Madrid has one of the best food scenes in Europe and its tapas bars are unmatched. From traditional taverns to more modern spots, the city is packed with places that do it properly.
I’ve been visiting Madrid regularly for over a decade and it’s somewhere I keep coming back to, mainly for the food. This guide is a round-up of where I actually go and recommend.
Where to Eat Great Tapas in Madrid
Unlike my adopted hometown of Paris, Madrid isn’t a city where you go to just one place and sit for hours. The best way to do it is to move around, have a couple of dishes in each spot and see different neighbourhoods as you go. Grab a runny tortilla, order a vermouth and move onto the next bar – the tapas scene in Madrid is incredible.
Hermanos Vinagre
Starting off to the north of the Malasaña, Hermanos Vinagre is an awesome little modern tapas bar with some amazing takes on the classics.
The interior is unlike any of the typical, old school tapas joints in Madrid – it’s got a very cool modern retro-vibe. I should note here that it’s also standing only with two long counters – it’s more of an eat-and-go kinda spot.
We kicked off with a couple of vermouths and a plate of their very good gildas. These are punchy and a really good start to a tapas crawl. They’re classic – olives, anchovies and guindilla peppers covered in some very good olive oil. These were served with a bag of potato chips/crisps which went so well with them.
Next up we had their anchovy duo tapa. Fresh anchovies marinated in vinegar (boquerones) are wrapped around cured anchovies (anchoas). These are excellent and perfect on a slice of grilled bread.
Finally we had their sardines in a spicy escabeche sauce – these were killer and one of the highlights here. The sardines are juicy and the spiced escabeche is an explosion of flavour.
I mainly tried their fish based tapas but I saw they also do some very tasty looking pulled pork and a pork belly dishes too.
What to know before you visit
- Open everyday from midday until late
- They have other locations across the city – the address below is where I ate
- There’s no real seating space at the bar but there’s a sit-down dining area in a separate room
Address: C. del Cardenal Cisneros, 26, Chamberí, 28010 Madrid
Tel: +34 914 11 87 99
Website: https://hermanosvinagre.com
Casa Revuelta
Casa Revuelta is a great little spot that specialises in one thing which they do so, so well – fried bacalao. It’s a gem of a spot and a must-do on a tapas crawl in Madrid. It takes me right back to the pintxos bars in San Sebastián where locals come for a quick snack and a caña of beer.
So why is it so popular? It’s their incredible battered and fried salted cod. Think British fish and chips, just without the chips.
The fish is salted to remove excess moisture which seasons it throughout and keeps the flakes super juicy. It is on the upper end of salty so don’t feel tempted to add any extra table salt.
It’s a superb beer snack and definitely worth a visit. I came back a few times during my last trip to Madrid – it’s that good.
What to know before you visit
- They’re closed on Mondays
- Open from 10:30am-4pm and 7-11pm
- There’s no seating
Address: C. de Latoneros, 3, Centro, 28005 Madrid
Tel: +34 913 66 33 32
Website: http://www.casarevuelta.com/en
Cafeteria Rocablanca
Cafeteria Rocablanca is a proper locals spot just down from the Tribunal metro station. It’s old school with bright white lighting, bar seating and countertop fridges.
It’s a bar that’s been around for over 50 years and the crowd is mainly locals. We popped in here to try what we’d heard were one of the best croquetas in Madrid.
They have a pretty wide range of options from the classic jamón serrano to a gambas al ajillo version. We ordered 2 of each that are fried fresh to order.
Worth the recommendation? Yup. They’re well seasoned and have a lovely crispy exterior. Inside it’s light and for me, the perfect consistency. The classic version also has a nice ratio of ham to béchamel.
I’d also add that their patatas bravas easily are one of the best I’ve had in the city. Crunchy fried potatoes with light, fluffy interior and two killer sauces that are addictive.
The portions here are generous and the croquetas are on the larger side – a quick bite here can be very filling!
Finally the service is mega friendly and our server even gave us a piece of very good tortilla on the house.
