Madrid · FOOD
The 15 best food experiences you can book today, with what each costs, how long it runs and who it suits. Number one is top for a reason; start there.
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.”
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…”
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…”
Meet at Paurora Experiences in central Madrid for a hands-on paella and sangria class led by instructors including Tony, Carlos, Pedro, and Yireles. Prepare sangria, tortilla, ham toast, and a shared seafood, chicken, or vegan paella, then finish with dessert drinks and recipes to take home.
“This was a great class to learn how to make sangria and Paella. The class was very interactive and hands on. One criticism is that the rice in the Paella needs to be cooked a little longer but other than that, I would recommend as a must do activity.”
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.”
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!”
Meet your English-speaking guide at Metro Sol for a generous three-hour food walk through central Madrid. Jorge, Jo, Maria José, and Ari have led memorable departures, visiting old family-run shops and local eateries for pastry, Iberian meats, tapas, drinks, and a secret dish.
“Great - really good food, excellent guide and fun group!”
Meet your guide outside Starbucks on Calle de Cdad. Rodrigo 5 for a two-hour food walk through central Madrid. Expect tapas, a calamari sandwich, churros con chocolate, local stories, and a final stop near Puerta del Sol. Guides speak English, Spanish, French, or Portuguese.
“I think there needs to be more taste experiences for the amount of money paid. Having olives included as one of the 3 stops in the markets was a waste of time when you see other more amazing products. The squid bun and chouros were great. The guide was also great but I guess he can only do what he is asked to do by who he works for!”
Walk through Old Madrid with a bilingual guide, stopping at three or four traditional tapas bars for dishes such as garlic prawns, chorizo, croquettes, bravas, and mushrooms. You will see Puerta del Sol, Plaza Mayor, San Miguel Market, and San Ginés Church, with an optional chocolate and churros finish.
“Carmen was a wonderful guide! We enjoyed learning about Spain’s history while enjoying delicious tapas and wine.”
Meet your English-speaking Carpe Diem guide at Plaza de los Carros for a 2.5-hour walk through La Latina and Madrid Centro. You will try nine tapas and five drinks, from tortilla and vermouth to calamari, chorizo mushrooms, and churros, ending beside Plaza Mayor.
“Lidia was great. She had a wealth of information on the city of Madrid. We very much enjoyed the food tour”
Walk central Madrid with an English-speaking guide and sample 12 or more foods and three drinks at family-run cafés, market stalls, bars, delis, and pastry shops. Morning tours include churros and chocolate. At 5 pm, that stop changes to tapas and beer.
“Great food and great tour. Mitzi was great and her insight as an American living in Madrid provided a unique insight to this vibrant city. The food was amazing and there was so much of it. Definitely more than a meal. Highly recommended.”
Meet Jorge or another English-speaking guide at Puerta del Sol for a three-hour private food walk. Taste Iberian ham, manchego, tortilla, patatas bravas, squid sandwich, vermouth, cider, wine, and more while passing Plaza Mayor, San Ginés, and Mercado de San Miguel.
“Jorge was great, he was extremely informative and accommodating. There is a lot of information, it is probably better to schedule this tour early on in your trip as you get information about where to go and what to do in Madrid.”
Spend two hours tasting Madrid-style sandwiches, fried food, ham, cheese, chocolate, and churros with a small group of up to 10. Guides such as José and Rebeca mix food with local history, architecture, and practical tips. The San Miguel stop is currently outdoors because the market is closed for renovation.
“José was personable, knowledgeable, engaging, and friendly. Food tours in new places are always a good idea and everything José introduced to us was delicious. First-timers in Madrid: Book this tour and hope José is your guide!”
Meet your English-speaking local guide in Plaza de Santa Ana for a 3.5-hour tasting walk through central Madrid. Sample gambas al ajillo, tortilla, calamari sandwiches, cured meats, churros, and drinks, with guides such as Adolfo, Michel, and Osmel adding local food and history.
“Michel was a great tour guide. Great insights and was knowledgeable about the area and where to seek out the best dishes.”
Pick a gallery, a kitchen or a coach out of town.
