You can eat really well in Madrid at almost any time of day, but with so many options it's easy to end up in a typical tourist spot next to Plaza Mayor. That's why we've put together where to eat in Madrid according to our guide: tortilla de patatas, old-school taverns, Italian, ramen, Mexican, burgers, healthy options and a few restaurants for a special occasion, with the neighborhood for each one so they're easy to fit into your route.

Every place is saved in our Madrid map for Google Maps, and in our Madrid travel guide in PDF you'll find the full list of restaurants by type of food, plus cafes by neighborhood, hotels by price and 3-day and 1-week itineraries.

Where to eat in Madrid: quick summary

• Tortilla de patatas: Casa Dani, Pez Tortilla, La Primera and Las Tortillas de Gabino.
• Taverns and tapas: Casa Lucio, Casa Camacho, Casa Orellana and Tapería de Malasaña.
• Cocido madrileño: Taberna La Daniela.
• Italian: MO de Movimiento, Numa Pompilio, Bel Mondo and Fratelli Figurato.
• Ramen and Japanese: Ramen Kagura, Chuka Ramen, Ramen Shifu and 99 Sushi Bar.
• Mexican: Gracias Padre, Taquería La Lupita, La Mordida and Mawey Taco Bar.
• For a special occasion: Fismuler, Gofio, Charrúa or DiverXO.

Tortilla de patatas: the great classic

Trying a good tortilla de patatas (Spanish potato omelet) is on our Madrid bucket list, and the guide has a whole section on it. Our favorites:

• Casa Dani: in Mercado de la Paz, in the Salamanca neighborhood. It's one of our classics and its tortilla is one of the most famous in the city, so go early because a line forms.
• Pez Tortilla: another classic from the guide, in the center, with tortillas in lots of flavors.
• La Primera, Taberna Pedraza and Colósimo: three good options if you want to sit down and eat at a relaxed pace.
• Las Tortillas de Gabino, Juana La Loca and La Martinuca: to round out the route and decide which one is your favorite.

Our tip: pick three or four and do your own tortilla crawl in a day. It's a cheap plan and very Madrid.

Taverns, tapas and Madrid cooking

If you want to eat like a local, taverns and tapas bars are the way to go. From our guide:

• Casa Lucio: on Cava Baja, in La Latina, famous for its huevos rotos (fried eggs over fries). A classic we include in our 1-week itinerary.
• Casa Camacho: an old-school bar in Malasaña, small, always packed and perfect for starting the night.
• Casa Orellana: on Calle Orellana, near Alonso Martínez, for relaxed tapas.
• Tapería de Malasaña and Bareto: two more options for tapas in the center.
• Taberna La Daniela: one of our classics, the place to go if you want to try cocido madrileño (Madrid's chickpea stew).

La Latina, with Cava Baja, is the neighborhood for bar-hopping. If you're there on a Sunday, pair it with a stroll around El Rastro in the morning.

Markets for eating

Markets are a really easy way to eat a bit of everything, especially if you're in a group:

• Mercado de San Miguel: next to Plaza Mayor. It's the most touristy, but great for tapas.
• Mercado de San Antón: in Chueca, with food stalls and a rooftop terrace. In our itinerary we suggest having breakfast here.
• Mercado de Antón Martín, Mercado de la Cebada and Mercado de Vallehermoso: in Lavapiés, La Latina and Chamberí, with a much more local feel.

Italian

Madrid has great Italian food, and the guide has a long list. These are the ones we like most:

• MO de Movimiento: on Espronceda, in Chamberí. It's one of our classics, with pizza and Italian food.
• Numa Pompilio and Bel Mondo: both on Velázquez, in the Salamanca neighborhood.
• Fratelli Figurato: Neapolitan pizza and trattoria cooking, in Malasaña.
• Mandarosso, Trattoria Pulcinella and Piccola Napoli: trattorias for no-fuss pasta and pizza.
• Ozio Gastronómico, Café Barbieri, Alduccio and Baldoria: to round out the list depending on which area you're in.

