I don't really like this place.. it's cute but I've given it 2 tries and both were pretty bad…read more Smoothie is just orange juice with a chunk of banana, toast with avocado and salmon has potential but the bread was so soggy. No way you can call that toast, but scraping what was on top off was fine. Coffee wasn't my fav but

A very cute cafe with delicious food! Service was great. I had the fluffy pancakes with banana…read morewhich was fantastic and large in portion size. The lychee Jasmine tea is unsweetened, just FYI. They had a little sign up that says not to use laptops here on weekends ‍ Overall, this seemed like a popular, busy spot and I would definitely recommend it if you're in the area!

A great experience. Extremely busy restaurant but well orchestrated team of people working save…read moreknowing what to do. Daniel our server did San excellent job taking care of every detail. The ambience couldn't be better, a place to enjoy and experience what is to be in the oldest restaurant in the world. The food, El cochinillo ! Wow! It's an experience.

Sobrino de Botín is the oldest recorded restaurant in the world according the Guiness Book of World…read moreRecords at over 300 years old. What foodie would pass up the opportunity to dine here? When I found out I was coming to Madrid I had to book a table. First things first, my suggestion is book way in advance. This place fills up fast. My friend and I waited too long and the only seating we could get was at 11:15 PM. No big deal though there's plenty of places you can get a light snack in the surrounding area while exploring the city. Walking in, the architecture immediately hits you. Low ceilings, gorgeous old brick, tight dining rooms, it really feels like you stepped back in time. The whole atmosphere is elevated without being stiff. Staff was super friendly and made the experience feel smooth from start to finish. There's also apprently a really nice wine cellar at the bottom I overheard other patrons bragging about. Food wise, I will keep it real, it was good, just not my favorite meal in Madrid. The sangria was solid, definitely one of my highlights. The croquettes were fire. Crispy, creamy, exactly what you want. My friend's seafood casserole was actually really good too, I lowkey wish I went that route. Now the misses. The sautéed vegetables with Iberian ham didn't do it for me. The veggies needed seasoning bad, and the ham leaned a little too salty, so together it just felt off. The suckling pig, the signature dish, was good, but I was not blown away. If I find myself returning here, I would explore other options. After dinner, there was a little show and they let you keep a souvenir menu, which was a nice touch and made the night feel more memorable. Overall I had a solid 3.5 star experience rounded up to 4. Sobrino de Botín is history, it is iconic, and it is worth saying you have been. Just do not expect it to be the best meal of your trip. Hit Botín, soak it in, then go explore the rest of Madrid's food scene, because that is where things really start to shine.

Simply great food at reasonable prices. Service was quick and friendly. We were not familiar with…read moretapas, and the waiter was very polite about explaining the menu. Outdoor area was heated which was nice in the cool evening.

Murillo Café feels like one of those places you don't expect to find outside Venezuela. I tried…read moreseveral things and everything was on point, but the polvorosa de pollo really stood out. It instantly took me back to Venezuela, where I had it many times growing up -- pure comfort food, the kind that brings memories with every bite. The tequeños were light and crispy, not oily, and clearly made with care. The numpias were another favorite, crunchy, flavorful, and even better dipped in soy sauce, which adds a subtle Asian twist without taking away from what makes them special. The sliders were just ok. What truly completes the experience is the attention. It's warm, natural, and welcoming, making you feel at home without trying too hard. Murillo Café delivers authenticity, nostalgia, and genuinely good food.

Retiro Park is like the Central Park of Madrid. This gigantic park has it all. Large grassy areas…read morefor a picnic or long pathways to run or walk. A big lake in the center to rent a row boat and ride around or a crystal palace to swoon over. Retiro is big and it can be hard to see everything on foot. There are lots of available rental bikes to make your trip throughout the park even easier.

Beautiful park ! Lots of space for kids to run and play ! Plenty of cafes to grab coffee before and…read moreevening stroll! Came in winter and still is stunning

We were looking for inexpensive dining options and Lateral was recommended by our hotel staff. The…read moremenu 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.

This place was recommended by our Airbnb host. This was his favorite spot for tapas…read more 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!

A pair of classics in their respective cities (2 of 2)…read more - - - - - I'm not surprised there are a lot of reviews. Then, I've had this bookmarked for an eternity based on the reviews of a Yelp friend (acquaintance) from the Yelp Talk chapter who did quite a bit of traveling. I had seen Chocolateria San Gines before but did not go in. I don't know why. This time, I did go in. They have two salons across the street from each other. I prefer the one on the east side of the street, which has the taller ceilings and more glass and mirrors. There may be a line around the side, but it will move quickly. I knew they had chocolate based on their name, but I didn't understand how they factored it into the equation. I sort of assumed that one could get chocolate churros. After all, there are now chocolate cannoli shells and, in some cases, cannoli can also have chocolate filling. The lady at the counter very quickly gave me an education. One gets the standard churros, but they come with a chocolate sauce that you dip them into. This all made for an interesting snack. This is not a place intended for a meal. The churros have a nice bland sort of crunchiness and the chocolate sauce is one heck of a counterpoint. The combination is tasty and unique. I also had a hot drink. Upon asking, they immediately provided me with a small glass of cold water - seen at many adjacent tables - probably to counter the effects of the richness of this snack. Be it at the counter or at the table, the staff was very well mannered and helpful, which was commendable for how busy they were. The interior is very clean and has a lot of history on its walls. The pricing was to my liking, so coming to Chocolateria San Gines is a "no brainer." Everything is there and the intersection of its history and visitors from the world over take this one to 5 stars. A friend of mine who once lived in Madrid laughed upon learning it was on my list. I mentioned I had already been to Mallorquina, which is a few blocks away on Plaza del Sol. The story was that Mallorquina is where Madrid's version of chatty magpies might go to do the dessert and coffee thing with their friends in the afternoon. It closes in the evening. Instead, Chocolateria San Gines is open all the time and might be the last stop of the evening or night before Madrilenos turn in from a night on the town. It is also very easy to reach, only a few blocks from either the Sol or Opera Metro stations, from which you can also take in fascinating nearby Plaza Mayor.

