Madrid Tapas Self-Guided Tour

After attending the Running of the Bulls in Pamplona on our 2015 European Backpacking trip, our final stop in Spain was Madrid. As luck would have it, a friend of mine happened to be in Madrid at the same time and suggested we do a tapas tour of Madrid.   He planned the whole evening, and it was amazing! Tapas are small savory Spanish dishes that people typically share family-style. Order a couple of dishes, everyone tries a couple of bites, you move on to another tapas bar, and repeat. They’ve gained a lot of popularity in the US lately, but tapas are part of the cultural experience in Spain.  A self-guided Madrid tapas tour is easy to do, and I’ve made it even easier by mapping out everything for you.

We started our Madrid Tapas tour at 9 pm and fell into our comfy beds a little after two. Many of the tapas bars are within easy walking distance of the Puerta Del Soul, the Times Square of Madrid; so that’s where we began our journey at the famous bear eating from the tree (El Oso y el Madroño).

For our Madrid tapas tour, we visited four traditional restaurants, and I’ve listed them below with my recommendations from the menus. At the bottom of the page, you will also find a google map of the tour. All of these tapas bar have been in business for decades, and we avoided the tourist-trap tapas bars. Join our newsletter to have access to our resource library which includes a Madrid Tapas Tour pdf with the map, directions, and menu selections to save on your phone or tablet!

Self-guided Madrid Tapas Tour

Museo Del Jamon

Located right on the Puerta del Sol; you won’t have to walk far to get to your first stop. There is meat hanging from the ceiling, so it appears to be half-restaurante/half-butcher house. However, the food is great and inexpensive. 

What to get?

• Spanish Tortilla– Sort of like an omelet, but potatoes and onion are cooked in the egg batter.
• Sangria– Sangria in Spain is a must in general, so start the night off right.
  

La Casa Del Abuelo

La Casa Del Abuelo was my favorite stop of the night. Everything we got there was amazingly delicious. La Casa Del Abuelo has been family owned and operated since 1906, and they take great pride in their history.

What to get?

• The house wine! On our Madrid tapas tour, we had a “only order one” rule, because we wanted to try as much as possible, and we were on a budget. However, I had to make an exception for the house wine at La Casa Del Abuelo
• Gambas al ajillo– garlic prawns in an amazing savory dish. Oh, my mouth waters with the memory!

Casa Toni

Casa Toni is a traditional tapas bar with very reasonable prices…everything is under 10 Euros. It was also nice to take a seat. Many tapas bars are standing room only, but Casa Toni has stools to sit on. 

What to get?

• Sangria– and some water if you haven’t had any yet.
• Patatas Bravas– Deep fried potatoes with a spicy red sauce. The sauce is like a creamy Texas Pete hot sauce.

• Oreja a la Plancha-Pig Ear Cartilage- Madrid is known for nose-to-tail cuisine in that they use every part of the animal, including pig ears. I’m a Pescatarian, so I passed on this option. However, it is an unique food to try in Spain. My friends described it as “chewy, very chewy.”

• Championes Setas a la Plancha- roasted mushrooms with garlic butter and shrimp. I’m going to be honest. I looked over the menu online, and I believe this is the name for this dish, but I’m not 100% sure. Order with caution. 

Chocolaterías Valor

After spending hours over dinner, we finished the night at Chocolaterías Valor for dessert. It’s the farthest point to walk to on the tour, but it’s worth it, and you’ll digest some of your dinner on the way to make room for dessert.

What to get?

• Hot chocolate and churros! This a no brainer. The hot chocolate in Spain is like thick melted chocolate…very rich. Dip your churros in the sweet chocolate rather than drinking straight from the cup.

And that concludes our Madrid Tapas Tour! Have any other tapas bars to add to the list? Share them in the comments!