Madrid Eat/Drink/Vibe $$$$

The following is a running list of my favorite upscale restaurants in Madrid. I call it eat/drink/vibe because a truly satisfying dining experience must have the perfect combination of all three. I promise to never take you somewhere with bad vibes.

Aarde, Pl. de la Independencia 10, Retiro

$$$$, global menu, date or fun drinks out vibe

If your first date takes you here, he really likes you and he’s definitely going to call you an Uber there without you even asking. The epitome of a good vibe, this restaurant has two sides, as we all do: chill & relaxed and a full-on party with a DJ fueling your meal. Depending on who you’re bringing, I would specify which vibe you prefer. We started with champagne, just order a bottle if you’re like me because you will have at least three glasses. To eat we had oysters, red tuna tartare, quail egg, and shiso in tempera; spicy tuna uramaki with dutch cucumber; and Galician beef steak tartare. My date and I shared these dishes because I love to try everything on the menu. This was an incredibly filling meal. Loved the tuna tartare, but avoided the quail egg because I have an intense disgust with all eggs or anything that even resembles them (it’s a personal preference, you might love it). My favorite was the spicy tuna uramaki (which is just a spicy tuna roll). I delighted in the oysters (never met one I didn’t like), but would not order the beef tartare again. I've never been a big fan but this one especially weirded me out. Even if you are seated on the more relaxed side of the restaurant, you can grab a drink at the bar afterward and enjoy the party. I would recommend the 10 pm dinner seating so you are not restricted to a time limit. If you’re here you might as well adjust to the Spanish food schedule, you’ll need the late-night fuel for your 6 am club night following. 

Oroya, Pl. de Celenque 2, Centro

$$$$, peruvian, date/dinner/drinks

This beautiful botanical atmosphere is located on the top floor of the Edition Hotel in the very center of the city. Greenery fills the restaurant and whether you’re seated indoors or outdoors, you will be transported into a large, oxygenated garden dining room. With lots of seafood options (have you noticed that’s a favorite of mine) there is plenty to choose from. We ordered: oysters, mussels, scallops, broccolini, and beef tenderloin. Small portions, but good to share a few items between some people. My choice of dining companions were my best friend and ex-boyfriend! This restaurant prefers to maintain a classier atmosphere so if you have a couple of beverages and start talking like loud Americans, you will get annoying stares…be warned. We loved it, but I'm not sure our fellow patrons loved our presence. Nonetheless, I recommend this for an intimate date or dinner with the family. 

Bakan, Plaza de la Independencia 5, Retiro

$$$, mexican, date, or happy hour vibe

Mexican in Madrid can be hard to find, but don’t worry I found you this delicious gem in the same plaza as Aarde. You’ll find I quite enjoy the amenities in this part of the city, that damn expensive taste I have. To start I had the tamarindo margarita, it’s the best flavor they have on the menu, I promise. And that’s not just because tamarin reminds me of my childhood, thanks to my Mexican stepmom. However, I urge you to steer clear of the maracuyá flavor. Something about it was just nasty. For dinner, I had the negro mole with black mole, chicken breast, goat cheese, sesame seeds and rice. The black mole was traditional and had a bit of a smoky sweetness that speaks to my soul. This was a great portion size, enough to leave with leftovers. Which, I find quite rare in this country as the portion sizes are much smaller than in America (or maybe my stomach is shrinking after 5 months idk). I love this spot for dinner with a group of friends, they have a glorious outdoor patio overlooking Puerta de Alcala and Retiro Park. They can also enclose the outdoor patio making this the perfect vibe for winter or summer. 

Maison Jaguar, C. de Goya 39, Salamanca

$$$, mexican, dinner + show 

I am a sucker for a theme. As you can guess from the name, Maison Jaguar is a jungle-themed restaurant and jaguars are the star of the interior design show. I love a theme so much that I wore a cheetah print dress to dinner (and yes my Instagram photos looked so good since I matched the background). My first drink was the jaguar of course, with mezcal and vodka. It was strong, and best of all, served in a jaguar cup. Picture a painted little sculpture of a jaguar with a straw coming out of it. I am a sucker for details like this. I went with two friends and we shared the following dishes: chicken quesadilla al pastor, prawn ceviche, two orders of the governor shrimp tacos, and the gaonera steak tacos. Everything. Delish. I have to take a minute to specifically talk about the pop rocks in the shrimp tacos. You read that right, the candy, pop rocks, with shrimp. It might sound bizarre, but the candy's sweetness complimented the shrimp's zest and spice. The steak tacos of course were the melt-in-your-mouth kind of beef with a deep smokey intensity. The ceviche, in the best way, tasted like a fisherman hand-delivered it to our table, but not before adding the perfect amount of lime and cilantro. Of course, the meal wouldn’t be complete without a dessert. I had to order the cheesecake, and as a self-proclaimed cheesecake hater, I LOVED it. Imagine this: you're eating all this delicious food but there’s a show every 30-45 minutes. Eight girls dancing to music classily yet promiscuously wearing what resembled some sort of Aztec feather gear and headdresses. No better way to enjoy dinner. 

