These are places in Madrid where I have eaten at least three times. That is why I can recommend them. The list has cheap meals, chains, small family restaurants and a few places where you should expect to spend more. I have organised it by cuisine because otherwise this would just be me remembering restaurants in random order.
This list is temporary because of the real-estate market in Madrid. Good places close down to reopen as cafés for the new class of people moving in. I am not sure how many of these places will remain, but this is at least a public memory of what we once had in Madrid.
I will add more later. For now, these are places I go back to, with the things I would order, the things that annoy me and the people who make them worth returning to.
Chinese
Restaurante Sichuan
Probably the best Chinese restaurant in the whole of Europe. Yes, that is a big claim, and it is my claim. Their mapu-tofu is amazing. The aubergines in spicy sauce are great too. The hot pan of brocolli is good. The staff is nice. I have been coming here for almost a decade now.
Bammbao
Also in Usera, at Nicolás Sánchez 54. Very good for takeaway-style food and street food. A different sort of meal from sitting down for a long restaurant session, and a very good option to have in the neighbourhood.
El Rincón de Pangpang
If you want Chinese food without going to Usera, this is a super good place. It is on Calle del Ave María in Lavapiés. There are a lot of Chinese restaurants in Madrid that I do not think are very good, which is why they are not on this list. This one is.
Huang’s Bao
A newer place on Calle de Leganitos that I find very interesting for baos. Quick, and cheap.. the spicy noodle bao.... is ass smacking spicy. Beware!
FuFuda (大福)
For Chinese desserts, try FuFuda on Calle de los Reyes. This is the place I would add when you want something sweet. Keep it in the Chinese section of the list. Their Taro bubble tea is made from Taro paste and not Taro powder and is REALLY very good.
Japanese, ramen and curry
Yokaloka Matute
This is run by a friend of mine, and I would highly recommend it. Please book before going. I mean the Matute restaurant, at Plaza de Matute 7. Yokaloka also has a place inside the Antón Martín market, so be careful about which one you reserve. Both are equally good.
Chuka Ramen Bar
A very good place, with a mix of Chinese and Japanese influences. I would not go looking for strict authenticity here. It is a good implementation, and I enjoy the food. Sometimes that is the useful thing to know.
Ramen Kagura Ópera
For ramen, I like the original one near Ópera, on Calle de las Fuentes. There are several Kaguras now, but this is the branch I am recommending.
Katsu 勝つ Malasaña
The Japanese curry option near Calle de San Bernardo. The place to save is Katsu Malasaña, on Calle de la Luna 22. Good to have on the list when you want curry rather than another sushi menu.
Thai and Indonesian
Asian Army
My friend Stuart runs this place inside the Mercado de Antón Martín. I would highly recommend them for Thai and Indonesian food. They really take care of you, and that matters to me. It is one of the places where the people are part of the recommendation.
Korean
GaRam
A very good Korean restaurant near Plaza de España, on Calle del Río. Try it. This is one of the places I would send someone who wants Korean food in Madrid.
Indian: the distinctions matter
Indian Aroma
One of my options for what I would describe as British Indian-style restaurant food. It is on Calle de Ventura de la Vega. There is a place for that kind of meal; it is just useful to know what you are choosing.
Rangoli
Another option in that British Indian-style category, on Calle de Valverde. I am grouping these places together because people often ask for “Indian food” as if it were one very specific thing.
Tandoori Station
Another of the Indian restaurants I recommend, and one I would put in that same broad British Indian-style restaurant category. The name to search is Tandoori Station, on José Ortega y Gasset.
Nilah
If you want something closer to the Indian food I am looking for, with some proper spice, try Nilah by Plaza Mayor, on Calle de Toledo. This is the one I would particularly point you toward from the list above. Its own focus is South Indian food. Being next to Plaza Mayor does not automatically disqualify a restaurant.
BBCR
For South Indian food, this is very good. It is up north, in the Mercado de San Enrique, at Calle de San Enrique 16, stalls 16 and 17. Think of the Alvarado / Tetuán side of the city. Go inside the market; it is not a street-front restaurant.
