Madrid is a great destination for food-lovers. You can try some of Spain’s famous dishes, as well as try amazing local produce. Here’s the most famous food in Madrid, with the best things to eat and drink and where to find them.
Madrid is one of the best places in Spain to enjoy traditional Spanish food. There’s a great mix of restaurants and tapas bars, where you can try delicious food. There are also plenty of cafes, and markets selling delicious fresh produce. The most famous food in Madrid is easy to find in the centre of the city, so you won’t need to look far to find all of the best things to eat and drink. Here’s the most famous food in Madrid.
1. Jamón Ibérico – Iberian Ham
One of the most famous foods in Madrid is Jamón Ibérico. It’s a cured ham, which is a local speciality in this region of Spain. It’s a highlight of any tapas dinner in Madrid. You get get Jamón Ibérico as a tapas dish at most tapas bars in Madrid. One of my favourites was the tapas bar called Los Gatos, which serves delicious food in a great setting. You can also get amazing, fresh Jamón Ibérico at the Mercado de San Miguel – the famous food market in the centre of Madrid.
2. Paella – Spain’s famous rice dish
One of Spain’s most famous dishes is Paella. Although it originally comes from the Valencia region of Spain, it’s still a popular dish in Madrid. The classic Paella is served with seafood. But in Madrid, you can also get other versions of Paella. You can get Paella with chicken, or vegetarian Paella with seafood. There are many restaurants around Plaza Mayor, in the centre of Madrid, that all serve amazing Paella. At a lot of restaurants, the Paella is for a minimum of two people as it’s freshly cooked in a large pan.
3. Olives – a popular tapas dish
Many Mediterranean countries are famous for their delicious, fresh olives that are grown locally. And Madrid is no exception. Olives are a popular tapas dish, and the perfect accompaniment to wine, bread and meats. For some of the best fresh olives in Madrid, head to Mercado de San Miguel. This huge food market has a large stall that specialises in selling olives. The olives are served on skewers, often with different types of olives and also other food such as sundried tomatoes and cheese. You can see all of the olives on display, so you can choose a few different ones to try at the market.
4. Bocadillo de calamares – Calamari Sandwich
Another of the most famous food in Madrid is the bocadillo de calamares, the calamari sandwich. It’s a really simple meal, and completely delicious. The best place to get the bocadillo de calamares is a place called La Campana. It’s located just next to Plaza Mayor in the centre of Madrid. There’s a restaurant here, but there’s often a long queue for the restaurant. But there’s also a takeaway option, with a queue that moves a lot faster. You can buy a calamari sandwich as a takeaway and sit in the beautiful square Plaza Mayor to eat it. The calamari here is so fresh, and the bread is really soft. It’s just a great combination of flavours.
5. Tortilla de patatas – Spanish Omelette
Another of Spain’s most famous food is the tortilla de patatas, or the Spanish Omelette. It’s made with eggs, potatoes and onions and cooked on the stovetop. It’s another popular tapas dish, or often served in restaurants as a starter. I had a delicious tortilla de patatas as a starter in a restaurant called Los Galayos, which is just next to plaza Mayor.
6. Croquetas de jamón and Manchego Croquetas – ham and cheese croquettes
There’s so many tapas dishes to try in Madrid! Another of the most famous food in Madrid is the croquetas – potato croquettes. The best croquetas in Madrid are the ham croquetas, or the cheese ones. You can get other fillings as well, such as chicken or fish, but my favourite were the ham and the cheese ones. You can find some of the best croquetas in Madrid at the Mercado de San Miguel. There’s a stall that sells only freshly cooked croquetas. The cheese ones here were amazing, made with local Manchego cheese. You can also get croquetas at tapas bars around the city, and as a starter in restaurants as well.
7. Churros
No trip to Madrid is complete without eating lots and lots of churros. This delicious sweet treat is easy to find all over the city. It’s the perfect mid-afternoon snack when you need a break from all the sightseeing. For the best churros in Madrid, head to Chocolatería San Ginés. It’s one of the oldest and most famous places to get churros in Madrid. There’s often a queue to get a seat, but it’s worth the wait. They sell the traditional small churros, and also the larger ‘porras’ churros as well. I really enjoyed both, it was hard to choose which was my favourite. And of course, make sure you get a cup of melted chocolate as well to dip the churros.
