Madrid
Madrid for food lovers: tapas tours from Plaza Mayor and the Barrio de las Letras, 69.99 to 89 euros per adult, and the capital’s classic dishes.
At a glance
- Three tapas tours with a published adult price, from 69.99 to 89 euros
- Tours start at Plaza Mayor or Plaza de Ramales, in the old town
- Evening departures from 5 pm to 7:30 pm, in tune with Spanish dinner hours
- The capital’s classics: cocido madrileño, bocadillo de calamares, churros
- 1food festival
- 1culinary experience
Food festivals in Madrid
Heidi Meudt, CC BY
Culinary experiences in Madrid
Juan Antonio Flores Segal from Madrid (Spain), CC BYMap of Madrid
What to taste in Madrid
Tapas
Small plates served with a drink. Gourmet Madrid’s tour takes in more than 12 of them across four traditional taverns.
Cocido madrileño
A stew of chickpeas, meats and vegetables, the capital’s signature dish.
Bocadillo de calamares
Fried squid rings in a crusty roll, sold in the bars around Plaza Mayor.
Churros con chocolate
Fried dough sticks dipped in thick hot chocolate.
Madrid’s food tours gather in its old town, around Plaza Mayor, Puerta del Sol and the Barrio de las Letras: three operators publish an adult price there, from 69.99 to 89 euros, for two to three and a half hours of tapas.
Each winter IFEMA hosts Madrid Fusión, the chefs’ congress, open to ticket holders: 1 to 3 February 2027, its 25th anniversary.
Tapas in Madrid’s old town
- Plaza Mayor is the meeting point of Secret Food Tours’ Express Food Tour, 2 to 2.5 hours and 4 stops.
- Plaza de Ramales, west of Plaza Mayor, is where Eating Europe’s tapas tour starts, for 3.5 hours.
- Barrio de las Letras is the setting of Gourmet Madrid’s wine and tapas tour, four traditional taverns in 3 hours.
Taverns older than the tours
Madrid’s tourist office keeps a list of the city’s centuries-old restaurants and taverns, each with the dish it is known for. Casa Botín, opened in 1725, is the oldest operating restaurant in the world for Guinness World Records.
| Restaurant and address | Since | Known for |
|---|---|---|
| Posada de la Villa, Cava Baja 9 | 1642 | roast lamb |
| Botín, Calle de Cuchilleros 17 | 1725 | roast suckling pig from its old oven |
| Casa Alberto, Huertas 18 | 1827 | oxtail |
| Lhardy, Carrera de San Jerónimo 8 | 1839 | wild duck in orange |
| Casa Labra, Calle Tetuán 12 | 1860 | cod tapas |
| Malacatín, Calle Ruda 5 | 1895 | cocido madrileño |
| La Casa del Abuelo, Calle de la Victoria 12 | 1906 | garlic prawns |
Sol, Letras or La Latina: where to sleep
- Sol and Plaza Mayor: the centre of the old town, where Secret Food Tours meets.
- Barrio de las Letras: the old literary quarter east of Sol, with its taverns, towards the Prado museum.
- La Latina: south of Plaza Mayor, known for the tapas bars of Cava Baja.
Before you go
- Tour prices: 69.99 to 89 euros per adult in 2026. Gourmet Madrid charges 70 euros for children aged 4 to 12.
- Meal times: lunch and dinner are served late in Spain. Plan tapas in the evening.
- Arriving: Madrid-Barajas airport, high-speed trains at Atocha and Chamartín.
- Getting around: the Metro reaches Sol, at the centre of the old town. The tours themselves are on foot.
Frequently asked questions
How much is a food tour in Madrid?
69.99 to 89 euros per adult for the three tours compared in this guide (2026 prices).
Where do Madrid food tours start?
At Plaza Mayor for Secret Food Tours, at Plaza de Ramales 1 for Eating Europe. Both are in the old town.
What food is Madrid known for?
Cocido madrileño, the bocadillo de calamares and churros con chocolate, and the tapas of its old taverns.
What time do people eat dinner in Madrid?
Late, often from 9 pm. That is why the evening tapas tours start between 5 pm and 7:30 pm.