The Most Authentic, Traditional & Best Restaurants in Madrid
Madrid is such a gastronomic city with a huge tradition of cooking and eating, and the Madrilenos really know how to enjoy their food. The best restaurants in Madrid that I have visited are the authentic Spanish ones with long histories attached to them. They’ve managed, because of their long-standing reputations, not to have to cater to the tourist crowd, but to provide honest, authentic Spanish dishes in a traditional setting and environment.
I’ve been lucky enough to eat in all of these restaurants and each one had its own uniqueness and charm. I would recommend ordering the House Speciality in each one – there’s a reason it’s called that! They have perfected the dish over many years and I guarantee you wont be disappointed. Read on to tempt your taste buds with some amazing dishes…
Restaurante Botin
Any list of the Best Restaurants in Madrid, just wouldn’t be complete without this first one. This had to be number one on the list as not only is Botin one of the oldest restaurants in Madrid, but it is also the oldest restaurant in the entire world that is still running – certified by the Guinness World Record Association. There’s a plaque outside on the wall confirming it. It opened in 1725 and has been running ever since.
I’m lucky enough to have been there twice – once with Dan and once with my mum which you can read about here.
My top tip for the best table in the house is to ask for one downstairs in the cellars underneath the restaurant. We had to climb down a tiny staircase behind the bar, but were rewarded with the most amazing dining room. You are literally eating in the cellars of the restaurant and they have absolutely stunning vaulted ceilings, exposed brickwork and such an authentic feel. 
If you’re lucky they’ll let you go down even further into their wine cellar where you can see bottles with dust so thick that it must have been decades since anyone touched them!
The Starter of Clams Botin is one of my favourite dishes there, so delicious and, it’s the perfect light, fresh dish to start off a meal that you know is only going to get heavier because…
The House Speciality at Botin is the Roast Suckling Pig and it is definitely one not to be missed. They cook it in their amazing Oak Burning oven in the old traditional way and it is amazing. Succulent and tender, it really is authentic Spanish cooking at its finest.
Casa Lucio
Halfway down Calle Cava Baja ‘The Tapas Bar Street’ in La Latina you’ll find this gem. Frequented by celebrities, (you can see all the people who Lucio has been photographed with at the restaurant on the website – Eva Longoria to Will Smith, to Tommy Lee Jones and more) it is as much of a hotspot as you get in Madrid. This celebrity status hasn’t ruined the restaurant though as it is still as traditional and authentic as the day it first opened.
Casa Lucio is well known for its steaks, but the most famous dish is the fried potatoes topped with an egg – Huevos Estrellados. When we ate there we had the Padron Peppers and a big steak to share and Dan had the Huevos Estrellados alongside. He raved about it so much that I was so jealous that I couldn’t eat any of it.
Another Speciality is the Cocido madrileño – a Spanish white bean stew, very traditional in Madrid. I haven’t had the chance to try it yet but it just gives me a great excuse to go back there someday.
Posada de la Villa
Also on Calle Cava Baja, in La Latina, is a restaurant that I took my mum to when we went on a girl’s trip to Madrid. You can read all about it here. Another ridiculously beautiful oak-beamed, traditional dining room where all the chairs have the names carved into their backs, of famous Spanish Celebrities that have eaten at the restaurant.
The House Speciality here is the slow roasted lamb cooked in a traditional wood-fired oven. Mum and I were going to be good and have fish dishes but then the table next to us ordered the lamb and we quickly changed our minds. We were so glad we did. The meat was so tender that it just fell off the bone – it really was an exceptionally memorable dinner.
Casa Paco
I took Dan here on our last trip to Madrid as it’s his Dad’s favourite restaurant and he’s been raving about its steak for a long time. You know you’re in for a treat when you walk into a restaurant and it’s full of locals propping up the bar, not a tourist in sight (apart from us!)
We ordered chorizo to start along with a bottle of wine and some Spanish cheeses and the quality of the produce was outstanding. So fresh and tasty!
For our main course, obviously, we had to order the steak. There was a choice between the two specialities, the Churrasco and the Solomillo. We chose the Solomillo for two and were definitely not disappointed. It was absolutely enormous, more than enough for two people!