8. Roast Suckling Pig
A local speciality in Madrid is the roast suckling pig. You can find this famous dish at lots of restaurants around Madrid, but the most famous place in Madrid to get roast suckling pig is the restaurant called Botín. This restaurant is in the Guinness Book of World Records as the oldest continually running restaurant in the world. As you’d expect from a famous restaurant, you’ll need to book a table here several weeks in advance of your visit. But it’s worth it. The roast suckling pig here is just delicious, with juicy, tender, succulent meat. It was a real highlight of all of my meals in Madrid.
9. Sangria
As well as all the amazing famous food in Madrid, there’s a famous Spanish drink that you can have in Madrid as well. Sangria is well known all over the world, and you can find Sangria at pretty much every bar and restaurant in Madrid. Traditionally, Sangria is made with red wine and fruit juice, with fruit and ice added. It’s a refreshing drink, with lower alcohol content than a standard glass of wine. Why not have a glass of Sangria as you watch a traditional Flamenco dance performance in Madrid for a perfect evening out. I recommend Cardamomo Flamenco for a great show that includes a glass of Sangria with your ticket.
10. Chorizo tapas
Another great tapas dish in Madrid is chorizo. This spicy, cured meat is famous all across Spain. And you get can it at lots of tapas bars around Madrid. You can get fresh chorizo alongside a drink. Or you can also get chorizo as part of another meal. One of my favourite chorizo dishes in Madrid was the chorizo toast, at the tapas bar Los Gatos. It was beautifully cooked, with local cheese as well, and an amazing flavour.
11. Queso Manchego – Manchego cheese
Madrid has some great local cheese as well. You can get Queso Manchego, the Manchego cheese, which is originally from the La Mancha region of Spain but is now really popular in the Spanish capital. There’s a great cheese stall in Mercado de San Miguel, the amazing food market in Madrid, so you can try Queso Manchego here. You can also try Queso Manchego at tapas bars across Madrid. This hard cheese has a strong flavour, and it goes perfectly with the local ham and a glass of wine.
12. Jamón Ibérico baguette
When you’re in Madrid, or any of the neighbouring towns, you’ll never be far away from the famous Jamón Ibérico. This ham really is one of the most famous foods in Madrid. As well as eating this ham as a tapas dish, you can also get delicious Jamón Ibérico baguettes. These baguettes are a great option for a quick lunch when you’re busy sightseeing around the city. You can find delicious Jamón Ibérico baguettes at the speciality ham shop called Museo de Jamon, which has several branches around the city of Madrid.
13. Fried Jamón Ibérico tapas
And there’s still another way to eat Jamón Ibérico in Madrid. You can also get the delicious cured meat fried and served warm. The restaurant Los Galayos serves this tapas dish as a starter. It’s delicious – like a really good bacon. It’s a great starter for a meal with a glass of Sangria.
14. Patatas revolconas con chorizo – Potato and chorizo tapas
Another of my favourite tapas dishes in Madrid was the Patatas revolconas con chorizo. It’s a dish of mashed potato, with chorizo and other meat in it. It was another dish I had at the restaurant Los Galayos, next to Plaza Mayor in Madrid. The flavour were great, with the chorizo the real highlight of the dish.
15. McDonalds Pulled Pork burger
The last of my most famous foods in Madrid is a bit different – it’s definitely not a local food! Normally, I wouldn’t put a fast food chain on a list of great food in a city. But I ended up eating at a McDonalds when I wanted a quick lunch in Madrid before getting a train. And I tried the pulled pork burger. And it was really good. So I feel like it deserves a place on this list! The pulled pork burger isn’t available in McDonalds in the UK, which is why I wanted to try it, to try something new. And it was surprisingly good. The barbeque pulled pork was really nice, and the smoked cheese added extra flavour as well. If you want a quick meal in Madrid and don’t want to spend ages searching for a restaurant, then this is a great option.
Enjoy the best famous food in Madrid! Make sure you also check out my guide to visiting Madrid in 3 days, and also taking a day trip from Madrid to Segovia and a day trip from Madrid to Toledo. You can also check out my guides to the top things to do in Madrid when it rains. There are lots of other great cities to visit in Spain as well. Check out my guides to Seville, Cordoba, Granada, and the Andalusia’s white villages and mountains. Or check out my guide to Barcelona and the Montserrat monastery in the mountains.
