The 25 best restaurants in Madrid

DiverXO's Michelin-starred chef, Dabiz Muñoz, is still at the top of his game, where he's been for years now. The waiting list at DiverXO is long, but it's always worth it once you get the chance to have dinner in this colourful space where surprises are the order of the day. The contrasts that explode with every bite are the house trademark. A three-hour dining experience featuring more than 20 dishes is something you won't soon forget.

After part of the restaurant burnt down, chef Dani Ochoa has returned triumphantly to Madrid's restaurant scene. Montia's new space is larger and more versatile, without leaving its roots in San Lorenzo de El Escorial. The kitchen is located between a Nordic-style room, featuring wood, leather chairs and a beautiful fireplace, and another with views of its own vegetable garden. Its unique flare is maintained in its refined menu; mushrooms, trout, Peguerinos beans, game, aromatic herbs picked on the day, a natural wine cellar, and of course, its legendary tripe. Make no mistake: Montia is just right (and it earned a Michelin star in 2023). 

The time has come for Óscar Velasco and Montse Abellà to return to the stage. After two decades in the underground kitchens of Santceloni, VelascoAbellà is his newest venture, and you'll find it in the Hispanoamérica neighborhood, which is increasingly gastronomic. At the back you look out over a patio of olive trees, and the restaurant is filled with natural light. Order the roast aubergine salad, the mackerel and cauliflower and the smoked ricotta ravioli with caviar. And don't under any circumstances skip dessert. 

Ugo Chan's minimalist kitchen and dining room is one for the books – and the bar plays a starring role. In true Japanese style, the best thing to do is to indulge in the Omakase tasting menu, and definitely get the onion soup with smoked bonito consommé and comté cheese, the red mullet sashimi with bilbaína, the alistado tempura or the selection of nigiris, such as the eel and foie gras nigiri, a tribute to Berasategui.

The menu at Desde 1911 changes every day according to the season, and make no mistake, it's a blow-out meal; the full three courses will set you back somewhere between €120 and €150. The main course will always be the catch of the day – turbot, sea bream, grouper – and there will always be an unbeatable cheese board. 

Deessa earned its first Michelin star within eight months of opening, and the following year it was awarded its second. The dishes here are intricate and elegant, served in a spectacular dining room with views of the garden, and with exquisite service and a cracking wine cellar to match. All you have to do is decide between two very different menus, and enjoy the choreography.

There is probably no restaurant like this in the whole city. Sure, tons of them are great, but no other restaurant has smoke (literal smoke) as the cornerstone of everything – and we love it. The concept is as vibrant as it is exclusive, and for the full experience, we recommend choosing one of the few seats in the front line of action, facing the chefs. This is hyper-stylised haute cuisine with a dazzling cooking show, all in a minimal space in the Hyatt Regency Hesperia hotel. Plus Smoked Room got awarded two Michelin stars at once, which is pretty much unheard of. Cracking stuff. 

You might not know it, but this top-rated flamenco tablao in Spain's capital city also boasts a restaurant with four tables and a Michelin star, where Chef David García, an unquestionable master at the hobs, is at the helm. Corral de la Morería also proudly presents a wine cellar that's a temple for any fan of wines from Jerez in Andalusia, with about a thousand vintages to its name. Always held to premium standards are excellence when it comes to raw materials (the way they handle fish 'kokotxas' will wow you), simple but complete dishes, restrained avant-garde and the Basque tradition the cuisine is based on.

The menu at Invernadero is about method, control and order – and surprisingly, vegetables. Yep, it's all about the veggies here. But Michelin-starred style, thanks to the talent, technique and creativity of the chef, who does a real job of teaching as well as cooking. Green haute cuisine, mind, not ‘veggie’, you'll find unexpected pairings of fermented drinks made from vegetables and fruit as well as wines.

This prestigious restaurant has passed from parents to their children. But we're not talking about any ordinary family: the surname Sandoval has been synonymous with quality cuisine for generations. Mario is the chef in charge of keeping in line with tradition and at the same time injecting innovation into every Coque dish. The restaurant's cutting-edge oven and the wood it employs for roasting are the distinguishing marks of this kitchen that has earned itself two Michelin stars. An impeccable dining room service, simple decor and two complete tasting menus with an option to pair with wines complete a unique gastronomic experience.

The quality of the basic ingredients is non-negotiable at this restaurant with just eight tables, where Juanjo López deploys all his culinary talents. Traditional recipes are transformed into contemporary, elegant dishes. Haute market-style cuisine, exceptional service and an outstanding wine and champagne list.

Diego Guerrero reaffirms his commitment in Madrid's Las Salesas area with a new space (DSpeakeasy), but DSTAgE is still his flagship restaurant, the canvas where he paints his most daring, personal and successful works of art. You'll find an industrial aesthetic and a casual atmosphere in the dining area; while the kitchen overflows with talent and technique, which comes from round the world (from Mexico to Japan) to turn ideas into singular dishes. You'll choose from two tasting menus to get a complete taste for what they can do.

With the arrival of Rafa Zafra and Anna Gotanegra in Madrid (they already have a prized eatery with loyal clientele in Barcelona), the best of the Mediterranean comes to the Spanish capital. Estimar's ideology is based on being as pure as possible (no more than three or four ingredients per recipe) so that the product speaks for itself. On the menu you'll find all types of preparations – salt cured, marinated, grilled, steamed – resulting in very fine cooking where Rosas prawns share the spotlight with splendid Andalusian fried dishes or anchovies they clean themselves every day.

