One of the best things about visiting the very beautiful and cosmopolitan region of Madrid, the capital and largest city in Spain, is the wonderful cuisine you’ll be treated to during your stay. The cuisine offered in Madrid and the surrounding towns and villages is an incorporation of a variety of cuisines featured in many different regions throughout Spain, developed, in part, by mass migration to the capital city beginning during the reign of King Felipe II in the mid-16th century. As Madrid grew and flourished, it integrated the culinary traditions of the municipalities it absorbed into the area now known as the Community of Madrid.
After a long day touring the wonderful sites and attractions of Madrid, thousands of people flock to the city’s many restaurants, offering both regional Spanish dishes and international cuisine. The food served in Madrid is lauded by foreign visitors to the city; visitors whose only complaint is about the Spanish schedule for meals. As it is throughout much of Spain, dinner in Madrid is served between two and four in the afternoon, and a light supper is typically eaten sometime after 9pm or 10pm.
Typical Cuisine of Madrid
The custom of eating tapas is very common in Madrid. Tapas, which translate to “small plates,” are small and varied dishes served in the city’s bars and usually shared among a group of people. They can also be ordered in regular-sized servings in sit-down restaurants.
When it comes to the local cuisine, there are an endless number of potential combinations. The following dishes, however, are among the most popular in Madrid:
Cocido madrileño. Cocido madrileño is a well-loved beef and vegetable stew that is often featured as a Tuesday special throughout town. The dish, which is usually served in three courses, consists of chickpeas, meat (usually beef), vegetables and sausage. The first course consists of a broth-based soup, the second includes the vegetables and chickpeas, and the third and final course incorporates the meat and sausage.
Bocadillo de calamares. Found in almost every bar in Spain, Bocadillo de calamares consist of fried squid rings served inside freshly baked French bread.
Callos a la madrilèna. Callos a la madrilèna is a local variation of an Asturian dish—a tripe-based dish made with chorizo, blood sausage, the hoof and snout of a cow, sweet paprika and the tripe of a calf or lamb. This is a very popular order in Madrid restaurants, especially after a long night partying (locals will tell you the dish is a great cure for that morning hangover).
Oreja a la plancha. Oreja a la pancha, which translates literally to “grilled ear,” is a pork dish enjoyed strictly by those who have acquired a taste for it. The dish exists in many forms depending on how it is cooked and served, including with garlic (al ajillo), with spicy sauce and in the Basque style known as a la vizcaina.
Other popular dishes in Madrid include patatas brava, irregularly-cut fried potatoes served with spicy tomato sauce; gallinejas, a dish of fried sheep entrails; gambas and setas al ajillo, prawns and mushrooms with garlic; and Huevos estrellados, a dish of eggs fried in olive oil and served with potatoes and a slice of meat, usually ham, bacon or chorizo.
