Mediterranean cuisine restaurants Madrid

"The Queen's Market" operates all day long. When you wake up, you go for a coffee-croissant or scrambled eggs; at noon, you are inspired by the large slates hanging behind the counter and the open kitchen to choose from the multitude of tapas. At dinner, you can enjoy the setting of the designer restaurant, elevated and bright, where you can sit at large wooden tables to enjoy tuna à la plancha or brochettes. In the evening, we will have a drink in the trendy Gin Club, which offers 30 varieties of gins, including the homemade MojiGin.

We come here for the really nice decoration and the relaxed atmosphere, dear to this good old district of Malasaña. With its colourful lights, its plants and its wood and metal decor, Ojalá is a real eye-catcher. In winter, the small restaurant is a ray of sunshine; in summer, it can also be enjoyed on the terrace of the charming San Andrés square. Its brunch with homemade pies and fresh juices is excellent and is naturally very popular with the trendy locals. In the basement, there is a charming room where you can have a drink... with your feet in the sand!

Emile Huguenin, owner of a restaurant in Bordeaux where Spanish opponents met, decided to follow his customers. This is how he opened Lhardy in 1839. It is said to have been the first great luxury restaurant in Madrid. The refined atmosphere remains around the 21 tables of the living rooms on the first floor and the address is still very popular with the Madrid bourgeoisie. Try the homemade speciality: guts and stew (cocido). On the ground floor, the consommé (caldo) and pastries are delicious at any time of the day. Closed in August.

Its azulejo-clad walls give it an air of another time, as if you were entering the Madrid of another time... The large windows and a few mirrors here and there make the place bright. The warm and friendly welcome doesn't spoil anything. In the restaurant, you can dine on the great classics of Madrid cuisine, or enjoy a coffee with a pastry or tapas in the brasserie. Gran Café El Espejo, with its Art Deco terrace and kiosk on the Paseo de Recoletos, has no competition. Not to be missed!

The Chata is decorated with earthenware tiles, wooden beams where the hams are hung with posters of the bullfighting world. It's all about the change of scenery. Downstairs there is a dining room and upstairs there is a room to enjoy excellent sandwiches and traditional dishes at a very good price. The casseroles, served in a terracotta plate, of squid in their ink, white beans with cockles or stuffed peppers are succulent. A very good address in the Cava Baja, not just for tourists.

Café Vergara is located opposite the Teatro Real. The facade of the plot by the presence of a beautiful and mysterious gold figure on a black background. Behind the doors there is a beautiful dining room decorated with friezes, decorated with mirrors and light light lighting, giving the place a noble and distinguished appearance. A staircase goes down in a vaulted cellar built in ladrillos (briquettes) belonging to the ancient Arabic wall in Madrid. In the morning you will taste scrambled and churros eggs and at noon you will try the numerous tapas and tostas as well as some Italian specialities, mainly pasta. In the evening, choose the tapas tasting menu before going to the theater, excellent and very complete, or for a delicious, finely cooked tender. Plus, the service is impeccable.

Since 1870, La Bola has been offering the famous cocido madrileño (Madrid stew) and it is a very popular address in the capital to taste it. The Verdasco family restaurant has kept its traditional style, wooden tables and period photos for six generations. You can taste all the specialities of Madrid: tripe, lamb with charcoal, which you can accompany with an excellent Rioja (because you can also find a good selection of wines). The clientele is rather old, but you are in the traditional Madrid!

You don't have to wait for Valentine's Day to enjoy a romantic dinner in a unique place, in good company and of course with a quality menu. This beautifully restored 17th century cellar hides the city's history within its walls, which once housed Freemasons, Napoleon's opponents and Civil War dissidents. Nowadays, the niches where the barrels were kept at the time allow each table to have its own privacy to better enjoy the Mediterranean cuisine that combines tradition and modernity.

A few steps from the Opera House, the Algarabía is a small, intimate restaurant. The specialities of the house are from Rioja, a region north of Madrid: cod to tomato, lamb to mushrooms, etc. A small address to discover.

This restaurant is not just a place to eat. Opened almost 10 years ago, El Achuri has become a meeting place for the left-hand movements of the capital. But also for the greedy, because we eat very well and for cheap. A taste: the tuna solomillo, the maison house.

Completely revamped in 2023, La Musa remains one of the trendiest tapas bars on Calle Malasaña. A restaurant, small, noisy, but always charming! Waiting times can be long. You don't have to make a reservation, just write your name on a slate and wait at the bar with a glass of wine. Here, you'll find trendy tapas, carefully prepared dishes, fusion cuisine with Asian influences: a blend of goat's cheese and honey, langoustine tempura, the inevitable bomba (potato and minced meat with a blend of three sauces) and good croquetas... Worth a try.

Not far from the temple of Debod, this typical Basque cider house offers an excellent menu of fresh fish. Many regional specialities can also be found on the menu. We really liked the tortilla à la Donostiarra, the oxtail, the anchovies with garlic or the Guernika peppers... The wine list is also very good. As for the decoration, large barrels adorn the walls and the tables are typically Basque. A warm place where it is good to meet for a noisy evening with friends.

This Asturian cider house opened its doors in 1888 just next to the San Antonio de la Florida hermitage. A great opportunity to drink cider with their famous grilled chicken racion after a visit to the hermitage. The atmosphere is very family oriented and the prices rather cheap. On the menu, you will find other Asturian specialities such as chorizo with cider, salads, tortillas or empanadas... A huge roof terrace makes it an essential place in summer. For a Madrid off the beaten track.

Somewhere between a bar and a restaurant, this is the place to come for a glass of wine, pinchos or raciones on the pleasant terrace that stretches across the plaza Santa Ana! Although (very) touristy, it's an opportunity to try some classics like tostas or croquetas in a pleasant, contemporary setting. The atmosphere is at its best in the evening, when everyone crowds the bar or terrace. On the downside, waiting times can be long and service a little rushed. A quality address nonetheless.

La Barraca (traditional Valencian house) has been an institution in Madrid since 1935. Inside, you will have the choice between three rooms decorated with porcelain and ceramics and three smaller, more intimate lounges. You can start with a speciality such as desgarrat (grilled pepper and cod salad with olive oil) or bacalao buñuelos (cod fritters), then you can taste paellas in all their forms in the purest Valencian tradition, or discover a very popular dish: the seafood brochette with big shrimp.

For all meat lovers, the El Palermo Viejo restaurant is essential. Hosted by Argentinian people of Italian origin, this restaurant offers one of Madrid's best meats and at a reasonable price. Before you get to the table, ask for a serves (half) to refresh yourself, accompanied by a chilena chilena (like pie, cheese, ham, or corn). The exposed beams and some jazz notes give the impression of being at home, as isolated from time. The card is rich, but there is no doubt. It will be tender to Argentina or solomillo white wine sauce (al verdeo). Follow the advice of the chef for cooking: " argentine punto ", i. e., slightly red. Vegetarians are not forgotten; pesto ravioli is delicious and hot goat cheese accompanied by tomatoes and candied figs under the tongue. El Palermo Viejo is also a bar and shop for Argentine products.