Madrid Food

A stew consisting of chickpeas, vegetables and various cuts of pork, Cocido Madrileño is a substantial meal - so much so, it has to be served in two portions (the soup first and then meat and vegetables).

Where to Get Cocido Madrileño in Madrid: Restaurante Doña Juana, just a few minutes from Sol, serves Cocido Madrileño six days a week (they're closed on Mondays).

This famous fried dough, served with the thickest hot chocolate you will ever see, can be found all over Spain, but nowhere does it better than Madrid.

Where to Get Chocolate con Churros in Madrid: Chocolateria de San Gines, close to Sol

A regional specialty that is hard to get done properly, due to its long preparation time.

Where to Get Cochinillo Asado in Madrid: El Sobrino de Botin (commonly known as 'El Botin') is the oldest restaurant in the world and was Hemingway's favorite restaurant (he says as much in his book The Sun Also Rises). It also makes great cochinillo asado. The kitchen is constantly preparing the pig, so you are guaranteed the freshest of dishes every time.

Battered squid rings, served in a crusty roll, is another Madrid classic. This is another dish that is often served badly - unless the squid is recently fried, it can be very chewy - so make sure you choose your restaurant right.

Where to Get Bocadillo de Calamares in Madrid: El Brillante, just across from the Atocha train station, claims to do the best squid sandwiches in Madrid, and few disagree!

This is utter tripe. No, really, it's tripe. I'm not keen (apparently it's an acquired taste) but worth seeking out if it's your kind of thing.

Where to Get Callos a la Madrileña in Madrid: Several places on Cava Baja serve callos, the most famous being La Chata.