A small casa on Calle de Leon somewhat away from the Puerta del Sol. The street is filled with…read morelocals going about their day or transiting by foot towards city center so it is not heavily overrun by tour groups. Plus, this shopfront is small and not particularly descript so you might walk right by it if you were not searching for it. However, if you know better, you will find a reason to pause, duck in, and take a break! There are small tables within to eat there but there is only 1 at the shop front window alcove. If you time it right, you can grab this table and stuff your pie hole with local sausages, cured meats, and Spanish wine, beer or Vermouth while watching Madridian life pass you by. There may not be a better way to ruin what could have been an otherwise productive day! The menu is substantial but is largely made up of combinations of the various cured meats and cheeses that the shop is known for. Unlike spots that promote only Iberian ham and Manchego cheese, Casa González has all manner of meats and cheeses so it is a fantastic spot to go to for variety within this genre. I think that only strict vegans will be angered by what is on offer here. I recommend Casa Gonzalez for a meat and cheese orgy if you are in the area. They have been doing this since 1931 so you know that they have a winning formula.

Delicious, unbelievably tasty, and one of the best authentic tapas spots in the city! Formerly a…read moredeli, this dine in experience is a true gem in the heart of a great city from the timely and present service to the history on the walls!

Largest selection of Spanish cheeses outside of Whole Foods (sigh!). Here you can pick up domestic…read moreand imported cheeses and try them before you make your purchase. My go-to cheese shop.

This place has so much ham and cheese! I've never seen anything like it. We had 25 grams of 5j…read morejamon iberico de bellota, which is the best ham in the world. It's priced at 165 euros per kilo. The 5 euros we spent on a small sample size was well worth it. Great snack before a nice walk in Madrid.

This might sound a bit ridiculous considering that I am both vegetarian and lactose intolerant, but…read moreI love this deli. I used to work at a small gourmet deli in LA where I became cheese obsessed (thank god for those lactaid tablets! that help me digest cow milk) and when we moved back to Madrid and I breezed past the window display on Arenal filled with an interesting large block cheese selection along with charcuterie and other choice Spanish food products, I felt I'd found something familiar, something close to home. And something that would definitely test my willpower. And though it is nothing like home, really, it is large and spectacular nonetheless. There's a wonderful variety of cheese to choose from: cured sheep cheese, feta, swiss, gruyere, mascarpone, comte, ricotta, munster, morbier and much more. The selection of meats and charcuterie is crazy. This is a great place to shop for a party, a special dinner, a gift (basket, maybe?), the holidays and to take back home with you on the plane, that is, if you are lucky enough not to get busted by Customs. Don't sweat the formal and sometimes grumpy service. They are service oriented but they aren't there to make you feel at home. And, it turns out that the deli, though quite traditional, offers coffee made with different types of milk, including a milk that is lactose free!!! This is a huge bonus for me and still unheard of in LA. Score, Spain!

Lovely wine bar where we stopped for a glass of wine and to rest for a few minutes. Although we…read morearrived not hungry at all, only a few minutes passed before we were tempted to order a cheese plate. We ordered the Euro cheese plate for 20 euros and it was a huge portion and so good. Also loved the olives served with our glasses of wine.

Heriberto is te funnest most awesome server one could ask for and he made our night!!…read moreSuperb traditional Madrid spot I would highly recommend !

This is a great wine bar in Chueca. They will serve you the perfect glass based on your…read morepreferences, no need to study a menu and try to choose. Let your server guide you! There are a variety of tapas to snack on if you're hungry. Be aware that this is a popular neighborhood spot and small, so it fills up quick any night of the week. I'll definitely be returning on my next trip to Madrid!

Possibly our highlight of our 4 days in Madrid. As a big fan of Spanish wines, I let our hosts…read morerecommend the wines to accompany our amazing selection of Spanish cheeses (and the olive oil was amazing as well), and all were amazing.. The wine list is entrely Spanish wines and our hosts did a great job telling us about the wines. Very impressed and would definitely make another trip here if we find ourselves in Madrid again.

Insanely good selection of tapas with different types of mozzarella dressed bites, about €5 each…read moreand so worth it! I've never had better burrata. Buy a couple items here and some bread and jamon from the shop next to it and you won't need anything else at the market. They accept credit cards as well.

Mozheart is for cheese loves around! They specialize in homemade ricotta, burrata, and mozzarella…read more An absolute must try while visiting the famous Mercado de San Miguel!

Queseria Cultivo is an artisan cheese shop, with 2 locations in Madrid, focusing on Spanish cheeses…read moreproduced by local producers. The shop is simple and has a warm atmosphere. The staff are friendly and helpful. And if you don't speak Spanish, you'll still be able to understand each other and make a purchase. The shop offers a wide range of cheeses--fresh, cured, soft, and aged--along with curated products that pair well with them.

I luv luv luv this shop!!!!!! We had the best cheesemonger!!!! She was sweet, explained the cheeses…read moremy friends & I were interested in. Beautiful displays of cheeses. There were wines & adorable cloth shopping bags. A very quaint shop when in need of cheese. Sample & take several choices!!!

This chocolateria has been in business for over 130 years, so it was probably safe to assume they…read moreknow how to make chocolate and just as essentially, the churros upon which their chocolate clings. Based on the definitive opinions of travel vloggers, this appeared to be the place to get the fabled chocolate con churros. Jamie W and I made our way here through the labyrinth of streets near Puerta del Sol. It was early evening so no surprise there was a queue, but it moved quickly because this historic place was a model of efficiency. It's the type of place where you need to be ready to order the moment you're in front of the hostess. Luckily, we had made mental notes of what to order from one particular vlogger, so we were ready. It only took a minute to secure one of their marble cafe tables. Our order arrived fairly quickly. It consisted of a 2,5€ plate of Churros, six long sticks of chewy, delicious dough. Unlike the Mexican version, it wasn't dusted with sugar because the 3,7€ cup of Hot Chocolate was more than enough (Photo 8). Incredibly rich and only lightly sweetened. The churros might've been enough for a neophyte, but we double-downed with a 2,5€ order of two Porros (Photo 7). Porras are a thicker, doughier version of churros, so of course, they were our favorites because they really held the chocolate with assurance. Even though we went through two cups of hot chocolate, we still had 2,4€ cups of Cafes con Leche to wash it all down (Photo 10). It was an ideal dessert experience because who doesn't love awesome doughnuts? Definitely a must-gorge when in Madrid. FOOD - 5 stars...the motherlode when it comes to chocolate con churros...get the porros AMBIANCE - 4 stars...crowded but historically atmospheric with enough elbow room SERVICE - 4 stars...speedy TOTAL - 5 stars...pretty essential Madrid experience RELATED - Exploring Madrid? Here's a collection of places I've visited and reviewed: https://yelp.to/RH4DbI4Fwc

This is a classic and must-visit stops in Madrid, that has been famous for offering churros and…read morechocolate from 1894. It has a cozy and traditional vibe and is open till after midnight. The churros are made right in front of you and will be served warm. You can also order for takeout. The dipping chocolate sauce adds a nice touch to the tase and experience. There will lineups at times, but it moves fast.