What to know before you visit
- They’re closed on Sundays
- Open non-stop from 8am onwards
- There’s bar seating
Address: Calle de Fuencarral, 71, Centro, 28004 Madrid
Tel: +34 910 17 95 49
Website: https://www.instagram.com/rocablanca71
La Casa del Abuelo
If you’re coming to Madrid you have to try my absolute favorite tapas – gambas al ajillo. These are prawns that are sautéed in a bath of garlic infused olive oil and a hint of chilli. It’s probably the tapa that I order the most whenever I’m in Spain.
Where’s one of the best, most reliable spots to get it? El Abuelo. They have a few locations across Madrid and they’ve been hyped up over the years thanks to a many food reviewers on Youtube. We tried their location right next to the Plaza Mayor.
It’s one of the most reliable spots in Madrid for this dish (trust me – I’ve eaten hundreds of plates of garlic prawns over the years). There’s a classic, traditional vibe with smartly dressed servers but it’s still pretty relaxed and friendly.
The prawns are well cooked, juicy and the oil is deliciously garlicky. Order yourself a cold beer, order these gambas and you’ll be happy.
What to know before you visit
- They have 8 different locations across the city – we tried their taberna next to the Plaza Mayor
- Open non-stop from 11am-middnight
- There is table seating
Address: C. de Toledo, 11, Centro, 28012 Madrid
Tel: +34 910 00 01 33
Website: https://www.lacasadelabuelo.es
Pez Tortilla
Moving down to the La Latina neighbourhood, Pez Tortilla is an awesome spot to get a slice of proper, runny tortilla. Note that they have a few locations across the city – I tried their La Latina location.
This was a bit of a serendipitous discovery during my last visit as we were waiting for Lamiak Cava Baja next door and we needed a bite. It was equally packed out on a Saturday night however we managed to find a spot at the bar. It was loud, frantic and great fun – everything you want in a tapas bar.
Their menu is pretty simple – a few seasonal variations of the traditional Spanish tortilla – all served runny and three different croquettes.
We ordered two vermouths and a slice of their classic tortilla. The vermouths went down dangerously easily. Their tortillas are delicious and come exactly as promised – perfectly runny. When I say runny, it’s not undercooked, it’s lovely and thick – just as it should be.
What to know before you visit
- They have other locations across the city – the address below is where I ate
- Open every day from midday – 1am Wednesday – Sunday
- There’s very limited seating
Address: C. de la Cava Baja, 30, Centro, 28005 Madrid
Website: https://peztortilla.com
Lamiak Cava Baja
Next up in the La Latina neighbourhood is a classic that is a must visit when crawling the tapas bars in Madrid – Lamiak Cava Baja. It gets packed out early so getting a seat requires a bit of patience – especially on weekends.
Lamiak is a Basque style bar that specialises in pintxos – delicious Northern Spanish style tapas. It’s as equally popular with locals and as with tourists but in my opinion, it’s worth the hype.
We went on a Saturday evening and we had to wait a little outside and inside to get a seat. Once you’re in however the very friendly staff will bring you a drink. We had two negronis, which warmed us up for the next round of tapas.
Starting off strong with their delicious octopus and potato dish with two Mojo sauces – basil (green) and a red pepper (red). The slightly charred octopus carpaccio paired so well with the sauces and the creamy potato puree.
Next up was their beef moussaka with aubergine cream. The beef filling was super tender but had lovely crispy edges which contrasted so well with the almost mayo-like aubergine cream.
Finally we had a steamed artichoke – a classic served up with one of the best romesco sauces I’ve ever had. It had so much depth of flavour and is a perfect pairing with the tender artichoke – there’s a reason this is a classic.
What to know before you visit
- Open every day from 12:30pm-2am
- There’s bar and table seating
- You’ll need to queue during peak times – wait times vary
Address: C. de la Cava Baja, 42, Centro, 28005 Madrid
Tel: +34 913 65 52 12
Website: https://www.instagram.com/lamiakcavabaja
Taberna Almeria
About a 5-minute walk away from Lamiak is a great hole in the wall tapas bar – Taberna Almeria. This is a locals only spot – you’re not going to find many tourists here.