ISKCON / the Hare Krishna temple
For vegetarian Indian food, try the temple on Calle del Espíritu Santo. The food is very good, and so is the atmosphere. I go on certain days of spiritual discomfort. Meals are donation-based, which is part of what makes this a different experience from going to a restaurant.
Mexican, tacos and an emergency burrito
Takos Al Pastor
Takos with a K. This is my go-to place for tacos. They are very cheap, and you have to queue up. I am pinning the one on Calle de la Salud 13. Plan around it being closed on Mondays and Sundays; that matches the current listing checked for this draft. The queue is part of the decision, so do not arrive already angry with hunger.
Tiki Taco
If you are busy and need to find some good, nice tacos, Tiki Taco is also good. It is not my most preferred place, but I would still keep it as an option. There are several branches; the map shows the one on San Bernardo.
Taquería Mi Ciudad
Another taco option with several locations. Be mindful that it can run expensive relative to the cheap-taco places. In my experience, one person can end up spending around €10–15. Proper tacos, but without the cheapness of it. The map shows the Calle de las Fuentes branch.
Tierra Burrito
For when you are super hungry. Their quality has reduced quite a lot over the last three years, in my opinion, and they are very good at the business of shrinkflation. I still think they are very good, especially when the main problem is that you need a lot of food. The map shows a central branch on Espoz y Mina.
Peruvian and Latin American
Chifa Doromari, Carabanchel
Go to the Carabanchel one, on General Ricardos 102, for the menú del día. I prefer it during the day. At night, I do not know if the chef changes or what happens, but I have usually not liked the food as much. Lunch is the recommendation here.
Chifa is the Chinese-Peruvian tradition, which also explains why this does not fit neatly into a single cuisine box. Doromari's account of its food.
Origo
A very nice place for more gourmet Latin food. I would go there, see what they are cooking and choose from that. I do not plan around a fixed menu from a previous visit; check what is on offer. The current website describes its roots as Ecuadorian and Colombian and publishes a carta. Origo's current food and reservations.
Ethiopian
Restaurante Etíope Habesha
Very good Ethiopian food near Atocha, on Paseo de Santa María de la Cabeza. This is the place I would recommend when someone asks me for Ethiopian food in Madrid. Another reason to let the list range well beyond the usual central tapas stops.
Kosher and Jewish food
Barganzo
If you are looking for kosher food, this is my recommendation. They are very nice people. Please book in advance, especially around festival time. The restaurant is on Calle de Colmenares, and it appears on the Comunidad Judía de Madrid's kosher list. The community's list. Book with Barganzo.
Italian, pizza and pasta
La Capricciosa Italiana
A very good pizzeria. They do a very good Margherita, which is what I would send you there for. It is on Calle de las Maldonadas, by La Latina.
Piccola Trattoria
For very homemade Italian food, try this place on Torrecilla del Leal. It is small and familiar, and the husband and wife who run it are super, super nice. This is very much a recommendation for both the food and the people.
NAP
If you want a very good, authentic pizza chain, try NAP. Their menú del día has been cheap and very, very filling when I have gone. Definitely one to consider for lunch. Check the current lunch offer with your branch; the map shows Lavapiés, on Calle del Ave María. NAP's branches.
Totò e Peppino
They have an amazing potato pizza. That is the dish I would tell you to try. There is more than one location; I have put the Fernando VI restaurant on the map as a central reference.
Trattoria Pulcinella
A good option in the slightly posh category. Keep it in mind when you want Italian food and a more restaurant-y occasion, rather than just finding the quickest pizza.
Pizzería Piccola Napoli
The amazing place near Alvarado whose name I always forget. This is it: Piccola Napoli, on Calle de Palencia 29. They have really good pizzas and pastas. A good place to feed Italian people, which is useful information if you are trying to choose an Italian restaurant.
Pizza outside the traditional Italian genre
Hot Now
Try the pistachio pizza. It is one of the best pizzas I have had outside the traditional Italian pizza genre. This is the interesting-pizza recommendation, on Calle de Barbieri.
The pistachio pizza is amazing and ehmm.. vegan.
