The restaurant/bar has fantastic tapas. Manolo the chief has made some unique and flavorful tapas…read morenot found anywhere. We loved everything we tried and even went back the following night. The atmosphere is friendly and lively. This my favorite place in Madrid for tapas.

I've been visiting Malaespina for over a decade -- from my time living in Madrid to every trip back…read more-- and one thing has never changed: it's easily one of the best spots in Madrid for a no-frills, delicious tapas meal and amazing sangria. The quality of the food has remained consistent for the 10 years I've been visiting! Tucked away just off Sol, Malaespina is the epitome of a classic Madrid taverna. The inviting, unpretentious atmosphere, the cozy charm, the prices, the energy -- it's hard to capture it all in words. There's a certain magic at Malaespina. The tavern has been around for hundreds of years, and I often wonder what it was like a century ago. I'm always amazed that such a gem exists in the heart of Madrid, a city center filled with tourist traps. Malaespina draws both locals and tourists -- and for good reason. The food quality to price ratio is unbeatable. On our most recent visit, we had huevos estrellados, tortilla tapas, sangria, and espressos, and spent about $20 for the two of us. You really can't beat that! Here's hoping they stick around for many more years to come.

Came here for lunch and had a decent experience. Staff were super friendly and restaurant was nice…read more We sat outside and ate our meal and it was quite pleasant. When we first sat down they gave us a welcome bruschetta and bread for free which were pretty decent portions. We then ordered our food and it was pretty good as well. We ordered their half chicken (pollo asado con patatas), sirloin steak, and Malaspina tosta. The portions were huge and we definitely over ordered. We thought they were more the size of tapas but each dish was a huge portion itself which definitely isn't a bad thing. The food tasted pretty good but I think it just lacked flavor occasionally. All the meat was cooked well and was very juicy, just could use a little more flavor. Otherwise everything was good. Solid 4 stars

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.

Everything here was perfect: prices, quality of food, service and the authentic touch of Spain!…read more Gracias Sara!!!

Enjoyed a nice dinner here! Great food, great atmosphere, amazing drinks! Would definitely go againread more

We ordered the "caracoles"-escargots and vermut de grifo. Everything was delicious and the staff…read morewere super friendly and helpful. The place is casual and serves as a great quick tapas stop with tasty food.

The ONLY bad thing I can say is that this place is sooo busy, you have to be a SHARK about getting…read morea table. It is PACKED, so stealth mode must be in effect! Once seated, you are treated like a local who is well loved. Excellent appetizers that are fresh and mind-blowing (you seriously cannot choose a bad one), and fabulous love, attention and drink service. You'll leave with a smile on your face and feeling like a local. Excellent fresh food, excellent generous beverages.

One more star on the Instagram trail and I'd agree--it's our fault for not being more discerning or…read morefor staying on the beaten path. But Juana La Loca has an aseos issue. We sat at the bar, and all we could smell was the semi-clean bathroom--and I say that not from visiting it, but from the sheer odor. Things went south when a burly German Messerschmitt sat next to us and compounded the smell. I'm not being Teutonophobic--I'm just telling it like it was ( said every xenophobic ) The tortilla that lured us here was fine, but too sweet for my taste--like the rest of the pintxos. Or maybe it was the side of Clorox.

Always great service here. Amazing for cañas and tapas, not so much for ordering in but I've not BC…read moretried the menu yet. Always busy but attentive service. And open til 2am and by a night bus stop. Also Green Buddha grow shop is two minutes away walking!

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.

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.

So for obvious reasons, I've never previously written a review of a place that I did *not* actually…read moreeat or drink anything from, but these are pretty exceptional circumstances and there's a first for everything. I will happily delete this post if the restaurant manager sees it and responds that there was a good reason as to why I didn't (assuming it is in fact still open)... I was actually quite excited to come here, the first full evening we were in Madrid, the weekend after New Years. Got there right at 7:30 because we were quite hungry and Yelp said that's when they opened, though we weren't certain, as Google said they opened at 8. Stood around outside until about 8:20, didn't hear any movement inside, called their number and went straight to voicemail, didn't see anything on their social media or posted outside that they'd be closed. Posted *to* their social media and never heard back (either that evening or subsequently.) Gave up and went somewhere else. Actually went back the next day about half an hour after they were supposed to open for lunch, and didn't see any indication that they would be, either. So I cannot in fact say anything about the food, but assuming they are not actually just closed permanently, they do need to do a better job posting *somewhere* if they're going to be closed unexpectedly for a whole weekend; I think that's worthy enough of leaving a negative review? (I was sad, the tapas looked great from the pictures people posted. Again, if they respond that there was a good reason for it, I would happily delete this.)

Food, service and staff was amazing. It has a very local vibe , this is where I would hang out if I…read morelived in Madrid. We got tostas and potatoes with alioli