Where to eat and drink in Malasaña
34 places in Malasaña, Madrid: what to order, when to go and local tips.
- 01
Bodega de la Ardosa
Tiled 1892 bodega with one of Madrid's best tortillas and a back room you reach by ducking under the bar.
OrderTortilla de patatas, salmorejo, croquetas, and a vermut de grifo or a pint of draught Guinness.
- 02
Café Comercial
Madrid's grand old café (1887), all mirrors and marble, revived in 2017 and still the city's meeting point.
OrderCafé con leche and a tostada at the marble tables in the morning; later, a vermut and croquetas.
- 03
Toma Café
A Madrid specialty-coffee pioneer since 2011, still pulling shots in its small Malasaña café.
OrderA cortado or espresso, with tostada de aguacate y huevo pochado if you want breakfast.
- 04
HanSo Café
Family-run café with some of Madrid's best espresso and filter, plus Asian-leaning sweets.
OrderA flat white and the gofre de matcha.
- 05
Ojalá
Malasaña brunch spot famous for its basement: a sand-covered floor and the beachiest light in Madrid.
OrderWeekend brunch with eggs and juice, then a mojito with your feet in the sand downstairs.
- 06
Pez Tortilla
Runny tortillas in inventive combinations and craft beer: a busy, cheerful bar on Calle del Pez.
OrderA pincho de tortilla clásica con cebolla, then brie, trufa y jamón; ask what's pouring on the craft-beer taps.
- 07
Casa Camacho
Narrow old Malasaña bodega devoted to the yayo: vermut, gin and gaseosa in a tumbler.
OrderA yayo and a gilda from the bar.
- 08
1862 Dry Bar
Old-school cocktail bar for classics done right, at prices that feel like a mistake for Madrid.
OrderA daiquiri or the Fetiche Negroni: classics and house variations are the reason to come.
- 09
El Penta
La Movida-era rock bar where Malasaña still ends its night: cheap copas, a tiny floor, great songs.
OrderA cubata, with Spanish pop and rock on the sound system.
- 10
Madrid 1883 Churrería
Churros with a view of the frying: this little family institution makes breakfast worth getting up for.
OrderChurros, porras and chocolate a la taza; compare the two shapes before declaring your allegiance.
- 11
Lolina Café
A sixties living room where a slice of cake can quite reasonably turn into a vermut.
OrderVermut Lolina and tarta de zanahoria, depending on whether your afternoon needs an aperitivo or sugar.
- 12
Bianchi Kiosko Caffè
A tiny coffee stop with a DJ’s ear for music and a house blend worth pausing your shopping for.
OrderCafé espresso with the house Caribbean Blend, or chai latte if you want something spiced.
- 13
Okashi Sanda
Japanese comfort food with pumpkin korokke, pork katsu kare and plenty of vegan alternatives.
OrderKorokke mixta, katsu kare and gyozas de kimchi; the curry also comes in a vegan version.
- 14
Pizzi & Dixie
Vegan pizza with a proper puffed rim, fresh pasta and a Ferrero Rocher finale that means business.
OrderPizza Dixie, gnocchi de maíz con pesto de pistacho and tarta Ferrero Rocher con helado de avellana.
- 15
Casa Baranda
A Colón bar for callos, bocatas de calamares and a detour through the sherry list.
OrderBocata de calamares, callos a la madrileña and vermut de la casa.
- 16
Taberna Griega
Moussaka, shared dips and sirtaki: a Greek dinner that can get considerably louder than you planned.
OrderMusaka, tzatziki and souvlaki; a good spread for a table that likes passing plates around.
- 17
Cabreira
A Dos de Mayo fixture where garlic-and-vinegar potatoes and Fina’s callos outlast the neighbourhood fashions.
OrderPatatas Cabreira, callos de Fina and pulpo a la gallega.
- 18
La Cocina de mi Vecina
Tall slices and toasted meringue make this neighbourhood cake counter a very persuasive merienda stop.
OrderTarta cuatro leches and tarta muerte por chocolate, by the slice so you can compare.
- 19
Casa Fidel
A neighbourhood casa de comidas where chipirones and croquetas beat another fashionable lunch.
OrderChipirones en su tinta, croquetas de jamón and callos a la madrileña.
- 20
Circo de las Tapas
Shared tapas, a courtyard and a tortilla made with crisps: a useful Corredera lunch that has a playful streak.
OrderTortilla Lay’s con cebolla caramelizada y parmesano, maxi papas dos salsas and tarta tatin de manzana.
- 21
Kinza
Georgian dumplings full of broth, a cheese-filled bread boat and wine made for a long shared dinner.
OrderKhinkali de ternera, khachapuri adjaruli and a glass of Saperavi de barrica.
- 22
Luna Rossa
A longstanding Neapolitan table where the wood oven and serious Italian wines deserve equal attention.
OrderPizza Margherita and manfredi al ragú napoletano; the slow-cooked pasta sauce is worth sharing alongside the pizza.
- 23
Botequim Brunch & Tapas
Brazil turns up at brunch with tapioca, fried yuca and a croissant that takes carbonara rather seriously.
OrderTapioca de setas trufadas, croissant carbonara and huevos Benedict con yuca frita.
- 24
La Pescadería
An old fish shop with a glass-roofed patio, ceviche and a surprisingly good reason to order a pork kebab.
OrderCeviche de corvina, kebab de cerdo ibérico and coliflor en salsa de yogur.
- 25
Café Manuela
Marble tables, board games and café irlandés make this old literary café an easy place to lose an afternoon.
OrderCafé irlandés and tarta de queso con arándanos.
- 26
Casa Macareno
A tiled taberna where croquetas de ibérico y trufa and huevos rotos deserve more than a quick aperitivo.
OrderCroquetas de jamón ibérico y trufa, ensaladilla Macareno con bonito en escabeche and huevos rotos con gambones al ajillo.
- 27
La Bicicleta Café
A busy café for huevos benedict and specialty coffee, with space to settle in with your laptop.
OrderHuevos benedict con salmón, porridge and café con leche.
- 28
Mercado de San Ildefonso
A three-floor food hall where tequeños and croquetas can settle a group argument about dinner.
OrderTequeños de queso at La Arepera and croquetas de cocido at the Croquetas stall.
- 29
Fábrica Excepcional
The former Fábrica Maravillas is now Fábrica Excepcional, with its Flipa and WAM beers still worth comparing.
OrderA glass of Flipa and one of WAM; compare the two house beers.
- 30
La Musa
Sharing plates with a playful streak, from a meat-filled bomba de patata to a carabinero in brioche.
OrderBomba de patata rellena de carne, berenjenas japonesas a la brasa and Rock and Roll de carabinero.
- 31
La Colmada
Half deli, half bar: build an aperitivo from gildas, good tins and a vermut among the shelves.
OrderGilda de anchoa, sardinas en salsa teriyaki and a vermut.
- 32
Pontepez
A small Pez beer bar where pollo kryspy and huevos rotos turn a drink into a shared meal.
OrderPollo kryspy, huevos rotos con boletus and vermut Pontepez.
- 33
Ambu Coffee
Ambu's first shop is a small Pez coffee stop where choosing the beans is half the pleasure of a flat white.
OrderRollo de canela and flat white.
- 34
Triskel
Irish pints upstairs and live music in La Caverna below, right in the middle of Malasaña.
OrderGuinness, Kilkenny or sidra Strongbow.