When I write a review I first consider the fact that reviews can impact someone's livelihood and I…read morewrite with the public's interest in mind. That said..... You know the saying, things happen for a reason? Well, I was actually walking the streets half a mile from my hotel to return a wallet that I found in the middle of the street. I tracked the owner (he happens to be a soccer player) down and at first could not find him. More on this later. I walked by El Cuervo and the owner, Luis Miguel, was standing in the doorway. He looked so friendly that I had to go in. I stayed two hours! Most tourists don't stay in Barajas and would never find this place. I am glad I did. First, there is none of that "measured shot from a shot glass crap" at this place. They pour you a real gangster drink. When Luis Miguel poured my drink all I could say was whoa and all I could think was that I'm glad "Baby" wasn't with me at that moment. She definitely would have poured some in a separate glass! Within ten minutes a couple of locals happened by, the owner's wife joined us and we had a party going on. I had an East Harlem flashback of sorts. About every fifteen minutes or so Luis Miguel left and returned with tapas. You name it I had it, from a traditional Spanish omelet, cheese tapas, salami tapas, and ham tapas. Before long everybody at the bar was ordering and sharing. My favorite memory will be Luis Miguel playing music. He has a knack for finding YouTube videos of non-famous folks that make you ask: "Who the hell is that?" I mentioned that my favorite music is Bachata. After that it was "on like hot buttered popcorn." First Omega El Fuerte then Frank Reyes and I thought I was in my own family room where I have been known to "tear the roof of the sucka." I left with a yellow pad full of names of folks I intend to download, directions to the stores that the locals shop in and most of all a great feeling knowing I met new folks who have already emailed me to exchange music. If you are not comfortable traveling off the beaten path or have a jellyfish nature about yourself (for the hip impaired this means you have no backbone or have been called a sissy) you might not venture off to El Cuervo and this would be too bad. This is just a great family pull-up-to-the-bar-and-sit-a-spell place. As for the wallet that brought me to El Cuervo in the first place, on the way home I found number 53 and the player, who shall remain nameless, walked with me to my hotel where I returned his wallet including the Euros that came with it. He was amazed and said when I returned next autumn drinks are on him. I think I'll select El Cuervo!

My mom and I found this gem on TripAdvisor and decided to give it a try, and wow, we are so glad we…read moredid! From the moment we walked in, the staff was beyond friendly and welcoming, and the atmosphere was vibrant, lively, and fun. I ordered the sangria, which was honestly the best I had in Madrid, while my mom enjoyed a lovely glass of wine. We started with the padrón peppers, burrata with tomato salsa, and patatas bravas -- every single dish was packed with flavor and absolutely delicious. For the main course, we had the beef with chimichurri and butter, and OMG... it was phenomenal. Everything was cooked perfectly, and all the flavors complemented each other so well. To finish the night, we shared the chocolate dessert and the "Love Chueca" cocktail, which was incredible and the perfect ending to an amazing meal. Couldn't recommend this restaurant enough. Amazing food, fantastic drinks, wonderful staff, and such a great atmosphere. We'll definitely be back next time we're in Madrid!

My favorite meal/experience during our visit to the wonderful city of Madrid. Many reviews highly…read morepraised the tapas so we decided to see if we could get in. As foreigners, we arrived earlier than the locals which worked out well. By the time we finished there was a crowd waiting outside. We loved the casual atmosphere and the elevated flavors of the tapas. The wine was perfect and we chose just the right amount of dishes that complimented one another. We felt like this was someplace special and were happy to have experience it.

We enjoyed a lunch here. Small, friendly place, great staff and delicious food! We had sampled…read moresalmon arugula salad and anchovy blue cheese pizza. Both delicious. Want to come back for the empanadas

Food was amazing!!!! Empanadas were great, and the men in my family loved the steak faoigras bread…read more Hands down my family voted this restaurant the best in Madrid and we have visited the top ones according to Yelp. Don't miss this hidden gem.

