Madrid · FOOD & DRINK
Every trip has one free day too few. These 15 food & drink experiences justify the slot, priced and timed so you can decide in minutes and get back to the fun part.
Spend one hour at Madrid’s Torres Bermejas, a historic tablao styled after Granada’s Alhambra towers. Watch singers, guitarists, clappers, and dancers perform traditional flamenco, then choose a show-only, drinks, or dinner package. The venue is central, ornate, and made for an easy evening out.
“It was really entertaining and the dancers and musicians were great. Would recommend.”
Travel from Madrid to Toledo for a guided walk through the old and Jewish quarters, with optional cathedral entry and free time. Then visit an 18th-century vineyard near Bargas, learn about winemaking from a local viticulturist, and taste three wines with Iberian meats and Manchego cheese.
“Time in Toledo was limited. Could have learned more. 2 separate tours shared a bus which was ok but not personalized.”
Join a bilingual local guide such as Carlos, Noemi, or Rocio for three hours of tapas, wine, and Madrid history. Walk from Santa Ana Square through the Literary Quarter to four long-running bars, tasting at least 12 dishes and one drink at each stop before finishing near Plaza Mayor.
“Tour was wonderful! So much food and drink, make sure you come hungry. Eva did a great job of educating us on the wine and food of Madrid. Super fun too! You won’t regret taking this tour.”
Spend three hours tasting Madrid with an English-speaking guide such as David, Flo, Mitzi, or José. Visit Antón Martín Market, try churros, chorizo bread, Spanish cheeses, vermouth, tapas, and a calamari sandwich. Morning and 5 pm tours follow different opening bites.
“I love to do walking food tours to explore cities during a first visit. This one was truly exceptional. Our guide Jose was the best! Loved the small group size, the choice of food, and the honoring of my dietary restrictions! Highly recommend!”
Walk Madrid’s old center with a local guide such as Jorge, Jo, or Ignacio, stopping for a historic pastry, Iberian ham, Manchego, squid sandwich, tapas, vermouth, cider, and Spanish tortilla. Choose a shorter tasting or the fuller three-hour version with extra meats, olive oil, sangria, or beer.
“This was a wonderful time! Jorge was amazing. We loved touring with Jorge because he had such expansive knowledge of Spain/Madrid and the food within it. We took this tour about halfway into our trip, and every food option was new to us. Jorge took us to places that had practically all locals (a good sign!). It was cool to try things that only locals may know about. Our knowledge of the Spanish language has restricted us a bit in where/what we eat, and Jorge was able to bridge that gap for us with this tour. We tried things we never would have tried on our own - and they…”
Leave central Madrid for three contrasting wineries in the Vinos de Madrid region. Taste more than 10 local wines, including tempranillo and malvar, with cheese, Iberian ham, and other tapas. Guides such as Ismael, Antonio, Muna, and Enrique add clear wine lessons and plenty of humor.
“Excellent and easy day trip from Madrid to a few intimate, family wineries in the Madrid DO. We had a great time with our small group, and purchased a few wines from the wineries we visited. Would gladly recommend this experience”
Join Tipsy Tours for a 2.5-hour English-language walk through La Latina, tasting tapas at four eateries with wine, vermouth, or tinto de verano. Guides such as Nada, Sergio, Javier, Karina, and Layla lead the route, with vegetarian and alcohol-free choices available by request.
“Our tour was nice, our tour guide Sergio was very sweet and friendly. Our group was energetic and super fun, this made the tour worthwhile. Unfortunately the tapas weren’t great (we had a total of 4 tapas, and 4 drinks) the drinks were full size but all the tapas were shared by the group and not super substantial (my husband and I had a light dinner after to supplement). Don’t expect to like all the tapas. Sergio gave us a little bit of history while we walked, which was a great addition. All in all, the tour is really a taste tester, so don’t expect to be replace dinner. But…”
Leave Madrid at 9:15 am for Ribera del Duero, Spain’s Tempranillo country. With guides such as Ismael, Antonio, Muna, Cosmin, or Alfonso, you visit three contrasting wineries, taste at least nine wines, explore an underground cellar, and have free time for a Castilian lunch before returning around 8 pm.
