One of many branches, El Pimiento Verde on Calle de Castelló is a nicer restaurant for which you'll…read morewant to make a reservation ahead of time. With a decently sized menu, there will be no shortage of dishes to try. We elected to go for some Spanish classics and their featured dishes, which included their Creamy Rice with Lobster, Traditional Tripe Stew, and Aged Beer Rib-eye. The creamy rice with lobster is essentially a risotto, with the rice being cooked al dente. While the texture is nice, because of the smaller portion of lobster and the lack of flavor, by the end it feels like you're just left with a bowl of undercooked rice. The traditional tripe stew was quite good, with the beef being extremely tender and chewy. The rib-eye itself was a large cut, however, a good portion of the meat is fat. Additionally, it's only seasoned with a light touch of salt, so at the end of the day also lacking a bit. If you want to come to El Pimiento Verde, it's primarily for the ambience. The food itself is fine, though nothing to call home about. If you're short on time and looking for places to experience Spanish cuisine, this is probably one restaurant that can be skipped.

Great place for dinner! We had a reservation, which I would recommend. This place wasn't too loud…read moreand our server had great recommendations on the wine and around the food on the menu. Highly recommend the calamari and my cod was so light and flaky.

I wish I could have tried more things on the menu! A fun fusion take on Spanish food and each tapa…read morewas delicious. We got: - alcachofas (artichokes) - pintxo de champiñón (mushroom and shrimp pincho) - Calamares - Pintxo de foie - gyozas de rabo (oxtail gyoza) - mini beef hamburgers Everything had amazing flavor and the sauces that complimented each dish had me drooling. The foie was so buttery and had no funk. The portions were also very generous! Our waiter was very friendly and attentive as well, giving us a large downstairs table where he put music on and turned on heaters for our comfort. Great spot.

Me encantaría regresar y lo haré pronto . El plato está casi vacío porque estaba tan delicioso que…read moreni cuenta me di de tomarla...

Popped in for a quick standing tapas lunch at around noon. It happened to be Spanish mother's day…read moreand they hooked me up with a red carnation, swoon. A nice sized bar and plenty of tables in the front and back area. Tapas all are 2.5 euro. We sampled a bunch and they were all great. Pretty simple, but fresh and delicious. A high five to the thinly pounded, breaded and fried mushroom that was delectable. Their spanish tortilla was mainly egg based vs potato and was a little runny, I was into it. Small beers happened to be 2.5 euros as well, so it was a cheap, filling, delicious and quick lunch! I'd 100% come again and def recommend!

Spectacular food and service! Will return! This was a nice surprise after having walked for hors…read moretrying to find a place that was on my list to try.

Came without a reservation and the staff was welcoming! Tried the prawns, breaded cod, and quail…read moredrumettes with a glass of cava. All excellent. Service was excellent and the ambience was moderately noisy with what you would expect in a typical restaurant environment. Highly recommend.

I'm now a fan of lean cut steak, medium rare. Being an American I always think you have order…read moreribeye or some fat marbled derivation. Not so, if you order the sirloin offering at Zerain. Everything was delicious from the white asparagus to the Cardenal brandy, served after dessert. White tablecloths and impeccable service made the visit a high point of our stay in Madrid.

The atmosphere is wonderful, a little bright but okay. Service is on point and they are very…read morecourteous. The waiter was good about answering questions and brought out exactly what I wanted, there was no regrets on my part. The sausages were amazing with a little hint of heat. The full portion of leeks was spot on and just the right amount of salt. The salad with the spring onions and vinegar and olive oil was just the right touch with the steak. The steak was beautiful and rare and melted in my mouth, with the pepper tapenade was marvelous. Overall a fabulous meal. I'm a fan and will come back, Basque food is my favorite.

Came here recommended by our Autor hotel. Awesome welcome by Euskari and great personal service by…read moreSantiago. But there is no ambiance. Food is bland and Merluza was old. This is a pity because Basque food is very good, but not here. The only exception was their delicious salad Ensalada Idiazaba, and also the Txistorra was fine. Will not return.

