These restaurants, bars, tapas bars, and terraces aren't intended as a "THE BEST OF MADRID" list but rather a directory of MadridMan's Personal Favorites. I haven't visited all of Madrid's restaurants or bars nor do I consider myself a culinary expert. But I DO LOVE SPANISH FOOD. I now live here in Madrid (you can call me a "PERMANENT RESIDENT TRAVELER" if you like) but had been a frequent visitor from 1995 to 2005. 12+ years of experience have been compiled into this website.

Spanish food, bars, and terraces are an integral part of life in Madrid and Spain. As is the case in this type of competitive business, restaurants and bars come and go, open and close. But the tried-and-true, "toda la vida" establishments have longevity for a reason whether it's for their excellent location, quality of food or service, or simply for their history.

Here, I sincerely hope you find the information useful. This will help you enjoy "My Madrid" even more. I must admit simply mentioning "MadridMan's Favorites" can potentially alter any given establishment. Not to presume that MadridMan.com has such incredible power but every time a given establishment is listed in a popular guidebook or website we run the risk of "changing" said establishment - for the better or for the worse. My listing of a relatively unknown restaurant, for example, may potentially bring more tourists, therefore potentially raising or lowering the quality of the food and service. Imagine someday I go to my favorite local restaurant on the edge of town, usually only known to neighborhood locals, and I find it full of tourists. The neighborhood bartender (often the owner himself) is then replaced by an underpaid illegal immigrant, the food & service quality goes down, and I not only lose my favorite restaurant but also do the locals whom patronize it, and before long those reading my "Favorites List" find themselves cheated or misled and I then have to "revise" the list. So why do I dare create such a list? Because travelers want to know what locals like, the experiences of actual people who have eaten at "Restaurante XYZ". We often wonder WHO & WHY "Restaurante XYZ" is recommended in the popular guidebooks, sometimes coming away from said restaurant thinking, "My goodness. That restaurant should NEVER have been listed in that guidebook. It was awful!" I also cannot presume that MY preferences will find everyone in the world well. Some people like brussel sprouts. I DO NOT. BLAH!

IMPORTANT NOTE: The establishments in this section have not compensated MadridMan nor Martin Media S.L. in any way, shape, or form for their mention here. In the event that an establishmention DOES elect to advertise on MadridMan.com, this fact will be clearly listed as a "SPONSORED LINK". Advertisers are welcome to promote their establishments on MadridMan.com.