My favorite places in Madrid
Where to eat and drink like royalty
Hola friends! Today I wanted to give you a little more than usual, a few of my favorite recommendations for Madrid. Annual and monthly subscribers are receiving my FULL list for Madrid…14 spots, including two cocktail bars and an amazing ancient Sherry bar. If you subscribe for an annual or monthly subscription, you’ll get the full list, plus access to all of my older Spain lists…Barcelona, Andalucía, San Sebastian, and the land of my birth, Asturias!
Thanks for your support for me and my team…I love sharing my favorites around the world, and even more love to hear your favorites!
Now without wasting any more time…Madrid.
Amigos…as you may have seen on my Instagram, I have been in Spain for a little while—both working and playing! I always love returning home to my favorite places, whether it is Asturias, where I am from, Barcelona, where I really learned how to cook, or my wife’s home region of Andalucía, I am always happy to be here!
Today I want to share with you some of the best places in the beating heart and soul of Spain—the amazing capital city of Madrid! Madrid is such a beautiful, special place, a place of royalty, with huge, incredible plazas, a thriving art scene, lively public parks, flamenco, amazing nightlife and more restaurants and bars than you could visit in a whole year. It is such a spectacular place that Ernest Hemingway fell in love with Spain as a country on his first visit to Madrid.
When it comes to eating here, of course you can find the popular huevos rotos, or “broken eggs,” but did you also know that Madrid is where patatas bravas come from—those amazing fried potatoes with a pimentón-based red sauce? Or cocido madrileño, a comforting stew in three acts (the broth, the slow-cooked vegetables, and the meats)? Or callos, a spicy, comforting tripe stew? And of course you can’t visit Madrid without trying the iconic bocadillo de calamares. That’s right, people, a sandwich with fried calamari and a sauce that is similar to bravas sauce…you can’t miss it!
If you watched José Andrés and Family in Spain, you might remember that Carlota, Inés and I spend an episode eating and drinking our way around Madrid. One of my favorite things to do is head down to the La Latina neighborhood, which is famous for its street food and El Rastro market. In that episode, we meet up with my friend, food writer Yanet Acosta, who says that when you walk around El Rastro, the food finds YOU.
Whether you’re taking in the majestic buildings of the Plaza de Mayor or Puerta del Sol or letting food find you in neighborhoods like La Latina, I promise you will eat like a king or queen in Madrid! Oh, and one more thing…we got some amazing community recommendations for San Sebastián…you are doing such a great job of helping us grow the map! Keep up the good work, people!
Lhardy
Carrera de San Jeronimo 8, Madrid, Spain
If you are a history nut like I am, you should definitely go to Lhardy, which first opened in 1839! Many important events in Spanish history might have been determined over a meal here, as monarchs, politicians and celebrities have been coming here for almost two centuries (the spy Mata Hari was arrested after having lunch at Lhardy in 1916). When I walk into this magnificent place, I have an emotional reaction. They of course are famous for their cocido. But one of my favorite things about dining at Lhardy is their consommé, a rich broth with a drop of sherry, which you can enjoy before your meal.
Sacha
Zona ajardinada, C. de Juan Hurtado de Mendoza, 11, Posterior, Chamartín, 28036 Madrid, Spain
Restaurante Sacha is owned by my good friend Sacha Hormaechea, who serves classic dishes with a creative, modern and very Sacha flair. I would challenge you to find a better steak tartare anywhere! It’s a small and intimate space, which makes you feel like you’re having a big dinner with friends or family, even if it’s just you and your spouse. It’s also where all the other chefs go to eat…so I can’t think of a better review than that!
Casa Dani
Calle de Ayala, 28, Salamanca, 28001 Madrid, Spain
Located in the Mercado de La Paz, this is where you go to start your day, people! Casa Dani is family-owned, and their food is inspired and touched by many generations, from Lola, the family matriarch, to Dani himself (and Dani Jr.!). Everything here is inspired by the market that surrounds them, and this is where you get your tortilla Española…the Spanish egg and potato omelette that will fuel you for a long and happy day of walking around Madrid.
Friends, if you are inspired by my recommendations, please consider becoming a paid subscriber to the Chef’s List. For $25 per month, or $50 per year, you’ll get full access to all of my guides, as well as the map of where I love to go—which includes our community favorites as well! Will you join me as we connect the world through the power of food?