What to eat in Madrid: classic dishes and how to order

A practical guide to Madrid's classic food: cocido madrileño, bocadillo de calamares, churros, huevos rotos, vermouth and how ordering in a tapas bar works.

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Cocido madrileño

Madrid's signature stew of chickpeas, vegetables and several cuts of meat is usually served in stages: first the broth with fine noodles, then the chickpeas and vegetables, then the meat. It is a cold-weather lunch dish and many traditional restaurants serve it only on certain days, so check before you go.

Bocadillo de calamares

A crusty baguette filled with fried squid rings is an unlikely but beloved Madrid snack, sold in bars around Plaza Mayor. It is cheap, filling and best eaten standing at the counter.

Churros and porras

Chocolate con churros is a breakfast or late-night ritual. Porras are thicker, fluffier churros. Chocolatería San Ginés, near Sol, has been serving them since 1894 and is open long hours, though there are good neighbourhood churrerías too.

Tapas classics

Look for patatas bravas with spicy sauce, croquetas of ham or cod, tortilla de patatas, gambas al ajillo (prawns sizzling in garlic oil), boquerones en vinagre and huevos rotos, fried eggs broken over chips and often topped with ham. In many traditional bars a small free tapa still arrives with your drink.

Callos and offal

Callos a la madrileña, tripe stewed with chorizo and paprika, is a traditional winter dish. Madrid also has a long tradition of entresijos and gallinejas, fried lamb offal, mostly found in a few specialist bars in the south of the city.

Vermouth, beer and wine

Going for a vermut on a weekend afternoon is a local habit, often from the tap. Draught beer is ordered as a caña (a small glass). Wines from the Madrid region, as well as Rioja and Ribera del Duero, are widely available by the glass.

Sweets

Look out for violetas, violet-flavoured sweets sold at a small shop near Sol, and seasonal treats: torrijas at Easter, rosquillas during San Isidro in May, and roscón de Reyes in early January.

How ordering works

Tapas bars are informal: stand at the bar, order a drink, add plates as you go and pay at the end. A ración is a full plate for sharing; a media ración is half. Lunch is the main meal, usually from 14:00, and many restaurants offer a good-value menú del día on weekdays.

A typical food day in Madrid

Breakfast is light: coffee with toast topped with tomato and olive oil, or a pastry. Around midday, many people have a small snack, such as a slice of tortilla. Lunch, the main meal, usually starts around 14:00 and can last well into the afternoon. In the evening, Madrileños often go for a few drinks and tapas before or instead of dinner, which typically starts around 21:00 or later.

Regional products to look for

The Madrid region produces wine under its own designation of origin, along with olive oil and vegetables from the countryside around the city. Spanish cured ham is everywhere; jamón ibérico comes from Iberian pigs and is graded by diet and breed, which is reflected in the price. Manchego cheese comes from the neighbouring region of Castilla-La Mancha.

Dietary needs

Vegetarians will find tortilla, pimientos de Padrón, cheese, salads and vegetable dishes, but many stews and broths contain meat, so it is worth asking. Madrid has a growing number of vegetarian and vegan restaurants. For allergies, restaurants in the EU must be able to provide information about major allergens, so ask the staff.

Avoiding tourist traps

Be cautious with restaurants that have photo menus and staff inviting you in on the busiest squares. Walk a few streets away and look for places full of locals. Checking recent reviews on more than one platform also helps.

FAQ

Official sources

• Official Madrid tourism (esMADRID)
• Metro de Madrid