Food · Madrid · Spain
What to eat in Madrid
The dishes, drinks and food experiences that define Madrid, and where locals actually eat them.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
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Quick answer
Start with Churros con chocolate, Calamari sandwich and Cocido madrileño. Work your way along Cava Baja and Cava Alta, having one drink and one tapa in each bar, from huevos rotos to croquetas, the way locals do on Sunday afternoons. Madrid eats late: lunch around 2pm–4pm and dinner from 9pm or later; restaurants open for dinner around 8:30pm.
Key facts
- Signature dish
- Churros con chocolate
- Vegetarian-friendly picks
- 5
- Tipping
- Service is included in prices.
- Food experiences
- 4
11 foods to try
Breakfast · Vegetarian
1.Churros con chocolate
Fried dough sticks (churros, or thicker porras) dipped into thick, spoonable hot chocolate. Madrileños eat them for breakfast, as an afternoon treat or at dawn after a night out.
Where: Chocolatería San Ginés in a lane off Calle Arenal, serving since 1894, and traditional churrerías across the city.
Street food
2.Calamari sandwich (Bocadillo de calamares)
Battered, fried squid rings stuffed into a crusty baguette, sometimes with a little mayonnaise or lemon. It is Madrid's emblematic cheap snack despite the city being far from the sea.
Where: Small bars in the streets around Plaza Mayor, such as Calle Botoneras and Calle de la Sal.
Dish
3.Cocido madrileño
A hearty stew of chickpeas, vegetables, beef, chicken, chorizo and morcilla, served in courses: first the noodle broth, then the chickpeas and vegetables, then the meats. It is a winter lunch dish.
Where: Traditional taverns in the old centre, some of which have simmered it in clay pots for more than a century; usually served at lunchtime.
Dish
4.Huevos rotos
Fried eggs broken over a plate of chips, often topped with jamón or chistorra sausage, mixed together at the table so the yolk coats the potatoes.
Where: Taverns on Cava Baja in La Latina, where the dish is a house speciality.
Snack · Vegetarian
5.Patatas bravas
Fried potato chunks with a spicy paprika-based bravas sauce, often with alioli too. Every bar claims its own recipe.
Where: Tapas bars across the city, especially in La Latina, Huertas and Malasaña.
Dish · Vegetarian
6.Spanish omelette (Tortilla de patatas)
A thick omelette of potatoes slow-cooked in olive oil, with or without onion, served in wedges as a tapa. Madrileños argue over whether it should be runny (jugosa) in the middle.
Where: Bars and cafés everywhere, often as a pincho with a drink at breakfast or lunch.
Dish
7.Callos a la madrileña
Beef tripe stewed slowly with chorizo, morcilla and paprika until rich and sticky. A traditional winter tapa or main dish in old-school taverns.
Where: Classic taverns in La Latina and the old centre, usually in the colder months.
Dish
8.Jamón ibérico
Cured ham from Iberian pigs, sliced paper-thin by hand. The finest grade, de bellota, comes from pigs that roam oak woods eating acorns.
Where: Specialist ham shops and bars across the city, and gourmet stalls at the Mercado de San Miguel.
Snack
9.Croquetas
Creamy béchamel croquettes with jamón, chicken, cod or mushrooms, crisp outside and almost liquid inside. Many bars make them in-house daily.
Where: Tapas bars across the city; ask for the house croquetas (croquetas caseras).
Drink · Vegetarian
10.Vermouth on tap (Vermut de grifo)
Sweet red vermouth served from the tap over ice with an orange slice and an olive. The Sunday pre-lunch vermouth (la hora del vermut) is a Madrid ritual.
Where: Old bars in La Latina, Lavapiés and the Mercado de San Miguel, especially after El Rastro on Sundays.
Dessert · Vegetarian
11.Torrijas
Thick slices of bread soaked in milk or wine, fried and coated in sugar and cinnamon or honey — Spain's take on French toast, traditionally eaten around Easter.
Where: Bakeries and pastry shops across the city, mostly in the weeks around Semana Santa.
Food experiences
Tapas crawl in La Latina
Work your way along Cava Baja and Cava Alta, having one drink and one tapa in each bar, from huevos rotos to croquetas, the way locals do on Sunday afternoons.
Menú del día
On weekdays most restaurants offer a fixed-price lunch with a starter, main, dessert or coffee, bread and a drink — the best-value meal in Madrid.
Neighbourhood markets
Mercado de San Fernando in Lavapiés, Antón Martín and San Antón in Chueca mix fresh-food stalls with bars, and are cheaper and more local than the Mercado de San Miguel.
Churros at dawn
Finishing a night out with churros and chocolate at a churrería that opens late is a Madrid tradition.
Quick bites and street food
- Churros con chocolate — Chocolatería San Ginés in a lane off Calle Arenal, serving since 1894, and traditional churrerías across the city.
- Calamari sandwich — Small bars in the streets around Plaza Mayor, such as Calle Botoneras and Calle de la Sal.
- Patatas bravas — Tapas bars across the city, especially in La Latina, Huertas and Malasaña.
- Croquetas — Tapas bars across the city; ask for the house croquetas (croquetas caseras).
Vegetarian options
Of the 11 foods in this guide, 5 are usually vegetarian: Churros con chocolate, Patatas bravas, Spanish omelette, Vermouth on tap and Torrijas. Check preparation with staff, as stocks and fats vary.
Eating out: tips and etiquette
- Madrid eats late: lunch around 2pm–4pm and dinner from 9pm or later; restaurants open for dinner around 8:30pm.
- Some bars still give a small free tapa with each drink, but the custom is less common in Madrid than in Granada.
- Order raciones (larger plates) or medias raciones to share; tapas are often just a few bites.
- Tap water (agua del grifo) is excellent in Madrid and served free on request.
- Many family-run restaurants close for part of August, when much of the city goes on holiday.
Tipping
Service is included in prices. Locals leave small change or round up in bars and cafés, and around 5–10% in restaurants for good service is generous but optional.
| Phrase | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Hola / Buenos días | Hello / Good morning |
| Gracias | Thank you |
| La cuenta, por favor | The bill, please |
| Una caña | A small draught beer |
| ¿Qué me recomienda? | What do you recommend? |
| Perdone | Excuse me |
Questions travellers ask
+What food is Madrid famous for?
Churros con chocolate, Calamari sandwich, Cocido madrileño and Huevos rotos. Fried dough sticks (churros, or thicker porras) dipped into thick, spoonable hot chocolate.
+Is Madrid good for vegetarians?
Several local staples are meat-free, including Churros con chocolate, Patatas bravas and Spanish omelette.
+Do you tip in restaurants in Madrid?
Service is included in prices. Locals leave small change or round up in bars and cafés, and around 5–10% in restaurants for good service is generous but optional.