Picsa
For Argentinian pizza, Picsa on Ponzano is very good. It is not my favourite genre of pizza. I like Italian pizzas more than Argentinian ones. No offence. I would still include this if that is the style you are looking for. This place is very good and portions are generous.
Spanish food, tapas and tortilla
Bar Manchego / Manchego Café Bar
A great place for tortillas at the Mercado de Usera, right by the metro entrance on Amparo Usera. One of the neighbourhood places I want to keep in this list. They have a wide variety of tortillas.
Bar Toboggan
An amazing menú del día. You should really try it. This is in the Rutilio Gaci square on the other side of the river from Usera. A very useful lunch recommendation, and one of the places I would go back to for exactly that.
Taberna Almería
If you are into southern Spanish food, try Taberna Almería on Calle de las Aguas. A good one to keep in mind around La Latina.
Lamiak de la Rosa
Also very good, near Antón Martín. I mean the one on Calle de la Rosa 10. There is another Lamiak on Cava Baja, but this is the location for this list.
Ferretería
Amazing Spanish food. It is pricey, but very good. Keep that distinction in mind: this is a recommendation for a meal worth spending on, rather than a cheap place to fill up. The restaurant is on Calle de Atocha.
El Tigre Sidra Bar
For very student-ish food, El Tigre is one of the typical bars in the centre I would include. Go with the appropriate expectations: this is the student-bar part of the list. Hopefully these places do not get closed very soon.
El Respiro
The other bar in that very student-ish category, on Calle de las Infantas. A very typical Spanish bar in the centre. Again, hopefully places like this survive.
Bodega de la Ardosa
For tapas, try La Ardosa on Calle de Colón. This is one of the names I would keep saved for when someone wants a proper tapas recommendation in the centre.
El Cisne Azul
If you want mushrooms, this is a very interesting place. They have a whole mushroom section on the menu, so you can make the meal about setas. A nice change from mushrooms being the small supporting ingredient in somebody else's dish.
The map points to the restaurant at Gravina 27. They also have a taberna nearby; the website says restaurant reservations and the taberna's first-come arrangement are different. Their mushroom menu and booking details.
Casa Dani
For tortilla, try Casa Dani in the Mercado de la Paz, at Calle de Ayala 28. This is the market in the Salamanca / Goya part of Madrid that I mean. Put the market location on your map, then go looking for the tortilla.
Spanish rice dishes
El Caldero
If you want rice dishes, try El Caldero in the centre, on Calle de las Huertas. It is very good. This is an arrocería recommendation, for when rice is the reason you are choosing the restaurant.
Arrocería Marina Ventura
Another very nice restaurant for rice, on Calle de Ventura de la Vega. A good alternative to have in the same part of town.
Healthy food
Honest Greens, Hortaleza
For a healthy food option, try Honest Greens on Calle de Hortaleza 100. It is a chain, and this is the branch I mean for the list. A useful option to have saved around Chueca.
The Hortaleza restaurant and its current menu.
Coffee, pastry and bread
Pava Cafetería
A small coffee shop on the hipstery end of things, on Calle San Graciano. You really have to wait to get a place, so plan ahead. All the new hipsters of the neighbourhood like to hang out over there. That is part of the recommendation and part of the warning.
Try the chipas, a.k.a. the cheese breads / pan de queso. That is one of the things I would order here.
Dot Café Bar
For coffee around Legazpi, go to Dot on Calle de Eugenio Sellés. Very good people over there. They have amazing coffee and good pastry. The people are a proper reason for me to recommend a café, and they are part of why this one stays on the list.
Panadería Novo Mundo
A very good bakery on Calle del Carnero, around the Lavapiés / Rastro side of the centre. Keep it on the map for bread and bakery things. This belongs in the list just as much as somewhere you would book for dinner.
I will keep adding to this. Prices, menus and people change, and that is part of why I wanted to write the list down. The recommendations are from my own visits; the address and status checks are dated 2 November 2026. For businesses with several branches, the text identifies the branch shown on the map. A map pin is a place to find, including the temporarily closed places I have kept here, so read the note before going.