This small pinchos spot has become a regular stop for me. They open early (8:00 AM) and serve…read morecoffee and pastries. As they day advances they offer a nice selection of tapas, in addition to a regular menu. Everything I've has been delicious, and very reasonably priced. They also have a full-selection of wine and liquor. The only negative aspect of the establishment that I can think of is that while the staff is very friendly, the restaurant is very small, and can make service a bit challenging when the place is packed. Also, during peak hours, there's a lack of seating space. That being said, it's a nice little spot for a coffee, drink, or light meal, and I visit a few times a week.

Awesome little tapas place. The tapas here are larger and fancier, pinchos. The selection is small…read morebut it's a quick walk from Retiro park and metro station.

I was on a search for restaurants loved by the locals. Casa Lucio was bursting with people waiting…read morefor a table so of course, I knew I wanted to try it. They said reservations only but we were able to snag 2 seats at the bar. The food was good. Not the best during my trip but good nonetheless. I think I did not order what they're known for however I still enjoyed my meal.

When you think of a classic tourist trap, Casa Lucio is the perfect definition. Don't be fooled by…read morethe pictures of presidents and celebrities on the walls. We came expecting the very best of Spanish cuisine, and instead got a major disappointment. The potato salad was drenched in mayonnaise, completely overpowering the other ingredients. The entrecôte with fries was even worse--the meat was full of greasy strings, nothing like the clean, tender cut it's supposed to be. The fries were poorly cut, oily, and limp instead of crisp. Even the padrón peppers, which are usually impossible to get wrong, were flavorless. The bread was stiff and hard to bite. Service was just okay, but the atmosphere felt rushed and uncomfortable, as the place is overcrowded with tourists chasing the restaurant's reputation. In short: overrated, overpriced, and absolutely not worth the hype.

I used to live across the street from Tribuetxe and always wanted to try it; I just never found the…read moreright time to pop in! Finally, after visiting the Mercado De San Fernando on Sunday, a few friends and I decided to drop in and try it out. It's definitely a neighborhood bar in its simplicity-- nothing flashy or trendy about it, which I love. The staff was really friendly, you get a real tapa with your drink (not stale potato chips), and they looked like they had a good variety of drinks and snacks. Any bar that has Txacolina is perfect for me! They also had mini bottles of beer from Bilbao that my friends really liked-- and it was a beer we haven't seen elsewhere in Madrid.

The best food we had in Madrid hands down, and that's saying something for a city with so much…read moredeliciousness to offer. I'm almost reluctant to review this place because I want it to be my secret place, even though I'm a tourist and I don't live here, and this place was packed to the brim with locals when we got here. It was definitely intimidating at first, because you can't find a word of English when you first enter. Ask the counter if they have an English menu, of which they seem to have only a single copy. Food is fantastic. We got the patatas, prawn/mushroom/seafood brochettes, and the tuna tartare, and everything was delicious and succulent down to the last lick. The chef has the sauces and flavors down. Masterful, yet approachable. Potatoes were soft and flavorful, and warmed us up on this cold day. The tuna tartare were honestly unlike any other tuna tartare we've had. Portions are generous, and any carbs that come with the orders go perfectly with each corresponding creation. There was only one waitress/bartender on duty, and one chef- and both of them were so nice too! So glad we decided to give this place a try on our last night in Madrid.

We had dinner at lateral and sat outside on the patio. It is a beautiful spot with several tables…read moreand heaters when it is chilly. This was my 3rd visit to Lateral, and I have actually never sat inside at the restaurant, but it does look lovely. We shared a couple of plates, including the chicken Caesar salad. It was so fresh and delicious. The waiter was attentive, and our food came out in a reasonable timeframe. He was also very patient with our broken Spanish.

Great late spot, with a generous and tasty sangria. It was busy and a little cramped but service…read morewas pretty fast. Some bites were better than others but overall a great experience for more of a drink and some tapas.