16 Traditional Food in Madrid | Cafes, Restaurants & Drinks

Like any big city and the capital, Madrid is home to food from all over Spain and the rest of the world. Madrid gastronomy scene combines traditional and modern cuisine, with vegetarian and vegan options catering to every taste. While there are many meals to try, this post focuses on the best traditional food in Madrid that should be on everyone’s list. 

When King Philip II appointed Madrid as the capital of the Spanish Kingdom in 1561, many relocated here in search of a better future, especially Manchegans, and Castilians, who brought the best of their gastronomy with them. 

As the population expanded over the centuries, traditional food in Madrid started to shape. Far from the ocean and the sea, the main ingredients in Madrid foods are meat, legumes, and sea products that withstand long transportation. 

The restaurants in old city center near Plaza Mayor and Royal Palace focuses on Madrid traditional food scene, while modern and international Madrid cafes and restaurants are mainly spread in the Malasaña and Chueca neighborhoods. 

And being a historic city, there are restaurants in Madrid that are more than 100 years old that still serve the same food they offered hundreds of years ago. Some old restaurants are so iconic that you should add them to your Madrid itinerary no matter how many days you plan to spend here.  

Apart from listing what to eat in Madrid, both native to the capital and the staples of Spanish cuisine, I also recommend restaurants in each section. 

Best traditional food in Madrid to try

Bocadillo de Calamares

The most local and traditional food in Madrid to eat is its iconic fried squid sandwich, or the bocadillo de calamares. This basic yet very tasty and filling sandwich is also a favorite Madrid street food for many residents. 

The sandwich is made from flour-coated deep fried squid rings inserted in fresh, crusty sandwich bread. Then, it is topped with a squeeze of lemon or an aioli sauce, depending on your preference. A glass of cold beer goes perfectly with the sandwich. 

While many side streets around Plaza Mayor offer the calamari sandwich, everyone’s favorite is La Campana. 

Snails in Madrid style

Snails are a popular Spanish food in Madrid and elsewhere in the country. They come in two types: caracoles (small) and cabrillas (big). 

While each region has its take on the snails, the Madrid-style caracoles are slow-simmered snails with sauce, chorizo, or other Iberian sausages. 

It is not a fancy restaurant meal and is offered in traditional Madrid eateries. While each place has a slightly modified recipe, they all have one thing in common: the dish is flavorful, and you will dip the bread in its sauce until there is no drop left.  

For a local and authentic experience, try the tapas bar Cerveceria Los Caracoles or a tapas restaurant Casa Amadeo Los Caracoles. 

Cocido Madrileño

This meat stew is a definition of Spanish winter comfort food and a traditional food in Madrid to try. 

The stew commonly consists of a flavorful broth of chickpeas, vegetables, sausage, pork, and chorizo that simmers for at least four hours to create a robust flavor. 

Cocido madrileño has its traditional way of eating and is spread over two or three courses. When meats, chickpeas, and vegetables finish cooking, the broth is separated to make a soup with small vermicelli noodles. It is the first course. 

The remaining ingredients comprise the main course, sometimes eaten in two rounds. First comes the veggies and chickpeas, and then the perfectly stewed meat. Note that some restaurants in Madrid might serve both portions at once. 

One of the best places to eat the stew is Taberna La Bola, a family-run Madrid restaurant since 1870. 

Lamb’s intestines

The list of traditional food in Madrid can’t be without the most authentic dish – Zarajos. Originally from Cuenca, a city in east-central Spain, this offal-based dish is the strangest Madrid local food I’ve tried during my time in Spain. And it definitely is not for every stomach. 

It was not my favorite and best food in Madrid, but I was glad I tried it. I prefer the Turkish Kokorec sandwich, which is also made from lamb intestines. 

Zarajos calls for suckling lamb intestines that have been marinated in its natural juices. Once ready to be cooked, the chefs wrap it around the vine branch skewers and create a thick ball. Then, it is either deep-fried in olive oil or cooked in an oven.  

It’s a typical tapas food, and Casa Amadeo Los Caracoles offers a half portion of it, so you can try and see if it’s something you like. 

Huevos Rotos

Traditional Spanish meals often include meat and potatoes. Huevos rotos, translated as “broken eggs,” is another traditional food in Madrid. It consists of fried potatoes topped with a sunny-side-up egg. 

Depending on the restaurant, your server will break the eggs right at the table, or you’ll need to do it yourself with a piece of bread. 

Taberna Los Huevos de Lucio is a favorite among locals.  

