We will be in Madrid this Spring for 4 nights and prefer not to eat too late (mainly due to reflux). We hope to eat before 9 pm. We will be staying near Puerto del Sol, but also plan to visit the Prado and other main sites. We prefer moderate, low key restaurants. Any suggestions? Thank you!
Posted by
Chicago
8166 posts
Go to the Mercado San Miguel https://mercadodesanmiguel.es/
It is lower key between 3 and 7
Posted by
San Franciso Bay Area, USA
1029 posts
Rooftop bar and gourmet food court at El Corte Engles: https://www.therooftopguide.com/rooftop-bars-in-madrid/gourmet-experience-el-corte-ingles.html. This is also a great place if Madrid is your last stop to pick up food souvenirs.
Posted by
WA State
3961 posts
In addition to previous mentioned dinner spots, we enjoyed an excellent Huertas neighborhood restaurant called La Sanabresa. It is a 10 min. walk from Puerto del Sol. I would consider this restaurant as "moderate, low key." We too like to eat earlier than 9 pm. It is a popular restaurant and therefore it's best to arrive at opening. We were there 3 years ago and I believe they opened at about 7:30 pm. We ate there twice!
Posted by
Bay Area
3551 posts
It will be bar like food, tapas. Otherwise usually a late meal.
Posted by
OP
seattle
2138 posts
Thank you so much for the suggestions!
Posted by
3444 posts
This restaurant is behind the Reina Sofia. We ate here practically every day when we were in Madrid in 2017. We usually fill up at breakfast, skip lunch, and have an early dinner. This schedule was never a problem when we were in Spain.
Posted by
Chicago
2047 posts
I would recommend tapas bars. They usually open at about 7 or so. But do try and eat at least one late night meal. I think it's fascinating going at 10pm and seeing families eating dinner, when most British/American families would be trying to get their kids to bed!
Posted by
Mid-Atlantic area
7163 posts
Hundreds of restaurants and you shouldn’t have much trouble finding one at a time you want to eat. Many bars also sell dinner food and some of my best meals in Madrid have been in the back rooms of bars. It’s really a matter of what you want to eat and how casual a restaurant you want. Many nicer restaurants won’t open until about 8:30pm. If you like ham, there’s a Museo de Jamon right by the Puerta del Sol. Unless you want to eat at them just to people watch, I’d avoid any of the restaurants at the Plaza Mayor as they tend to cater more to the tourists, but, they are open early.
Posted by
OP
seattle
2138 posts
We prefer more casual spots. Any particular bars you remember with good “back room” meals?
Posted by
OP
seattle
2138 posts
We really like La Sanbresa. Went for the 3 course lunch twice. Also enjoyed tapas and sangria at the San Miguel market. Very crowded, but lots of fun. Thanks again for these suggestions.
Posted by
WA State
3961 posts
Becky,
Thanks for your follow up on La Sanabresa. Glad you enjoyed it! I didn't know they were open for lunch! We have fond memories of the food and ambience. Thanks also for the Sangria reminder. We went to El Corte Ingles top floor for the view, Sangria, & Paella. Ah, Mercado De San Miguel. What a fun experience!
Posted by
Oak Park, Illinois
4535 posts
Tapas is a favorite of mine for an early dinner. You can definitely make a full meal out of it. Find a nice outdoor cafe, and order wine and tapas to your heart's content.
I also love Casa Mingo. It is roast chicken (some of the best you'll ever have) and that's about it other than salads and sides. And amazing cider. Open pretty much all day so you can go for an early dinner. Very casual. A little outside the central tourist zone, but not far from Metro stop Principe Pio.