Zuma, Pl. de la Castellana 2, Salamanca

$$$$, japanese, such a vibe

For the best hospitality I've ever experienced in Madrid, go to Zuma and spend the majority of this month’s paycheck. At one point my phone fell onto the floor, but the manager ran over and put it in my hand before I could even process that it had fallen. You might have to skimp on groceries but it’s so worth it when you order Arjun’s chu toro-prime tuna, onions, and caviar. I will genuinely eat anything with caviar on top. A spicy tuna roll will always make it somewhere on my order at a sushi restaurant and this one was no different, just a bit more exceptional than the others. We also ordered the Chilean seabass and sweet potato. Everything bursts with flavor when paired with the zumamanuka cocktail (the best one on the menu). I must warn you about the portion sizes, however, because they are for skinny people. Order another cocktail and enjoy the ambiance that feels like the beginning of an Odesza song.

Quintoelemento, C. de Atocha 125, Atocha

$$$-$$$$, global, dinner with a show

Located at the very top of Madrid’s most famous club, Kapital, a Freddy Mercury impersonator will serenade you while you eat sushi. It’s a lively, nightlife atmosphere with outstanding cuisine. I got a spicy tuna roll and wagyu nigiri or something like that. The A5 Wagyu might be one of my favorite things I’ve ever tasted. This is good for a date but a little loud for a first date, so you might wanna go for your third date like I did. You won’t be able to hear or pay much attention to him after Freddy Mercury comes up to your table dressed like a woman. It’ll be fun to see your date's reaction but you're not going to leave knowing his life story by any means. You will leave feeling giggly, tipsy, and satisfied. 

Numa Pompilio, C. de Velazquez 18, Salamanca

$$$$, italian, intimate, amazing garden

The warmest Italian welcome you can receive in Madrid is when you walk into Numa Pompilio. The whole staff greets you as you walk to your table (but, you should request to be in the garden). On the restaurant’s patio, you can dine amongst the trees and twinkle lights under adorable frilly umbrellas. The brick floor creates the perfect path to your iron rod dining table with the cutest table array, complete with blankets and a fire on chillier days. Our server recommended the perfect Spanish wine, (Godella from the north of Spain), that tastes like the water that Jesus himself probably turned into wine. They have amazing accommodations for those who are gluten-free, making almost any pasta available. As a starter, you need to order the eggplant parmesan. Of all the things on the menu, this was my favorite. I brought my momma here when she came to visit and we loved it so much we came twice in one week. Notable mentions: linguini pistachio pesto, rotelle with goat cheese and truffle, lobster tagliatelle, tagliolini in a pecorino cheese wheel. Another honorable mention is you can dine here at any hour, whereas other restaurants in Spain will close between the lunch and dinner shifts. The staff was warm, the wine was cold and the food could stand by itself, even without the fantastic experience. 

Barracuda Mx, C. de Valenzuela 7, Retiro

$$$$, Mexican, dinner, sometimes mariachi 

This hidden gem has a modern take on traditional Mexican food with a coastal influence, evident in its cuisine and the classy, under-the-sea interior design. We started with the blue corn huitlacoche quesadillas which were easily a fan favorite food. I, probably like you, had no idea what huitlacoche was, so after a quick Google search, I learned it is a fungus that grows on corn. Please ignore that and order this anyway, because it tastes amazing and apparently amplifies corn's health benefits if that makes you feel better. We ordered three sets of tacos for two people and left the restaurant feeling very satisfied. The sweet potato tacos have a jalapeno Keifer sauce on top with ample amounts of spice to compliment the sweetness of the potato. The wagyu tacos were my favorite, but the carnitas tacos were also great. The wagyu beef was of the utmost quality and paired with the salsa, created an addicting bite. Service was polite and prompt with a quiet atmosphere at the earlier dining hours, but turned a bit more exciting as the night continued with a mariachi at the later dinner services.

Tatel, Paseo de la Castellana 36, Salamanca

$$$$, dinner + show, spanish/global 

This Spanish, eclectic restaurant has a bit of a pretentious vibe to it. I really did enjoy it, but it’s a bit overrated. The service and food do not match the price point, almost as if it's trying too hard to be upscale without the amenities to back it up. It's a fun environment for people-watching as many patrons got a little too drunk and started cheering on the performers on stage. It's an incredibly upbeat dining room with vintage club decor and beautiful girls switching off singing and covering modern pop songs on the violin.The staff seems to hound you upon arrival and then disappears when you need something for the remainder of your meal. I thought the cocktails were great and a bit unique. Madison ordered some lavender gin variation that changed color as you drank it…I love gimmicks like that. We started with oysters, great, no complaints there. Then we had the roasted suckling lamb rack with French roasted potatoes. The lamb was a bit fattier than I would have preferred, and tasted a bit unseasoned, to be honest. The potatoes were bland, but the saving grace of this dish was the sauce which tasted like a combination of gravy and mashed potatoes. It redeemed the entire dish once you smothered that sauce on. Next, we ordered Tatel rice with slow-cooked beef ribs. I quite enjoyed this interesting take on paella, the meat was cooked perfectly and the rice was seasoned quite well, my only complaint was it could have used a bit less salt. We left feeling satisfied and I would return if the main point of your dinner is to get tipsy and vibe around with friends.