The 5 best tapas bars in Madrid, tested for you. Here is a small list of the tapas bars in the Spanish city, to know where to go once in the city, to eat well and low cost.
What is it Madrid without the cerveza, the beer, or the cana, the draft beer?
But above all, what is Madrid without its own caps, to nibble in its cervecerias and almacen de vinos, a sort of wine shop where you drink wine, beer and nibble on tapas talking about this and that or reading about philosophy, yes.
1. Bodega de La Ardosa
Be ready to fight!
This small venue is the quintessence of the experience tapas in Madrid: all in wood, and tiles, zero tables, but a few barrels on which to place a cana and tapas, a counter at the bottom behind which a couple of waiters move and the crowd continues. But the battle is worth it: here you will find some unforgettable tapas:
la toast with anchoas and gorgonzola is an epiphany
la tortilla it melts in your mouth
thePatty lukewarm with bonito (a small tuna) is a marvel
The prices are more than popular (empanada and tortilla € 2.95 each) and if you are lucky you will meet Don Rafael, a leading figure of the Bodega. Don Rafael he is a distinguished octogenarian gentleman who comes here almost every day for a cana and a tapa that he takes sitting at the counter, leafing through his newspapers and books, regardless of the cosmic chaos around him.
When he's done, he gets up, retrieves his papers, elegantly hands over his stool to some poor customer pressed against the counter and greets. At his greeting all the boys of the Bodega stop and politely greet him "Hasta magnana Don Rafael”: A movie moment!
2. Almacen de Vinos Taberna Casa Gerardos
You are in the heart of La Latina, one of the pulsating centers of Madrid life. At the Taberna you don't mess around: the wine is excellent, the cana is always fresh, but it's the toasts (huge slices of toast) that make it king here. Don't expect slices of bread with tasteless cheese.
Here, if you order tostadas, you will receive a "slice" of bread at least 3 cm high, toasted to the right point and covered with all kinds of goodies. Tip: try the tostada with goat cheese and currant jam or the "bacalao ahumado"
If cholesterol is a mustache, the cheese list here is to scream. Here, too, prices are more than affordable with tostadas between € 4 and € 7.
3. Taberna Angel Sierra
On the front one hellish crowd of people drinking cerveza, cana and copa de vino, but at the back you will find a quiet space, all in wood with a tiled stove.
Here you can order your tapas and enjoy the spectacle of the people of Madrid chatting animatedly beyond the counter, because here we are at Chueca, which has become the center of the gay city but above all the center of color, joy and all the news that are born in Madrid.
At Taberna Angel Sierra, order “bocadillo con jamon iberico” (sandwiches with roughly cut raw ham) or a “montado con chorizo ​​de bellota” (a slice of bread with a spicy salami, but not too much) for € 3.
4. Sala de Despiece
A slightly special tapas bar because it is… one butcher's shop. Well yes, in the center of a long long white room hang the meat hooks and the space is really tight and always packed.
But the guys in the Hall know how to take care of you and they ask you immediately what you want "tomar" and they bring you your cerveza, the copa de blanco, the patas and then they bring you, no one knows how, in a corner where you can order something.
No traditional tapas here, but all hyper avant-garde: find the tender salmon tartare served in a plastic container like that of the CSI tests, the parallelepiped aubergines in oil that not even the pieces of Lego constructions are so perfect and carpaccio with truffle very fragrant.
The place is always packed, you will have to be patient and if you suffer from agoraphobia or claustrophobia, perhaps it is not for you on weekends and in the evening. Try midweek lunch.
5. Casa Pepe Bar
The tapas from "Pepe el guarro“(Peppe the dirty) are always accompanied by a cold cana or cerveza. You cannot fail to try the "alitas de pollo" and the bones of the remains all go ... on the floor which is in fact made of bones of chicken wings.
Maybe if you are picky this is not your place, but if you are looking for something truly local and you can hold out for a couple of hours, rest assured that the gastronomic and social experience will pay off.
