Exterior View - Café Gijón, Madrid, Spain

Café Gijón

Most travelers remember Gijón for its picturesque terrace along the Paseo de Recoletos, but the café also has a fascinating literary history. In its heyday, it hosted frequent tertulias, informal discussion groups in which the day’s leading thinkers and artists, including Federico Garcia Lorca, Orson Welles, Salvador Dalí and even Mata Hari, gathered to debate politics and philosophy. Although Gijón’s modern-day customers tend to be local businessmen and tourists rather than literati, it is still a nice place to sip an espresso – but there are better places to have a meal.

Exterior View - Casa Lucio, Madrid, Spain

Casa Lucio

In business since 1974, this revered tavern near the Plaza Mayor draws a regular crowd of locals and the occasional visit from royalty and visiting dignitaries. Although the bar, hung with drying ham hocks, is a fun place for an aperitif, the elegant cuisine served in the traditional dining rooms is the real draw. In the upstairs and downstairs spaces, beamed ceilings, whitewashed walls and tiled floors combine with formal tablecloths and heavy silver to create a cozy yet refined atmosphere, comfortable for lunch with friends but also appropriate for a business meal. Attentive tuxedo-clad waiters help newbies navigate the menu, but your best guide may be the well-coiffed matrons, who trot out their best jewels to enjoy a midday bottle of Rioja and the house specialty huevos estrellados – eggs served over fried potatoes and tender solomillo steak. The chefs at Casa Lucio make an art form of this rustic dish, and no visitor to Madrid should miss it.

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Bar at Cisne Azul, Madrid, Spain

Cisne Azul

Mushroom lovers cannot miss this famous temple to mushrooms. The restaurant and bar nearby are not fancy (linoleum floors and pizza parlor like ambiance) but the chef Julian Pulido is known as an absolute wizard when it comes to preparing mushrooms. He prepares the best of what is in season as well as excellent burgers.

El Jardín de Orfila at Hotel Orfila

The highly lauded Mario Sandoval oversees the menu at this fine-dining restaurant, located on a lovely terrace in the backyard of the Hotel Orfila. Be sure to order the award-winning dessert: migas de chocolate con helado de yogur y frutos rojos (chocolate crumbs with yogurt ice cream and red berries). Though this restaurant is in a hotel, the majority of its clients are locals—and the service is five-star.

El Landó

For a quintessentially Spanish dining experience, come to El Landó, operated by the owners of Casa Lucio. With its unassuming exterior across a quiet plaza Madrid, you might be surprised, once you step inside, to find photo after photo of famous celebrities who have dined at El Landó. The photos attest to El Landó’s stature in the Madrid restaurant scene. The windowless dining room downstairs has tiled floors, an ornate mahogany ceiling, square tables with white tablecloths and walls lined with Spanish wines. The look is as traditional as the menu, but that’s why you come: for handsomely executed Spanish classics. Try tiny cockles grilled with a hint of garlic, the sizzling fried asparagus and the baby lamb chops.

Editors' Picks
glossy wooden pastry shop exterior

El Riojano

Dating back to 1855, El Riojano was founded by the royal family's pastry chef and is a beautiful pastry shop with cases of delicious treats.

Juana La Loca

For over 20 years, Juana La Loca has attracted locals and out-of-towners alike with its creative takes on traditional pintxos—specifically its take on the Spanish omelette, with a special onion confit. Located in Madrid's bustling La Latina neighborhood, Juana La Loca attracts a crowd, so it’s best to have a reservation (we love the cozy corner tables) or to get there early and grab a spot at the bar.

Lateral

A well-known spot for lunch of chic Madrilenos, Lateral sits in the popular Plaza de Santa Ana and serves great tapas in a low-key dining room or al fresco on a lovely terrace on the square. Surrounded by more touristic lunch spots, this is a great choice in the historical center for lunch in a stylish atmosphere.

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