Where to eat and drink in Sol
32 places in Sol, Madrid: what to order, when to go and local tips.
- 01
Chocolatería San Ginés
Chocolate con churros in a green-and-mirrors parlour that has fed Madrid's night owls since 1894.
OrderChocolate con churros, or porras (the fat cousin) if the night was long. Dunk, don't sip.
- 02
Casa Labra
A taberna off Sol since 1860, famous for fried bacalao and the clandestine founding of the PSOE in 1879.
OrderTajada de bacalao and a croqueta de bacalao with a caña. That's the whole order. Maybe a second tajada.
- 03
La Mallorquina
The pastry shop right on Puerta del Sol, where Madrid grabs a napolitana on its way to everywhere.
OrderNapolitana de crema, palmera or ensaimada. For Reyes, order a roscón.
- 04
Lhardy
Madrid's grande dame since 1839: a shop counter downstairs, velvet dining rooms and cocido upstairs.
OrderConsomé poured from the silver samovar at the counter; upstairs, cocido in three vuelcos and the callos.
- 05
Casa Toni
Steel-counter offal bar off Sol where the plancha never rests and the zarajos come out smoking.
OrderOreja a la plancha, zarajos, mollejas and berenjenas fritas: offal first, with an aubergine escape route.
- 06
La Casa del Abuelo
The original 1906 taberna: sizzling gambas al ajillo and a glass of the house sweet wine.
OrderGambas al ajillo in the clay dish, gambas a la plancha, and a glass of the house El Abuelo sweet wine.
- 07
Teatro Eslava
The former Joy Eslava is now Teatro Eslava: a historic theatre with concerts and ticketed club nights.
OrderA cerveza at the bar between the concert and the dance floor.
- 08
Antigua Pastelería del Pozo
Madrid's oldest pastry shop, a wood-and-glass time capsule where the hojaldre is still made by hand.
OrderBayonesa de crema or cabello de ángel, a palmera de chocolate and roscón, which they bake all year.
- 09
Sala El Sol
A live-music room off Gran Vía since 1979, with gigs and late club sessions on the same calendar.
OrderA cerveza or a copa at the bar during the gig or club session.
- 10
Azotea del Círculo de Bellas Artes
The rooftop with Madrid's best postcard: the Metrópolis dome, Gran Vía and the sunset straight ahead.
OrderA vermut with the skyline; for a meal, the menu includes alcachofas asadas with romesco and Idiazabal.
- 11
Mesón del Champiñón
A noisy old mesón whose griddled mushrooms earn their own pilgrimage.
OrderChampiñones a la plancha con chorizo and pimientos de Padrón.
- 12
Lambuzo
A family-run Cádiz outpost where ordering several half portions is the whole point.
OrderCroquetas de gambas al ajillo, cazón en adobo and papas aliñás con caballa.
- 13
El Cogollo de la Descarga
An Asturian dining room for cachopo, cider and the sensible decision to share.
OrderCachopo tradicional, patatas al Cabrales and a bottle of sidra.
- 14
La Campana
A marble counter, a busy fryer and the calamares bocata that makes the Plaza Mayor detour worthwhile.
OrderBocadillo de calamares and a caña.
- 15
Los Galayos
Proper callos and crisp torreznos in a grand old dining house on the edge of Plaza Mayor.
OrderTorreznos ibéricos con sal Maldon and callos de ternera a la madrileña con pata y morro.
- 16
Las Bravas
The Matheu branch of the bravas institution, where even the tortilla gets the house sauce.
OrderPatatas bravas, tortilla con salsa brava and oreja con salsa brava to share.
- 17
El Riojano
An old pastry shop with a tea room behind it and soletillas built for dunking in thick chocolate.
OrderChocolate a la taza, bizcochos de soletilla and pastas del Consejo.
- 18
Churrería Chocolatería 1902
A family churrería just off Arenal, making its own chocolate to go with the churros and porras.
OrderChocolate a la taza, churros and porras.
- 19
Rosi La Loca
A riot of flowers and theatrical crockery, with bravas good enough to compete with the décor.
OrderPatatas bravas, bao de costilla de ternera and croquetas de Rosi.
- 20
La Carmela
A busy Victoria tavern for torreznos and oxtail, with a flamenco plan waiting downstairs.
OrderTorreznos con mojo verde, croquetas de rabo de toro and callos a la madrileña.
- 21
Taberna La Alhambra
Granada-inspired tiles and arches give this old Victoria tavern rather more character than its neighbours.
OrderCazón en adobo, arroz caldoso con bogavante and an Alhambra Reserva 1925.
- 22
La Fontana de Oro
An exuberantly decorated Irish pub where live bands, football and very late nights meet beside Sol.
OrderA pinta de Guinness and alitas de pollo con patatas fritas.
- 23
La Negra Tomasa
Cuban cooking and live salsa turn a dinner just behind Sol into a considerably longer evening.
OrderRopa vieja tradicional, lechón asado and a mojito.
- 24
Puerto Rico
An unshowy Spanish dining room near Carmen for a filling lunch without the central-Madrid ceremony.
OrderTernera asada en su jugo and arroz con leche.
- 25
Hey My Coffee!
Specialty coffee on Tetuán with proper cake, useful when the Sol shopping circuit needs a pause.
OrderCafé con leche, bizcocho de zanahoria and tarta de almendra.
- 26
La Violeta
The tiny Canalejas sweet shop for violet sweets and the sort of Madrid souvenir that gets eaten.
OrderCaramelos de violeta and violetas escarchadas.
- 27
La Casa de las Torrijas
An old tavern where torrijas and a little sweet wine make Easter a year-round possibility.
OrderTorrija de leche, torrija de vino and a copa de vino dulce.
- 28
Doñaluz Sky Rooftop
A Montera rooftop for a pisco sour above Sol, with a bill that includes the view.
OrderDoñaluz Sour, ceviche de corvina Doñaluz and croquetas de cecina.
- 29
Artemisa - Gran Vía
A dependable vegetarian dining room near Carmen, with a daily menu and a fondness for stuffed aubergines.
OrderCroquetas veganas en tempura de garbanzos and berenjena Artemisa.
- 30
Taberna Malaspina
A little tavern behind Sol for the tosta of lacón and cheese that carries its name.
OrderTosta Malaspina, croquetas caseras de jamón and patatas bravas.
- 31
Museo del Jamón
The ham-hung Madrid institution in its Mayor branch: a busy counter downstairs and dining rooms above.
OrderBocadillo de jamón ibérico de bellota and a ración de queso curado.
- 32
Geisha
Geisha beans, filter coffee and cheesecake make this Callao stop worth knowing beyond its avocado toast.
OrderCafé de filtro, tostada de aguacate and tarta de queso.