The Best Local Restaurants in Madrid

Sacha Restaurant is a longtime favorite in Madrid, known for its playful Spanish dishes with Catalan and Galician influences. Inside, you’ll find a cozy space that blends bistro charm with personal touches reflecting the chef’s style. In warmer months, a peaceful outdoor terrace offers a relaxed place to enjoy a meal.

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Oliver Jansson

Food Enthusiast

Playful dishes with its foundation in traditional Spanish cuisine, with Catalan and Galician influences. Sacha is a culinary icon in the vibrant city of Madrid. In a charming restaurant featuring humble wooden chairs tastefully contrasted by pristine white tablecloths, Sacha Hormaechea serves playful dishes with its foundation in traditional Spanish cuisine, with Catalan and Galician influences from his parents. Expect fresh seafood, robust meat dishes, and tapas created with simple, high-quality ingredients. In the summer you have the opportunity to sit on the peaceful outdoor patio that provides a very serene atmosphere. Don’t miss Sacha’s signature tortilla vaga if you go here!

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Restaurante Desde 1911 in Madrid has grown from a family of fish merchants, offering fresh catches that arrive daily from local coasts. Its bright, Nordic-inspired space features a central patio for a relaxed dining experience. The menu changes regularly, reflecting whatever the sea provides that day, ensuring a focus on quality and simplicity.

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Tristin Farmer

Chef

Incredible seafood & sharp service Dined as a large group of chef friends and had an excellent lunch. Chef Diego cooked for us, the best possible fish and shellfish, with simple yet complex flavour profiles. Very sharp service, tableside interaction & very hospitable. Great history of the restaurant and fishmongers.

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Araia is a welcoming spot in Madrid’s Chamberí neighborhood that recreates the laid-back feel of a hidden island. The warm, energetic staff and beach-cave-inspired space offer a relaxed escape that brings a bit of the Mediterranean mood into the city.

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Paula Móvil

Journalist & PR

Mediterranean vibes on the hippest neighborhood in town Araia is conceived as an imaginary island in the middle of the Chamberí neighborhood. In a venue that resembles a beach cave, the energetic and young staff will serve some original creations such as a beetroot carpaccio (amazing!), crunchy fried calamari with aioli, a spicy octopus and a perfect rice casserole with duck. Do not miss the lamb sish kebab or the ox tail stew.

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El Doble is an emblematic tavern in Madrid known for pouring a proper “doble” and giving plenty of attention to its seafood tapas. The informal setting draws locals and visitors alike who want a simple bar experience. It’s a popular spot for anyone looking to enjoy a drink without the fuss.

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Anastasia Avramenko

Freelance journalist

This emblematic tavern is best known for pouring a proper doble, while their seafood tapas deserve not less attention. This is the place. El Doble. Try Madrid’s most famous tapas here: Galician mussels prepared en escabeche, gambas salad with diced onions, olive oil and sherry vinegar, boquerones en vinagre (fresh anchovies cured in salt and vinegar). In addition to that, El Double is where you’d witness the art of pulling a perfect caña, or doble.

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El Fogón de Trifón is a small, family-run restaurant in Madrid’s Salamanca neighborhood that prides itself on honest cooking. Visitors enjoy the friendly setting, whether they’re dropping by for a quick meal at the bar or settling in for a relaxed dinner in the cozy dining room. Regulars often mention how welcoming the staff is and appreciate the focus on quality ingredients.

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David P. Leja

@thegastrojourney

Spanish restaurant with fantastic ingredients and cooked great, with a cozy atmosphere making you feel at home. The concept reminded us a little bit of La Tasquita de Enfrente actually, with the emphasis being on the ingredients. On this occasion we went with our good friend Luis and had a nice little feast composed of the following: * Clams from Carril. * Artichoke with foie gras. * “Huevos rotos”: Fried eggs with fried potatoes and “papada ibérica” (pork jowl) and black truffle. * “Chopitos” (baby squid) with potato. * Cod “Cocochas” with pil-pil sauce. * Cheesecake with a green olive confit. A fantastic meal, not overcomplicating things and just being able to appreciate the main ingredient of each dish.

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El Pescador is a well-liked restaurant in Madrid that focuses on fresh seafood and fish. Diners appreciate its straightforward cooking style and laid-back atmosphere. It’s a go-to spot for anyone craving quality seafood in the city.