“It was wonderful driving out of the city and seeing the countryside. The first winery was so great with lots of history. I really enjoyed going into the wine caves from 400 years ago! The wines we tasted were very good. The tour guide, Muna, was very knowledgeable and filled us in with many facts about wine in Spain . And the guides at each winery were very expert and gave us much knowledge. Our group size of 6 people was perfect too. It was a very enjoyable day for my husband and me!”
Travel by private bus from Madrid to Toledo for a panoramic view, guided walk, optional entry to three monuments, and a local wine and tapas tasting. Guides including Amanda, Lidia, Javier, and Benito have been praised for clear history talks and friendly service. Expect plenty of cobblestones and about two hours to explore alone.
“Tour was organized and so much fun! Jose was a great driver and Rocia was an amazing guide!! Wine tasting was incredible and Toledo was quite an experience. Recommended for sure!”
Travel from Madrid to Toledo with a Spanish or English-speaking guide such as Laura, Antonio, or Julio. Walk through the Jewish Quarter, enjoy 105 minutes of free time, then visit a 200-year-old family winery for a cellar tour, vineyard visit, charcuterie, and three local wines.
“Fantastic!! My boyfriend and I enjoyed it very much and Carlos was great!”
Walk Madrid’s Malasaña with a local guide and stop six times for churros, coffee, jamón, olives, olive oil, tapas, and drinks. You’ll visit Mercado Barceló, hear neighborhood stories, and finish where you started. Guides may include Oliver, Amy, or Margit.
“What a fun tour. Go hungry as you’ll have plenty of foods to try. The churros and porros with chocolate sauce and coffee were an excellent ‘first’ breakfast. The savory breakfast of jamon and cheese and wine/beer was equally good. We visited the Mercado and had samplings of olives, anchovies and figs. One of the most interesting stop was to sample olive oils. We ended with a wonderful meal of warm tapas and more drinks. We didn’t need to eat for the rest of the day. I highly recommend this tour.”
Meet at Madrid & Darracott near Plaza Mayor for three Spanish wines, one white and two reds, plus a lively introduction to regions, grapes, tasting basics, and Spanish wine culture. Hosts such as Luke, Siegfried, and Rocky keep the session informal and funny. Plan for up to 90 minutes.
“The host was exceptionally knowledgeable and passionate about wine. He accommodated our request to sample only red wines too.”
Travel from Madrid to Ribera del Duero in a small group of up to eight. Visit four contrasting wineries, taste 12 wines, see historic underground cellars, meet winemakers, and enjoy a local lunch with pairings. Guides such as Yanny, Raúl, Enrique, and Giuseppe bring strong wine and regional knowledge.
“Truly a great tour & day! If you want to spend a day really learning about wine & the region this tour is for you! Raul is so knowledge and kind! The 4 vineyard stops were beautiful and the wine was delicious, unique, and great representations of the area! All the tastings were comprehensive, fun, and very enjoyable! Would definitely recommend this tour!”
Travel from central Madrid to Toledo with an English or Spanish-speaking guide, tour Santa María la Blanca and major old-town sights, then visit Finca Loranque for a winery tour, three wines, cured meats, and cheese. Expect cobblestones, hills, and a full eight-hour day.
“The trip was amazingly fun, starting with our guiding tours and the winery, we had so much fun, we also took in a lot of knowledge. I recommend it to anyone who wants to do a Toledo tour.”
Join Carpe Diem Tours for a 2.5-hour Madrid food walk through La Latina and Centro. You will sample nine tapas and five drinks, including vermouth, squid-ink calamari sandwich, chorizo-stuffed mushrooms, tortilla, and churros. Guides such as Sergio, Lidia, Javier, Karina, and Nada add local stories and restaurant tips.
“This was a really fun tour with really good drinks and food. Each place had a different drink and local food item with really good serving sizes of both. Sergio was our tour guide, he made it very enjoyable by taking us to different parts of the city and did a great job explaining everything! I would definitely do this again if I'm ever back in Madrid. Sergio was also great at communicating with us so we all met up stress free! We even made friends with some of the others on the tour!”
Pick a gallery, a kitchen or a coach out of town.
