it. Our waiter, SALIM (I had to ask the hostess for his name just so that I could write this yelp review) was not only horribly rude and ignored us, but ACTIVELY tried to fat shame us for ordering so much food. Once we had ordered around 5 tapas, he had asked us to stop since he said it was already too much food. After we cleaned our plates clean because it clearly was not enough food, I had handled him my plate, and he had the audacity to say "Did you just eat that whole plate??" I have never been so appalled in my entire life. I understand that customs are different everywhere but this was intolerable. read more

Besides the touristy wait period I anticipated it was a great place to eat a few tapas while people watching. I had a glass of wine across the street at their restaurant and when it was time to be seated they came and got me. I enjoyed the meatballs and I had the potatoes two ways. It was great and I would love to come back to eat more! read more

Lateral - Meat balls! - Tapas Bars Near Me - Madrid, M

Love this place. Food is delicious. My favs are the ham croquetas, the sirloin with foie and the tortilla. Highly recommend!

We were impressed by most of the food and was really happy with the fact that the wait staff didn't mind that we walked in right before the kitchen closed. I was really disappointed by the tortilla espagnola because it was like the eggs were scrambled and I didn't dig the texture. The interior is super modern and clean and it was very pleasant to chill in. If the food were more consistent, I would give it 5 stars but overall very pleasant. read more

By far, best alfresco lunch experience in downtown Madrid. Perfect blend of eclectic and typical Spanish fare that keeps your taste buds awake. Everything was freshly prepared and one could tell the chef did not skimp on the quality of ingredients. Prices was super reasonable, but we did have to wait close to an hour for a table for 4. Would definitely return! read more

Loud. Cold food that was supposed to be warm. Very inattentive service. Tortilla was cold and runny. Meatballs were good. Artichokes were bland. Would. It recommend it or return. read more

Lateral - Tortilla that was cold and oozing down the plate. - Tapas Bars Near Me - Madrid, M

Raja makes THE best cocktails!!! Get the spare ribs with yam and the soft shell chili crab. Beef nigiri with truffle oil was an experience and the burrata was also sick. Must go here!!!! Very elegant and if you log in to the wifi you get a free second drink read more

Lateral is one of my favorite tapas bars in Madrid. The restaurants are always crowded both with locals and tourists, so you may have to wait a while for a table - especially if you want to sit outside during the summer. Don't let that scare you to give up and go to one of the other restaurants in Plaza Santa Ana, cause the food is much better at Lateral so it's worth the wait! The service is very fast and efficient. They bring the food when its ready, in no particular order, so if you want a lengthy meal, you may want to order one dish at the time. I have been there more than 20 times, in different locations and have tried most of the menu. I have loved most of what I have tried! I have brought many friends and family to Lateral and they have all loved it too. Not only is the food great, but the prices are ridiculously low so even after a large meal with a bottle of wine, you won't spend a fortune. Really great value for money at Lateral!! I highly recommend Lateral to anyone who wants delicious simple but modern tapas, great atmosphere and efficient service!! read more

Returned for new tapas and the same drinks, and everything was excellent once again! We tried more vegetarian options and weren't disappointed! read more

Lateral - Artichokes and prosciutto - Tapas Bars Near Me - Madrid, M

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Four of us visited just before 9PM. We managed to snag a table in the square - it was filling up fast while other tapas bars nearby were empty. Two of us had the salad with sprouts and chicken, two had the salad with greens, ham and sliced almonds. We also had a bottle of one of the more expensive wines. The salads arrived quickly, tasted great and the service was excellent. The prices were very reasonable too - for all four of us it came to about 48 Euros. English menus are available and there's a call button device on the table, though we never had to use it. Highly recommended! Edit: We went back two days later, at around 7PM, and had a variety of different dishes. The miniburgers with sherry sauce were a favorite of all of us - so much so we ordered seconds. You get four small burgers, no buns or anything else, cooked perfectly (in my opinion - medium rare). The sherry sauce is not overpowering and adds a delightful flavor. Another hit was the chard, mushroom and gouda cheese quesadillas, which also called for seconds. You get four pieces per order, along with some "pico de gallo" garnish along with a sprig of watercress. We also wanted to try the Bull's Tail. This came across as sort of a salty pot roast. It tasted ok, but nothing we would get again. The last thing we ordered was the sirloin with Brie, served on pieces of toast. This too was good but not exceptional. Again, service was excellent, as was the house red wine we had two bottles of! read more

Delicious and unique tapas in a wonderful little square in Madrid. The sangria was delicious and the service wasn't bad either. Luckily our server spoke a decent amount of English, but I did notice some others working that only spoke Spanish. For tapas, my favorites were the steak and brie, mushroom quesadillas, veal meatballs, and the mini hamburgers (which are just tiny patties so don't be disappointed)! read more