Run by two brothers, Lana has taken care of every detail. They have a committed dream team from the grill to the waiters, they buy wine from all over the world to form their completely Argentinean wine cellar, their meats are great and their veg is all seasonal. But really, you're at Lana for the meat. 

La Tasquería just might be a great place for a first date. This restaurant that lives by and for offal triggers as many passions as misgivings. But you've just got to try what chef Javi Estévez does with the product: he dignifies it, updates it and presents it with a contemporary flavour that manages to lighten up all the preconceived ideas of those who aren't accustomed to dining on this sort of cuisine – brains, trotters, tails, tongue, gizzards and, of course, tripe. The main part of the menu is divided into different sections by animal: pork, veal and lamb. These dishes can be accompanied with sides in jars, such as the partridge, apple and sherry. And leave room for something from the offering of desserts, which get the same careful treatment as the mains.

When your restaurant is chosen to be part of a hotel with the stars and pedigree of the Urban, you know you've made all the right moves. And Chef Aurelio Morales, who has demonstrated his shining talent everywhere he's worked, finally gets the applause he deserves at Cebo. The cuisine borrows from the Mediterranean coast but never forgets it's Madrid roots. You'll find typically Mediterranean 'espardeñas' but also traditionally local 'callos'. Choose between the two tasting menus (either 15 or 20 courses), which are prepared and to be enjoyed with emotion, daring, technique and flavour. You get excellent product with a deep contemporary soul, from a ceaseless and meticulous chef.

On arrival at the table, bare of tablecloth and with a neon-coloured methacrylate cutlery stand, a bottle of water and an aperitif are served in haste, even before the menu and wine lists are handed out. Trèsde's entire menu can be ordered individually, but they offer an ‘EPP’ (starter, main, dessert) format with three choices per section. The menu changes seasonally with starters and mains, and begins with a loaf of bread and butter ‘reworked’ with herbs (it's deliciuos). This is followed by an additional, unspecified item on paper: a very thin sandwich composed of two crispy slices of potato chip with veg and mayo. 

Every night Sacha Ormaechea works miracles from his second home at his eponymous restaurant in Madrid. Some who cross the threshold see a mishmash of styles, while others admire a unique personality. Neither view is wrong, and all who sit down will enjoy an inimitable atmosphere that goes beyond furniture. It's also about the service, the menu, the clientele, the times, the light (at night) and that extraordinary kitchen, with a gifted hand at the helm. The short menu features timeless classics and the most interesting new seasonal creations. If you're there in warmer months, get a table on the garden terrace.

Horcher has been making history for over 75 years, and it's lost none of its glitz. Exquisite in every way, this spot takes you back to another era with a dining room and service that shines as brightly as its silverware and cutlery. Its partridge a la prensa, Hungarian-style veal goulash and kidneys are all brilliant, as is their baumkuchen for dessert are unique. You won't find food like it anywhere else.

Everything’s very nice as soon as you cross the threshold. Before you’ve had time to scoot your chair up to the table, a staff member approaches with a tempting trolley. Generous pours of wine, a selection of vermouths and more to prepare the palate. It’s hard to say no to a Barbiana sherry or a Galician vermouth. You look over the menu while waiting for your drink to arrive. Everything looks good. You spot the house speciality – potatoes mashed with gizzard and jowls – along with seasonal recommendations and some 20 other dishes (starters and mains) that, thanks to their half portions, let you choose your own adventure.

The food at Salino is always good and there's options for the whole family. And it doesn't matter whether you go for a few glasses of wine and a bite to eat at the high tables that welcome you just down the stairs, or whether you've booked a table in the main dining room, the food here will delight you. House classics (bravas, torreznos or ensaladilla), various rice dishes, the chef's own creations (mogote dumplings, redfish tacos) and well-executed dishes like tuna parpatana or Iberian picana and the odd novelty off the menu are all briliant. You can bring whoever you want, because you're gonna impress 'em with this one. 

The menu that Juan Manuel de Dios has created for this restaurant is a strong bet that's always getting better. His refined technique, his passion for the trade, his knowledge of the product and his excellent pantry always make sitting down for a meal at La Bien Aparecida an extraordinary experience from beginning to end. Each creation is a hit thanks to their outstanding presentation and the care that goes into them. And it doesn't matter if you're served a white gazpacho a wild hare à la royale.

Their selection of cheeses, cold cuts, cured and pickled options are pillars on a menu that sticks to seasonality wholeheartedly. Not only do they switch out a dozen dishes per season but your wait staff will also often read off a tempting and splendid selection of off-menu dishes. Not down this address for when you're out looking for a great place to eat; they know how to honour and harmonize country flavours. Another plus: you're welcome to order half portions.

There's nothing else like Le Bistroman in these parts. This dream come true for Miguel Ángel García Marinelli and Stephane del Río is built on elegance, high standards and rigour. French cuisine provides the score, including seasonal Provençal flavours, and Le Bistroman's interpretations of onglet or bouillabaisse are a symphony. When there's poulty in their pantry, you'll leave the restaurant singing The Marseillaise whether you've had a bottle of champagne or not. The dessert menu is essential.

Do you like ham or chorizo croquettes? (That's a joke, by the way, because of course everybody does). The owners of La Falda (a few streets away) have revived a tavern, to start up La Lorenza. It's always very lively (book in advance if you want a table in the dining room at weekends), where they skilfully combine music, splendid produce, fusion notes, traditional flavours, good bread and an unconventional and versatile wine cellar. Get the ramenciño if they're doing it, but don't miss the tripe, the tortilla, the gyozas or the hake with salicornia mayo.