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David P. Leja

@thegastrojourney

THE place for seafood and fish in Madrid. This is THE place for seafood and fish in Madrid. It was four of us and we didn’t overcomplicate things, we mainly ordered grilled simple and delicious seafood and fish: * “Almejas gordas”(Big clams) from Carril. * Red prawn from Denia. * “Cigalitas” (crayfish) from Isla Cristina. * “Lenguado” (Sole). * “Besugo” (Sea bream). * Filloas filled with custard. Definitely one of the places we’ve most enjoyed in the city, and your place to go if you are craving some good seafood or fish.

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Marisquería Fide Calle is a standing-only bar in Madrid with a casual, no-frills vibe. It specializes in fresh seafood brought in weekly from Galicia, offering a simple selection of tapas-style bites and cold beer. It’s a relaxed spot for a quick snack or drink before heading off to dinner.

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David J Constable

Writer & Underwear Model

Standing-only counter with great local beer and first-rate tapas-style snacking One of man’s greatest achievements was putting an anchovy on some toasted bread and boy, do they have a fantastic selection of anchovies here! The vibe is incredibly casual with no-frills, just good cold beer and excellent slider foods - grilled seafood, grilled prawns, pulpit camariñas, crabs, barnacles, shrimp (the seafood brought in every week from the Galician town of Cambado). Also worth noting that it is a bar serving food, so its standing only. Perfect for snacks or a quick ‘beer & bite’ before dinner.

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Fismuler Madrid focuses on simple cooking that brings out the best in carefully chosen ingredients. The kitchen takes a stripped-back approach, allowing each element to shine. The atmosphere is relaxed and welcoming, making it an inviting place to enjoy a meal in the city.

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David J Constable

Writer & Underwear Model

Simple, to-the-point cooking: showing off first rate produce and ramping up the flavours. A brilliant lunch at Fismuler from chef Patxi Zumarraga. Simple, to-the-point cooking: showing off first rate produce and ramping up the flavours. This is my favourite sort of place, advocating a stripped back simplicity, and pushing ingredients to the fore. There’s a lettuce bud from the restaurant’s garden, crowned with shavings of 24-month Comté; Navarrese white asparagus with champagne cream; Figueres onion soup with ‘cod’s guts & egg yolk; artichoke rice with flamed snails; a San Roman schnitzel with egg & black truffle; pickled wild boar with foie gras & spring vegetables; and the best damn omelette I’ve ever had - with potato, onion, fried green peppers & Carrasco Iberico chorizo.

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Opened in 1839, Lhardy Restaurante is one of Madrid’s oldest dining spots, known for preserving the city’s culinary heritage over the centuries. Its historic interiors and timeless atmosphere offer a glimpse into Madrid’s past while maintaining a warm and inviting setting for guests.

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Mario Sandoval

Michelin Star Chef-Coque

It is an ode to the product, a tribute to the centenary recipes in one of the oldest and most emblematic restaurants of Madrid and Spain

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Sobrino de Botín, founded in 1725 and recognized by Guinness World Records as the oldest operating restaurant in the world, keeps its centuries-old wood oven going to this day. Tucked away in Madrid’s historic center, it offers a glimpse into traditional cooking practices that have stood the test of time. Its warm, storied setting makes it a memorable spot for locals and visitors alike.

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Phil Rosenthal

Host, Somebody Feed Phil

The wood oven has never gone out in 300 years. One bite of their roast suckling pig and you understand why. Botín in Madrid is the oldest continuously operating restaurant in the world. The wood oven has never gone out in 300 years. One bite of their roast suckling pig and you understand why.

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Taberna Laredo is a relaxed spot in Madrid that focuses on fresh, seasonal ingredients rooted in Spanish cooking. Its lively atmosphere and flexible seating options—ranging from bar space to a dining room—make visiting feel easy and comfortable. You can drop in without a booking or reserve ahead if you prefer.

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David P. Leja

@thegastrojourney

Classic Spanish cuisine with really good produce, fresh fish and seafood and just an overall great atmosphere. On this occasion we ordered the following: * Potato and artichoke “tortilla”. * “Coquinas” (clams). * Grilled “Virrey” (Red Bream). * “Torrijas”. The tortilla was our favorite, but we really enjoyed everything. A place to return, and perfect for a day where you don’t have a reservation, given they go on a first come first serve basis.

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