Their speciality is their incredible tostas. Sounds simple but these little toasts are topped with seasonal Spanish ingredients and they’re superb. I would definitely advise you stop by to try them.
We came on the later side so there weren’t many left but we took what they had left. Service was rather brisk but we eventually got some lovely warm toasts – ham with sweet and sour bell peppers and the second with sautéd mushrooms. These might sound and look simple but these were really memorable.
I’d advise you come on the earlier side to try their surf and turf tostas. A real gem of a tapas bar and it’s somewhere I’ll definitely come back to on my next visit.
What to know before you visit
- They’re closed on Mondays
- They close between 4-8pm depending on the days
- Go on the earlier side if you want a full choice of tostas
- There are tables and bar seating
Address: C. de las Aguas, 9, Centro, 28005 Madrid
Tel: +34 913 64 15 71
Website: https://www.instagram.com/tabernaalmeria
Azotea del Circulo
I had to include Azotea del Circulo in this list as it’s been one of my favourite bars to hit up for many years. The food isn’t the focus here – it’s the incredible panoramic views over the city from the rooftop.
That said, they offer a small menu of actual very good, albeit expensive, tapas. Honestly, it’s hard to beat eating some classics with the amazing views over Madrid.
Kicking off with the classic jamon croquetas – these are really well done, perfectly seasoned and plenty of umami. They also do a very good plate of patatas bravas – fried fresh, perfectly seasoned and comes with a really garlicky sauce – delicious.
Each of these comes in at €14 – expensive for Madrid but you are paying for the view. They offer other classics like gildas, pan con tomate and gambas al ajillo.
Note: you have to pay €6 entrance fee at the entrance of the building to access the rooftop
What to know before you visit
- You can buy the entrance fee from the machines in the entrance or at the reception desk
- Depending on the elevator you take, you may need to walk up a few floors
- You can reserve a table online
- You order via QR code on the table
Address: Azotea del Círculo de Bellas Artes de Madrid, C. del Marqués de Casa Riera, 2, Centro, 28004 Madrid
Tel: +34 911 17 00 62
Website: https://azoteadelcirculo.azoteagrupo.com/home-en/
Madrid Tapas Crawl Routes
To help you actually make the most of these spots, I’ve put together three walking routes depending on how much time you’ve got and where you’re starting from. Each one is mapped out on Google Maps so you can just tap and go.
Route 1: The Full Crawl (all 8 bars, north to south)
The proper tapas marathon. Start with a late lunch at Hermanos Vinagre in Chamberí, work your way south through Malasaña and into the old centre, and finish up in La Latina. Time it so you hit Azotea del Círculo around sunset for those rooftop views before dropping down into La Latina for the evening.
- Stops: Hermanos Vinagre → Cafeteria Rocoblanco → Azotea del Círculo → Casa Revuelta → La Casa del Abuelo → Pez Tortilla → Lamiak Cava Baja → Taberna Almeria
- Walking distance: ~3.5 km
- Suggested time: a full afternoon and evening
Route 2: The La Latina Classic (5 stops, short & intense)
If you’ve only got an evening, this is the one. Five bars tightly packed between Plaza Mayor and La Latina, all within a 10-minute walk of each other. Start with the fried bacalao at Casa Revuelta, grab gambas al ajillo at El Abuelo, hit the runny tortilla at Pez Tortilla, then pintxos at Lamiak and finish up with tostas at Taberna Almeria.
- Stops: Casa Revuelta → La Casa del Abuelo → Pez Tortilla → Lamiak Cava Baja → Taberna Almeria
- Walking distance: ~1 km
- Suggested time: 3–4 hours
Route 3: The Sunset Crawl (3 stops, quick & scenic)
A lighter option that builds up to sunset on the rooftop of the Círculo de Bellas Artes. Kick off with gildas and sardines at Hermanos Vinagre, hit Rocoblanco for the croquetas and patatas bravas, then walk down to Azotea del Círculo to catch the last of the light over Madrid.
- Stops: Hermanos Vinagre → Cafeteria Rocoblanco → Azotea del Círculo
- Walking distance: ~2 km
- Suggested time: 2–3 hours
