Madrid Travel Guide

Must Have Food & Drink:

Federal Cafe: good spot for breakfast or brunch, lots of drink options, shakshuka here is really good
Nomad Cafe: 10/10. Has matcha and yummy brunch/ lunch options
Hanso Cafe: good matcha & in a fun area of Madrid (Malasaña)
Four Cafe: haven’t been personally but the menu looks amazing & heard great things
Mission Cafe
Acid Cafe: specialty coffee, amazing homemade sourdough
Novo Mundo: homemade vanilla syrup is amazing, known for circle croissants
Mazál Bagels: feels like a little slice of America, all the bagel sandwiches are amazing.

San Miguel Market: 10/10. Has over 30 tapas & drink vendors. very busy & touristy which means things are more expensive but such a fun experience & everything tastes amazing
El Tigre: famous tapas bar in Madrid, they give you a plate of food for free when you order a drink, so fun (& cheap) but can be hectic (be prepared to order drinks at the bar the second you walk inside)
Casa Del Abuelo: another famous spot in Madrid for tapas, have to try the gambas al ajillo (garlic shrimp) and mushroom croquettes
Restaurante Botin: oldest restaurant in the world, famous for their suckling pig
Taberna El Sur: multiple locations around Madrid, great authentic tapas
Desengaño 13: good quality tapas, a little more pricey, seasonal menus
Grupo La Musa: fun tapas, Asian inspired
Bandida: one of my favorite restaurants in Madrid, creative tapas, like a Spanish fusion, drinks are also next level
Entre Santos: entire menu is delicious
Ten Con Ten: high end dining experience
Pez Tortilla: best tortilla in Madrid
El Viajero: cute rooftop, food is nothing special but the atmosphere is very fun

Bump Green: so good, health food that doesn’t feel like you’re eating health food
Le Club Sushita: really good sushi & Asian food
Bel Mondo: beautiful rooftop, good Italian pastas
Takos al Pastor- Mexican street tacos, insanely good & insanely cheap, line gets long but food is ready fast, tacos are $1.20-1.50 & margs are 4$!
Yatai Market: Asian street food market, SO good
Il Morso: Italian sandwiches
Honest Greens: this place is my fav for a really good healthy meal, lots of locations around Madrid & they also deliver

Salmon Guru: 22nd best bar in the world, insanely creative drinks, presentation & environment
Bandida: cocktails are sooo good!
Fun Fun: natural wine bar, around 6$ per glass
Riu Hotel rooftop: 5-10$ entry fee, recommend getting a bottle of wine so you can relax for a while
Corchito: wine bar & yummy snacks, need a reservation
Ksdal: wine bar, little sandwiches to order, around 3.50$ a glass

Retiro Park: good for any occasion. Beautiful to walk around or have a picnic. Occasional live music and exhibitions. Palacio de Cristal, La Rosaleda de El Retiro (rose garden) & Jardines de Cecilio Rodríguez (peacocks live here) are amazing.
Templo de Debod: Egyptian temple surrounded by a small park, popular spot to watch sunset, also has a pretty rose garden close by.
Plaza de España: statue of Miguel Cervantes, this is where the biggest Zara in the world is located.
Royal Palace of Madrid: need tickets to get inside but pretty to look at from the outside.
Almudena Cathedral: next to the Royal Palace, can go inside for a donation.
Plaza Mayor: once the center of old Madrid, sometimes there are free cultural events happening here, get a drink if you want to sit & admire but don’t get food inside the plaza (very touristy).
Puerta del Sol: most famous and busy square in Madrid, the center of the city.
Gran Via: main shopping street of Madrid, usually very busy but the buildings are beautiful.

Sol: very central, lots of everything here but can be a little too touristy sometimes.
Huertas: great spot for having a casual drink outside, streets are small & charming.
La Latina: like an old quarter, really pretty streets for walking, Cava Baja is a famous street for tapas.
Malasaña: known to be more hipster/ artsy, lots of young people, trendy cafes, bars & restaurants, tons of vintage/ second hand shops.

Free walking tour of Madrid
Lots of tapas tour options
Botanical Gardens: free on Tuesdays from 10-1
Prado Art Museum
Reina Sofia Art Museum: this one is my fav because there’s lots of Dali & Picasso
Museo Sorolla: Spanish artist Joaquín Sorolla’s old house that has been converted into a museum, highly recommend checking this out!
Flamenco show
Rent a paddle boat in Retiro
Get cookies from the cloistered nuns at Iglesia del Corpus Cristi
Tour the Royal Palace of Madrid
El Rastro market: every Sunday, lots of second hand clothes, antiques, etc.
See live music at La Coquette Blues Bar