I first ventured into Naturbier because I thought it might be a microbrewery (based both on online reviews and on the sign proclaiming it a "fábrica" (factory)). They do have their own house beer, both a lager and what appeared to be an amber (it was described on the menu as "toasted"), but there was no sign of brewery works.
I ended up really enjoying the laid-back pub feel of Naturbier. When I sat inside at the bar, both the bartenders and patrons were super-friendly. Sitting outside in the Plaza Santa Ana offered fantastic people-watching, but also much less of a social atmosphere. And prices are about 10-15% higher outside (which is standard of the restaurants in this area). So my preference is to sit inside.
Food was decent, not the best, but definitely passable. The complimentary olives and pickled onions are delicious, and the staff is generous with them. The tortilla de patatas and jamón was a gigantic portion, really more suited for two people, which eased my sticker shock over the price (about 16 euros).
As for the beverages, I found that I did not particularly care for the beer at Naturbier. I only tried the lager, and found it to have a significantly bitter aftertaste not characteristic of that type of beer. I did enjoy the petite size of the "jarra" portion, which was quite a contrast to the typical pour in the US. The sangría was much more to my liking, and was also deceptively strong. I think this was the best sangría I had in Madrid.
Naturbier does accept credit cards, but not American Express. read more