Gambas al ajillo

We absolutely enjoyed these hot, savory prawns/shrimp in garlic sauce, another traditional food of Madrid. It is often considered a starter or tapa, made from simple ingredients: olive oil, garlic, shrimp, and chilly peppers. 

Gambas al ajillo is best enjoyed with the crispy bread to soak up the juice inside the clay pot it’s served with. Any branch of Casa Abuelo is the place to eat it in Madrid. 

Roasted suckling pig

If you are looking for the best Spanish food in Madrid that’s also served in the historic restaurant, you must come to Botin restaurant and try their roasted suckling pig, or cochinillo asado, in Spanish. 

Being the world’s oldest restaurant, opened in 1725, dining at Botin is a whole experience where you can glimpse how the chefs roast pigs in centuries-old and gorgeous ovens. 

The meat is very tender, juicy, and practically melts in your mouth, yet has a skinny layer of fat and crispy skin. 

Other foods to try in Madrid

Tapas

Tapas is a general phrase for an appetizer or snack in Spanish cuisine. They come in dozens of types, forms, and sizes; they can also be hot or cold. You can also combine various tapas to create a full meal. Some restaurants in Madrid also have tapa versions of the most traditional foods, making it the most versatile local dish. 

Some bars in Madrid offer free tapas once you order a drink, while others have entire counters full of all the different bite-size food you can choose from. 

Patatas bravas 

Patatas bravas are typical foods in Spanish cuisine. This simple and delicious fried cubed potato comes with mayonnaise, ketchup, and paprika spicy sauce. 

It is consumed as an appetizer or a side dish and served in tapas bars and restaurants in Madrid and throughout Spain. 

Jamón 

Jamon, a cured ham, is an integral part of Spanish cuisine. The legs of a pig are salted and then hung to dry. There are two types of jamon – Jamón Serrano from white pigs and Jamón Iberico from black pigs. 

Locals enjoy jamon in skinny slices on its own, as a sandwich, or with fresh bread. Some bars in Madrid serve jamon tapas as an appetizer when you order drinks. 

You can buy jamon at any Madrid food market or designated shops. 

Tortilla Española

Known as a Spanish omelet, Tortilla is one of the traditional dishes widespread across the country. It is very different from the classic omelet, which uses diced potatoes and eggs. 

There are many variations of Tortilla with added ingredients such as peppers, chorizo, and onions, to name just a few. The classic one is with eggs and potatoes only.  

Tortilla is mainly eaten as a main dish, but sometimes it’s served as a tapa treat. Taberna La Buha La Latina specializes in the highest and biggest Tortilla I’ve seen. 

Churros with chocolate

Churro is a popular snack made from dough cut into long, sausage-like strings, deep fried in oil, and tossed in sugar once done. 

While you can find Churros anywhere in Spain, Madrid’s famous Chocolatería San Ginés is the oldest cafe specializing in this sweet treat. 

Croquetas

Croquetas are tiny balls that are crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. Spanish croquettes have different stuffings and are mixed with bechamel sauce, then breaded and deep fried. Once done, it’s served with a sauce, making it a light appetizer and an excellent tapas. The filling of croquetas can be jamon, blood sausage, chicken, or salt cod. 

Bonus: Traditional Spanish drinks to try in Madrid

Wine, Sangria, vermouth, and beer go without saying, but what are other interesting Spanish drinks in Madrid? 

Tinto de verano

Very similar to Sangria, but also quite different, Tinto de verano is a typical traditional Spanish drink to try in any bars in Madrid or throughout the country. 

Besides the ingredients, the main difference between Tinto de verano and Sangria is that the latter has a higher alcohol content. Tinto de verano is simply made from red wine mixed with a soda. 

Sidra

Sidra, or a cider, is one of the Spanish drinks to enjoy during warm days. This light drink with low alcohol content typically comes from the Basque Country, near Bilbao and San Sebastian. However, you can find a few sidra bars in Madrid, too. 

Pouring sidra right from the barrel is a spectacle on its own. El Tigre Sidra Bar and Sidrería La Cuenca are the few to try. Alternatively, I saw bottled sidras sold at various grocery stores. 

Horchata

This is one of my favorite Spanish drinks I’ve dried on my visit to Madrid. This non-acholic and nut-based drink is ideal for hot summer days – it’s flavorful and refreshing. 

Originally from Valencia, Horchata is widespread across the country and found its way to Madrid. It is made from tiger nuts and looks like a milk smoothie, but it’s not a dairy product, and the consistency and taste are very different. 

Some ice cream and pastry shops offer it, but I opted for a traditional blue and white Kiosco Horchata Miguel y José Aguaducho at 8 C. de Narváez Street in Madrid. 

Where to stay in Madrid

---