The churros here are a must try in Madrid, Spain…read more The chocolate sauce is divine and great for dipping the churros. There's a dining area to sit inside and outside. The service is relatively quick. The churros are crispy and not oily. If you're in Madrid go here!

We have eaten at restaurants from South Africa to Las Vegas and all over Spain this vacation and…read morelive in Las Vegas and never had a meal as good as the meal we had tonight. From the snapper to lamb chops ti lemon and Monchegio cheese dessert . The meals made my eyes close and savor every taste. Deserves a Michelin Star and a restaurant in Las Vegas USA . The ambience and service and music and restaurant sublime.

Beautiful setting in a location slightly out of the beaten path. Friendly service, great tapas,…read moregood wines. Very enjoyable experience.

Another visit that was high on the list of things to do in Madrid…read more I bought passes that came with an English guide. I enjoyed having that, but you could easily come through on your own without a guide and be fine. Our guided tour was about 90 minutes, but you could also stay as long after as you desired. We ended up staying about another hour to catch some of the things the tour didn't stop at. Note that you cannot take photos inside. It also seems to get pretty busy early, so it might be a good idea to go fairly early or closer to closing. Would highly recommend the Prado.

We checked into our hotel kind of late and already had 5:30 PM reservation tickets for Museo del…read morePrado that we bought about a month in advance. It was close to our hotel but not close enough to make it there on time since we were literally just leaving the hotel at 5:30 PM. The hotel attendant immediately suggested taking a cab because we were already running behind. When we arrived, I swear the line looked a mile long! Thankfully my bf asked one of the attendants before we jumped in line because apparently all those people were waiting for the free admission window. We found out that they offer daily late-entry free admission Monday-Saturday from 6 PM-8 PM. Since we already had tickets, they scanned us right in and there was basically no wait. Huge tip: if you purchased tickets in advance, do NOT automatically follow the giant line! Walk directly toward the front and ask an attendant where ticket holders should enter. It will save you so much time! Lol. I mainly wanted to come here for the Francisco Goya artwork. The museum definitely feels very old world European and is heavily centered around royalty, religion, and classical art. After a while it can start to feel emotionally heavy even for a Catholic like me. If you really enjoy soaking in the artwork and taking your time, I'd recommend visiting earlier in the day so you don't feel rushed trying to see everything. My one complaint is that the directions to the toilets/restrooms were not very clear. We spent a while walking around trying to find one before eventually giving up and leaving since we were already exhausted and super jet lagged. Thankfully our hotel was only about a 20-minute walk away. It was still a great experience and definitely something I'd recommend if you're visiting Madrid. P.S. Photos are not allowed inside, so don't expect to be taking pictures of the artwork while visiting.

I stumbled across this largely by accident as I had arrived from my day trip to Toledo earlier than…read moreoriginally planned and still had the urge to explore something new. Unlike Retiro Park and other spots, this is one more partaken by the locals of Madrid rather than the tourists like me. Because of the heat, I didn't really explore the area in full. However, it's serene and blissful in the midst of a bustling metro. It's quite the way to escape from the madness. Fortunately there is easy metro access here so it isn't hard to reach.

The decision to place one of Madrid's highways underground provided an unprecedented opportunity to…read morelocate the city of Madrid within its surroundings, achieving a greater environmental biodiversity and a city that is greener, more habitable and sustainable.

I can imagine that Real Jardin Botanico gets overlooked by its more famous neighbor, El Museo del…read morePrado. But if you need a respite from the hustle and concrete of the city without leaving, this is really a very nice botanical garden to visit. There are many paths that take you through both well-planted and more wildly arranged beds with a variety of plants to enjoy. Fountains and art can be found throughout. There are also multiple, large greenhouses for the vegetation that can't survive the climate without assistance including a very arid house for cacti and other succulents as well as a rainforest greenhouse with high humidity and a catwalk to look down on the impressive assortment. You can also check out the bonsai path for some really impressive specimens. They also have a rotating exhibit, though I didn't pay the additional entry fee for it. I was really impressed with the gardens and hope that more people take advantage of such a great destination in the heart of the city!

It's a small botanical garden and seemed a bit unkempt with a few dead specimens and some weed…read moresprouting up. The conservatory felt messy and crowded, with plants not people, but I did enjoy the carnivorous plant collection. There was a small rotating exhibit in another building that was interesting. The current one was of plant in fashion, think plant based dyes etc. Compared to the nearby Retiro Park, or even the Parque del Oeste across town, this garden really was unimpressive. And it's the only one of the three that charges an entrance fee! Sure, 4 euros isn't a lot, but if you are short on time, I'd definitely skip this.