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.

Aunque vimos unos platos de comida puertorriqueña que se veían deliciosos, no teníamos mucha…read morehambre. Así que pedimos pocas cosas. El mofongo es algo que no a todos les queda bien y ese estaba delicioso, también el pulpo a la plancha nos encantó. El servicio fue excelente tanto por parte del mesero como de la dueña del restaurante.

La comida puertorriqueña estuvo excelente y el servicio de primera. Pepa tomó de su tiempo para…read moresaludarnos y compartir con nuestro grupo. This is a must stop place for puerto ricans craving "arroz con habichuelas" among other favorites. Highly recommend you make a reservation and mention you're craving our delicious puerto rican food.

I would definitely come back for the duck confit and mango sauce toast. The combo of flavor is just…read moredelicious! The croqueta is good, but nothing special. I don't really like patatas bravas in general and this one is normal. What's cool is they give you a complimentary croqueta. Had I known this I wouldn't have ordered croquetas lol. They have English menu here.

Found this spot on Google and saw some decent reviews. Staying nearby so I decided to roll the dice…read moreand stop by. Greatest decision ever. My first tapas spot in Madrid! Did not disappoint. The main bartender, Ariel, from Paraguay was awesome! We definitely had a language barrier but I tried my best splanglish and it was an entertaining evening throughout! The owner speaks English, but he maintains the bottom floor and I was upstairs. Tried the huevos papa jamon iberico and it was enough to call it my dinner meal for the evening. Met another fellow American and we had great conversations throughout the evening. Can't complain, come here for the beer and wines and good eats!

This seems to be the place the locals are going. They do not have an English printed menu but one…read moreof the owners (I'm assuming since she wasn't dressed as the wait staff) was exceptionally nice and came table side to assist. I knew I wanted paella so she described the different types - I chose prawn and I believe monk fish, texture seemed like monk fish. She advised it would take 18 minutes and asked if I would like a starter so I chose their spicy gazspachio. First they brought a complimentary chef starter - finely chopped beat, some mustard and I would assume a type of mayonnaise to hold its shape from a scooper. Texture and flavor was very good. Gazspachio was a lite tomato base mixed with possibly celery and cucumber, very silky and smooth with just the right amount of heat and flavor. In the middle was a small mound of a tuna salad, complimented the gazspachio very well and drizzled with some olive oil on top. The paella was insanely good, nothing like you get in the states. It came with two whole prawns and two smallish (I'm American) pieces of fish but it turned out to be the perfect amount of food. The rice was soft and extremely flavorful, texture was like a good risotto, very moist but not as 'wet' as a risotto can sometimes be. The prawns were whole and if you're new to prawns might be a challenge to eat. I wasn't afraid to just eat the head and tail including shell, excellent flavor. I walked up from the Hotel AC Aitana, took about 15 minutes and you can do it mostly shaded by trees and buildings. Overall highly recommend and I hope this will give some tourists an English write up to read and inspire them to jump out of their English menu comfort zone and try an great local place.

Quality arroz. Very strong shrimp flavor in their version of the paella. Definitely go if you're a…read morebig seafood eater. The atmosphere is formal so try to make a reservation in advance.

The Iberia lounge is a very large, welcoming space. There are plenty of different types of seating…read morearrangements available throughout the lounge so whether you are working, eating or relaxing there is a space for you. They have a nice buffet with quite a lot of hot and cold food options. There is also a snack area with popcorn, chips and other nibbles. They have a large bar area with self service wine or a bartender to help with a more complicated drink. There is a water filtration system if you would like to refill your water bottle before boarding the plane. The staff has always been so helpful and accommodating, and available to answer questions. Clean restrooms and showers are available should you need them.

This is an airport lounge. Access only with status. Not the greatest, tbh, but a nice stop for a…read moresnack and few cocktails before I'm on my way to Portugal. You gotta have lounge access! It makes long travel so much more palatable.