Ramen, sushi and Asian food

• Ramen: Ramen Kagura (Calle Fuentes, by Ópera), Chuka Ramen (Echegaray, in Barrio de las Letras), Ramen Shifu, Ran Ran Tei, Igo Ramen and Ramen Komainu. For yakitori, Yakitoro.
• Sushi: 99 Sushi Bar, Miyama, Yoka Loka, Sushita Café, Ayala Japón, Sibuya and Akiro Hand Roll Bar.
• Kitchen 154: on Vallehermoso, in Chamberí. It's one of our classics, with very spicy Asian food.
• Soy Kitchen: another Asian option from our guide.

Mexican

Mexican places are a safe bet if you're in a group. From the guide: Gracias Padre, La Chamana, Taquería La Lupita, La Mordida, Mawey Taco Bar, Ticuí and Cantina 34.

Burgers

For a good burger: Junk Burger, Pink's, Frankie Burger, Briochef, Steak Burger, Burmet and La Birra Bar.

Healthy and vegetarian

If you're after something lighter or vegetarian: Honest Greens, Roots Lamarca, Hermanas Arce, Levél (Level Veggie Bistro) and Rawcoco. Roots Lamarca and Hermanas Arce are also great for brunch.

Restaurants for a special occasion

For a special dinner, the guide has its own section. Some of them:

• Fismuler: market-driven cooking, one of the most recommended places in Madrid.
• Gofio: creative Canarian cuisine in Barrio de las Letras.
• Charrúa: grilled meats in the Chueca and Salesas area.
• Amazónico, Robata, Bibo Madrid, Lobito de Mar or Leña: for dinners with atmosphere.
• DiverXO, El Club Allard, Abya and Haramboure: high-end cooking for a real treat (book well in advance).
• Casa Isabella, Aarde, Can Chan Chán and Gran Café Shanghai: more ideas from our list.

For dessert: chocolate con churros

Don't leave Madrid without hot chocolate and churros. Chocolatería San Ginés is a true institution, and the guide has other options too: La Antigua Churrería (Bravo Murillo 190), Chocolat (Santa María 30) and Churrería Los Artesanos 1902 (San Martín 2).

Where to eat by neighborhood

• Center, Sol and Ópera: Mercado de San Miguel, Ramen Kagura and, for dessert, San Ginés.
• La Latina: Casa Lucio and the taverns on Cava Baja, plus Mercado de la Cebada.
• Barrio de las Letras: Gofio and Chuka Ramen.
• Malasaña and Chueca: Casa Camacho, Fratelli Figurato, Mercado de San Antón and Charrúa, over in Salesas.
• Salamanca: Casa Dani in Mercado de la Paz, Numa Pompilio and Bel Mondo.
• Chamberí: MO de Movimiento, Kitchen 154 and Mercado de Vallehermoso.

If you follow our 3-day itinerary, you'll have dinner in La Latina on day one, in Chueca on day two and in Malasaña on day three, so you've got plenty of options in each.

Our tips for eating in Madrid

• Meal times: people in Madrid eat late, lunch from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. and dinner from 9:00 p.m. If you go earlier, it's easier to get a table.
• Book on weekends: on Fridays and Saturdays the popular places fill up, and for big groups it's practically a must.
• Menú del día: many restaurants offer a set lunch menu on weekdays, the cheapest way to eat well.
• Avoid the terraces on Plaza Mayor and Sol: walk a couple of streets away and you'll eat better for less.
• Useful apps: Too Good To Go to save money, and Glovo or Uber Eats if you'd rather have dinner at your place one night.

And if you're going with friends, here are our things to do in Madrid with friends.

Take every restaurant with you on your phone

Download our Madrid travel guide in PDF, with restaurants by type of food, cafes and brunch spots by neighborhood, hotels by price, summer and winter plans, markets, secondhand shops and 3-day and 1-week itineraries, or take every spot with you in the Madrid map for Google Maps.