The best thing about Casa Paco is that they only cook the steaks halfway, perfectly charring them on one side so that they are delicious and crispy while leaving the other side completely raw. They then bring it to your table along with a hot plate and you can cook the rest of it yourself to you liking! Mine barely touched the plate as I like it very rare and it was incredible. One of the tastiest steaks I’ve ever eaten and went perfectly with the Pisto, another of their Specialities (a sauce made from cooked tomato, onions, peppers etc)! I truly believe that for steak, this is genuinely one of the best restaurants in Madrid.
You can read all about our Casa Paco dining experience here.
So there you go, four of the Best Restaurants in Madrid. I’m convinced that if it’s authenticity and traditional Spanish cooking that you’re after then one of these options is definitely your best bet. Avoid the tourist traps and head to the restaurants that the locals actually eat at – you wont be disappointed! ¡Buen apetito!
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This restaurant looks really amazing very unique and the food also looks delicious I have to try it when I go to Madrid
I have already booked my ticket to Madrid, later on this year. I must say that I will definitely take your post into consideration before i arrive in Madrid. It is really a good eye opener. Would love to read more interesting things on your blog. Tnx for sharing. Martina
Thanks so much Martina! I love Madrid and try to go there a couple of times a year. If you like your food you should definitely check out my post on the best Food Markets in Madrid https://emmaeatsandexplores.com/best-food-markets-madrid/ – they’re a foodie paradise!
I’d also recommend the Opera Brunch at the Westin Palace Hotel – not to be missed https://emmaeatsandexplores.com/madrid-day-3/ – feel free to message me if you’d like any more info on Madrid!
Spanish cuisine is so heavy on meat… Don’t get me wrong, I like jamon and chorizo and almost all the spanish stuff, but man, the portions are huge!
Oh MY GOODNESS! That WINE CELLAR – sorry for shouting but I about peed when I saw that! Absolutely jealous you got to go see that in person but thank you for sharing in your post. What an adventure!
It was incredible – I’m a bit of a wine buff so I was so excited to head down there!
I’ve always wanted to travel and find authentic restaurants! This post will definitely be used for reference one day ?
WOW. This post not only made me really hungry but want to book a flight to Madrid right NOW. Thank you so much for sharing! Hopefully I can visit some of these places in the future.
Oh wow, this food looks delicious! I have always wanted to go to Madrid!
I’m yet to visit Spain and really want to go. It’s been on my list a while. At least now I have a list of places to eat at. All the food looks yum and so authentic! X
Enjoyed this — I’ve been to several European countries, but never Spain. This makes me want to go! The cellars look so quaint; I’d love to eat there.
Foods looks so mouth watering! And it seems like all are best paired with the best wine in Madrid. I love it!
Nice place and good food. I wish I can be there.
This is one of the things I am really looking forward to when I have the opportunity to travel…eating authentic food from around the world! I hear the “fake” stuff doesn’t even compare! Spain is on my list of places to go =)
The Food and the Place look amazing dear, thank you for sharing it with us.
I have shared the post ahead 🙂
Wow this looks amazing! I was never a fan of Spanish culture til recently but this just makes me realise what I am missing out on! Thanks for sharing!
I’ve never been to Madrid but based on that food I’m going to have to make a trip! And I want them to bust out some of that dusty wine! It all looks fantastic!
Madrid is for foodies, i want to go there. This place is awesome. Thanks dear for sharing lot of information about this beautiful place 🙂
I haven’t been to Spain yet, love their food thought! Amazing. Spanish culture is so interesting. Your photographs made me hungry.
All the food looks wonderful. Wow! What an amazing experience to dine in the cellars of a restaurant. There is an “old world” feel to it that is evident in the pictures you shared.
Oh my goodness… every single thing you ate looks delicious! I loved all your photos as well.
Madrid is on my must-do list for 2017. This post has made me want to go now and eat ALL the food 🙂
It’s an amazing city for foodies! You’ll love it!
Yep! For sure Madrid is on my bucket list now!
Ugh.. my mouth is watering. Now I just need to go to Madrid. Those places sound amazing for all of the right reasons. Thanks for the quick guide to some great spots there.
Amazing list of restaurants. They’re all very classy and I’ll assume they serve the best dishes too.
Yum! These dishes all look wonderful. How did you choose which restaurants to try?
A lot of research and asking around. Luckily my boyfriend’s father lived in Madrid for a while so he had plenty of recommendations! 🙂
I am not a big fan of red meat, but I am sure they will appeal to meat lovers. Great food photography done.
That wine cellar looked amazing! So lucky to get to experience the history!
Look at those food. They are all delectable and amazing. Spanish food is fairly similar to our local food and the way of preparing them are almost the same. I would definitely try authentic Spanish food soon.
