Madrid is a city where dinner starts at ten. Five places here come from my list of saved places: a tavern for cocido, a soup bar, a Cuban restaurant with live music, a taproom and a food market. Three classic addresses — Casa Labra, Botín and Bodega de la Ardosa — I added on the advice of travel guides; each is checked on Google: still open, rated 4.2 or higher. The Alma Nomad bakery has moved to the coffee and breakfast guide. The descriptions are put together from Google Maps reviews, and I'll add my own notes as I visit.
Prices are Google's average spend per person, valid as of 7 October 2026. Rate: 1 € ≈ $1.12.
In short
- Madrid's signature dish: cocido at Malacatín in La Latina. The portion is huge; booking is a must.
- Cod and vermouth: Casa Labra by Sol — fried cod in batter and vermouth on tap, eaten standing up.
- Quick and cheap: Zuppa by Antón Martín, with a dozen soups to choose from.
- Dinner and dancing: La Negra Tomasa near Sol, Cuban food and live music late into the night.
- A bit of everything: the Mercado de San Miguel by Plaza Mayor.
- With history: Botín, the world's oldest restaurant according to Guinness, open since 1725; book ahead.
The classics: taverns and tapas
Malacatín
La Latina · Spanish, cocido · 30–40 € (≈$34–45) · Wed–Sat 11:00–23:00, Sun–Tue 11:00–17:00
Google Maps · website · Calle de la Ruda, 5
According to Google Maps reviews (4.3 from 4,200+): an old family tavern with tiled walls and bullfighting posters, where people come for cocido madrileño, Madrid's chickpea and meat stew. Many call it the best they've had; the tenderloin and the chocolate mousse get praise too. One portion is enormous, and sharing used to be banned; recent reviews say one portion can now be shared between two. The downsides: strict rules for big groups and some overcooked meat. You won't get in without a booking.
Casa Labra
Sol · tavern, cod and croquettes · 10–20 € (≈$11–22) · daily 11:30–15:30 and 18:30–23:30
Google Maps · website · C. de Tetuán, 12
According to Google Maps reviews (4.3 from 15,000+): an old bar a few steps from Sol that people visit for one dish — fried cod in a crisp golden batter (tajada de bacalao), with croquettes and vermouth on tap. You order at the counter; the queue can be long but moves fast, while a table takes longer. The meat empanadas and the Manchego get praise too. At peak times service isn't its strong point.
Bodega de la Ardosa
Malasaña · old tavern · 10–20 € (≈$11–22) · daily 9:00–2:00, Fri–Sat until 2:30
Google Maps · website · C. de Colón, 13
According to Google Maps reviews (4.2 from 7,700+): a tavern with old furniture and fittings where you can feel the history. Reviewers praise the tortilla, salmorejo and gazpacho, anchovies, artichokes, croquettes and vermouth. Portions are big and easy to share. It's nearly always busy, but the staff try to squeeze you in; open from morning until two at night.
Botín
Plaza Mayor · the oldest restaurant, Castilian food · 30–70 € (≈$34–78) · daily 13:00–16:00 and 20:00–23:30
Google Maps · website · C. de Cuchilleros, 17
According to Google Maps reviews (4.3 from 17,000+): Sobrino de Botín has been open since 1725 and is listed by Guinness World Records as the oldest restaurant in the world; Hemingway mentions it. The dish to order is roast suckling pig, cochinillo asado, eaten in wood-beamed rooms or the old cellar. Book well ahead. Downsides: many frankly call it a tourist spot, some found the food bland or oversalted for the price, the cellar tables by the kitchen are cramped and stuffy, and one review complains that every guest was made to order a main.
Mercado de San Miguel
Plaza Mayor · covered food market · daily 10:00–0:00, Fri–Sat until 1:00
Google Maps · website · Plaza de San Miguel, s/n
According to Google Maps reviews (4.4 from 160,000+): a beautiful 1916 wrought-iron market hall next to Plaza Mayor, where you graze from stall to stall: croquetas, jamón, seafood, cheese, wine and spritz. Opinions split sharply: some go every day, others call it a tourist trap that's cramped, always packed, standing-only and clearly pricier than the rest of the city. A fair compromise: walk through, have a glass, and eat dinner somewhere else.
Soup, Cuba and craft beer
Zuppa Antón Martín
Antón Martín · soups & sandwiches · 10–20 € (≈$11–23) · Mon–Fri 10:30–23:00, Sat 12:00–23:00, Sun 12:00–17:00
Google Maps · website · Calle de Atocha, 47
According to Google Maps reviews (4.7 from 1,000+): a small, bright café with a long list of soups, from pumpkin cream and onion soup to chilled melon in summer and chickpeas with cuttlefish. Sandwiches, salads and hummus on the side. A good pick when you need something light after all the jamón and croquetas; they'll happily split a large soup into two bowls. On the minus side, the room can be stuffy and the chairs aren't the comfiest.
La Negra Tomasa
Sol · Cuban food & live music · 10–50 € (≈$11–57) · Mon–Thu 19:30–3:00, Fri–Sat 13:30–4:00, Sun 13:30–3:00
Google Maps · website · Calle de Cádiz, 9
According to Google Maps reviews (4.1 from 8,300+): a colourful Cuban restaurant-bar a few steps from Sol, with live Latin music several times a night. Reviewers love the energy, the cocktails and the friendly crowd, and suggest booking a table. The downsides: there can be a cover of around 10 €, the music sometimes stops earlier than promised, and you can't dance or stand at the bar while dinner service is on.
The Toast Taproom Malasaña
Malasaña · craft beer & brunch · 10–30 € (≈$11–34) · Mon–Tue 18:00–0:00, Wed–Thu 18:00–1:00, Fri 12:00–2:30, Sat 10:00–2:30, Sun 10:00–0:00
Google Maps · Calle de San Vicente Ferrer, 33
According to Google Maps reviews (4.4 from 2,300+): a taproom pouring its own locally brewed lagers, ales, IPAs and stouts; the rye IPA gets special mentions. The food is American-Mexican and all made in house: pulled pork on home-made tortillas, kimchi croquetas. Weekend brunch with vegetarian and vegan options, a full English on Sundays, and quiz nights. If you expect tapas with your beer, the Mexican menu will surprise you.
One last thing
Malacatín only opens for dinner Wednesday to Saturday, so plan a cocido dinner for those days and book ahead. Botín also needs booking a few days ahead, and early in the week The Toast Taproom only opens at six in the evening.
More on Madrid: bars, what to see, coffee and breakfast.