JM |
Wonderful places and so delicious food . Thanks for sharing.
Everything looks so delicious! My sister went to Spain to study abroad and came home and RAVED about the food!
That food really looks yummy. I am happy to know Madrid is a gastronomic city because so is my hometown and we love food..I feel like planning out for Madrid on my next trip
I love how the restaurants look in Madrid. The seem to have a certain vibe and inviting tone for everyone (: The food seems delicious. I cant wait to visit!
This has made me so hungry in the early hours of the morning I am now craving steak and wine!!!! Enjoy Madrid!
Oh goodness, my mouth is officially watering! Of course I’d read this around lunch time:P
Authenticity is definitely huge when traveling, and these dishes look superb! I can’t believe that wine cellar too!
I agree – I spend a lot of time researching the best places to eat and always try to avoid the tourist hotspots so I can get a more authentic experience! I also love going to all the Food Markets to buy local produce which is another way to eat like a local! https://emmaeatsandexplores.com/best-food-markets-madrid/
Madrid is coming up on our bucket list, and this makes it all the more appealing! That steak actually made my mouth water, and those clams look unbelievable. I cannot wait to go and try some of this stuff.
Do it! Madrid is such a fabulous city for foodies. Take a look at my Best Food Markets in Madrid post https://emmaeatsandexplores.com/best-food-markets-madrid/ before you start planning a trip!
Holy moly! What a fabulous place. I’ll be in Madrid in April to celebrate my birthday. I’m looking at wonderful restaurants to go to for a week. I can’t wait to try this place and just eat whatever I want.
Last time I was in Madrid it wasn’t for long and I was on a budget so we didn’t spend much on food. I’d love to go back and try some of these restaurants. Casa Lucio is really catching my eye!
I spent some really lovely times eating around Madrid but unfortunately I never tried any of those restaurants. Botin was on my list, but no one wanted to come with me, so well, I gave up. Next time I’ll go, i swear!
Never heard the term “Madrileno” but did enjoy the food in Madrid. Unfortunately, all the smoking annoyed me much of the time. The clams & steak look great!
The Restaurants look so unique. The food looks delicious. I have never been to Madrid but hope to take a trip one day.
What a awesome list of restaurants in Madrid . I have not been to Spain till now. But I will keep this list handy for my future visit. And the fried potatoes topped with an egg looks absolutely delicious.
I love Spain SO much, and Madrid is an awesome city! We didn’t eat at any of these restaurants, but it looks like we definitely missed out by not going to Casa Paco. My husband and I both love a good, rare steak, yet it’s so hard to find.
You didn’t mention the price range for any of these places, which makes me nervous. Are they all fairly expensive? Can’t be cheap if the chairs have the names of famous celebs carved in them. 🙂
I find it difficult to mention prices as we like our wine and tend to order an expensive bottle which pushes the bill up. For 2 people none of these places cost over 120 euros total and I’d say about half of that (maybe more) is the wine that we chose. The food is really reasonable and in these types of restaurants you can order a starter and the House Speciality for around 20-30 euros a head. It’s much cheaper to eat somewhere like this than to go to a fancy Nouvelle Cuisine Fusion restaurant (which in madrid can get to London type prices) and the fact that the locals all frequent the restaurants is testament to it’s value for money! I think there’s a link to each restaurants website in the post if you want to check out their menus and pricing! Hope that helped! 🙂
These are are some great restaurants I’d love to try but for some reason I’m gravitated towards modern restaurants more but not too modern (like molecular fusion). I like traditional mixed with modern. Ever in Madrid, I’ll use this guide.
These restaurants took amazing! I love trying new foods but I struggle as most of the local delicacies are meat based and I’m vegetarian. I really struggled when I went to visit my sister in La Linea! Dying to visit Madrid though, this is such a useful guide, so thank you for sharing!
Thank you for sharing! I am going to Madrid in April and this is very useful! Getting authentic food is something I try to do on every trip and this article is a great help at that!
The restaurant looks really vintage. What an experience to go down the cellar and see the old wine bottles. Would love to check it out.
The food looks delicious. And the wine cellar looks absolutely interesting. I will definitely like to dine here when I happen to be in Madrid.
That wine cellar looks amazing. Would you happen to know the oldest bottle that they have. We love clams and we had an experience of catching them in Malaysia. The food looks delicious. Hope you had a good time.
I have absolutely no idea how old they are – should’ve asked! Maybe next time!
Thanks so much for the great recommendations! I love that you included a picture of what the restaurants look like from the street – so helpful when you are a lost wandering tourist. Haha. I didn’t realize until reading through this post how much meat is involved with traditional Spanish dishes – it all looks amazing!
Yeah, vegetarians have a few options (the traditional Spanish chickpea stew is one or padron peppers) but most of the diet is pretty meat based!
It’s impressive that Botin has been in business for so long. I think most people’s goal is to see something different than other tourists so I’m sure everyone headed to Madrid will appreciate this. We love Madrid because it has a really cool vibe to it.
Thanks for this list. I would like to check some of them, if not all when I have the chance to visit Madrid. Wonderful gastronomical experiences for you! This post makes me hungry.
Thank you for these great recommendations of the best restaurants in Madrid. I have a friend who moved there and I am planning on visiting her soon. And because I am a foodie, the trip has to include some good restaurants as well. I would love to go to Botin, I have never been to such an old restaurant.
Ah, these places look so delicious! I’ve never been to Madrid but I am dying to go now after seeing your post!
I cannot wait to visit .Madrid! Every restaurant was just beautiful in its simplicity! I will have to visit the oldest restaurant in the world still running, I didn’t realize it was located there.
That’s a lot of dust on those wine bottles in the cellar haha, do they ever open one o those?! And WOW everything looks SO good here. I love eggs and fries, so I’d be eating Huevos Estrellados every day in Madrid!
Thanks a lot for the post & I must admire your blog style. Thanks a ton.
I love that there is a restaurant that has been open since 1725 – how cool is that?! This is such a great list and review of different places. They all look amazing, can’t wait to try them myself!
yeah it’s definitely cool to eat in the oldest restaurant in the world! Hope you get to give some of them a go one day!
Ugh, I just love food. I haven’t made my way to Spain yet but it is definitely on my list! Madrid especially. The place with the cute little cellar dining room looks so cozy and authentic!
The Spanish food is fantastic – I love it all – hope you get to Spain soon!
I wish I could have read this before I went to Madrid!! Guess I’ll have to go back and refer to your recs! This also made me extremely hungry. Never read posts about restaurants on an empty stomach!
Definitely go back! It’ll be worth it 😉
Reading this just made me hungry!! I want to go to Madrid RIGHT NOW to eat. Thanks for the tips, this is my favourite way to eat around a city, and a post like this is so much better than searching on Trip Advisor!
It’s definitely best to hit up the places that the locals go to! You know you’ll get something good!
Wow it is a good job I have just eaten as some of that food is seriously tempting! I absolutely love potatoes and the Huevos Estrellados sound absolutely delicious!
Exactly, what’s not to love, fries and a gooey fried egg! Delicious!
Shame I didn’t have this post when I went to Madrid last year! That steak looks so delicious, I’m thinking of booking a fight just to have it! LOL Great and delicious post 🙂
You’ll just have to go back now 🙂
I have been to Madrid, but havent been to any of these 🙁 should have read your post earlier..one good one we have been to is Casa Toni.
Oooh haven’t tried that one! Will put it on the list for next time!
I’m so hungry now…. despite the fact I’ve just eaten dinner. Your food pictures are delicious and everything sounds delicious. I’d really love to check out Botin…the oldest restaurant in the world. This is perfect because I’m planning on to Madrid within the year and will definitively reference this post. Thanks for sharing.
This post left me wanting to eat steak! I am now having anxiety attack as I don’t know where to get one. LOL Anyhow, it’s quite fascinating to see that one of the oldest restos in the world and is still functioning up to this day can be found in Madrid! Oh if I will dine there, I’ll surely flood my friends’ IG newsfeed with their ambiance and foods!
I really love Madrid and spanish cuisine…I lived in Spain for 3 years (Between Seville and Alicante) so I could write a book about it. I come back to Madrid as much as I can, and I can say really love its kind and lovely people. I already knew about Casa Paco and el Botin but not Casa Lucio, so next time I’m gonna try it 🙂 I’ll let you know my opinion, even I know it will be more than positive 😀
Stefano
It’s really great – have you got any others you can recommend for next time I go? And I’m hoping to go to Seville soon. Any tips for that?
The food sounds delicious and restaurants look great. would love to visit some of these when I go back to Madrid!
The restaurants were incredible – I love all the food in Madrid too – cant wait to be able to go back.