Madrid Eat/Drink/Vibe $

The following is a running list of my favorite cheap restaurants in Madrid. For this price point, there is no vibe requirement, only a few euros. Good food is mandatory, but if it also has good energy it will be specified. Sometimes you just want to eat and vibes don’t always pay the bills. 

Ojala, C. de San Andrés 1, Malasaña

$, Spanish fusion, terrace, sand beach bar, vibe 

This is a great lunch spot in the middle of the city. Their wide variety of eclectic foods can satisfy any palette and appeal to any vibe with their type of atmosphere. They have an outdoor patio for those looking to enjoy the sunshine and people-watch. They have indoor seating on the first floor for those who don't want to be outside but still want a nice breeze, and then downstairs they have their beach bar, I mean the entire floor is filled with sand. Their colorful mood lighting and diverse seating arrangements transport you to a place that seems outside the city while you enjoy a cocktail with your toes in the sand. Brunch is highly recommended as are their salads, tacos, and potatoes. 

Tiki Taco, C. del Clavel 5, Gran Via/multiple locations throughout the city

$, Mexican, tacos & margaritas 

Fun fact, this is the first meal I ever had in Spain. Mexican as my first, all my Spanish people are rolling their eyes right now. I apologize, but I love it. It’s $1 tacos, $5 margaritas, quick, easy, and they have like 7 locations in the city. My best guy friend from college came to visit and ate it for lunch every single day he was here. I’m not exaggerating. They open at 1 pm and every time I see it, there is a line wrapped around the corner at 1:02. Luckily, you order at the counter and seat yourself, so you never have to wait too long. I recommend the al pastor and chicken tinga tacos. If you like fun drinks, I would go for the jicama juice. 

La Paraditas, C. de Carlos III 1, Palacio

$, The cheapest tapas I’ve ever had

If you’re hungry and you only have, let's say 7 euros, go here. They have beer for 2 euros and nothing on the menu is over 10 euros. The entire tapa menu is basically a dollar. I will say, the food is averagely good. I'm not sending you here for a world-renowned chef. I'm sending you here if you don’t get paid ‘til next week and can’t stand to make a sad little dinner in your sad little kitchen. A big appeal of this spot is its large outdoor patio with palace views. I tried my first tinto de verano here – red wine mixed with Fanta. It sounds strange but it’s pretty refreshing. You and all your friends can go, get tipsy, satisfy your patatas bravas craving, and not have any financial regret. 

Mercado San Ildefonso, C. de Fuencarral 57, Chueca

$$, Mercado with basically every genre of cuisine from around the world, vibe

A spacious, lively spot for the indecisive friend group looking for a casual meal/snack/drink. Wine is 3 euros, and the food ranges from Peru to America to Korea, plus it’s a ten-minute wait away. You order at any counter (it’s seat-yourself-style in the middle of the function) and sometimes there’s even a DJ. It might sound bizarre, but you should know I would never steer you somewhere with a weird vibe. My favorite spot is Akma Korea, please get the kimchi fried rice. It’s gluten-free (duh) and good for your gut. 

La Rebonita , C. Del Olmo 23, Lavapiés

$, mexican, tapas

This is a perfect casual dinner spot where you meet your friends and associates for a monthly dinner catch-up. It has a fun interior vibe that makes you want a margarita, but if you don’t partake, you still feel slightly intoxicated from the social buzz happening around you. We had the guacamole appetizer, it’s exactly what you’d expect, nothing less, nothing more. I had what I believed to be the house enchiladas. On top was verde sauce and what they call queso (it was definitely sour cream). The enchiladas were filling for the 10 euro price tag. This environment is diverse, you can socialize if you wish or hide in the corner and people watch. There always seems to be an amusing crowd in this neighborhood.

Honest Greens, there are so many locations google the one closest to you

$$, fast/casual/healthy, vibe 

I love this place. I probably Uber-eats it once a week. It’s incredibly healthy with all those sourced ingredients that are organic, fairly traded (probably idk) with allergy warnings, and blah blah blah. I love when I don’t have to worry about the chemicals in my food and someone else does it for me. My favorite part is that basically, every single thing is gluten-free. They have a seasonal menu that rotates all those veggies you don’t eat enough of. My favorite dish is the ginger honey goat salad. It includes goat cheese, sweet potatoes, roasted onion petals, beetroot, green beans, caramelized pear, peach slices, candied walnuts, cranberries, bee pollen, arugula and spinach with a ginger honey vinaigrette. So like every healthy thing you think you want but don't feed yourself. I often add protein, the piri piri chicken, if I want spice, or the chimichurri steak if I need extra strength. I also recommend every single thing on the menu! Hope that helps!

Pizzateca, C. de León 35, Centro

$, pizza, locally owned by the sweetest man

When you walk in, you will be greeted with a warm smile by a sweet man who genuinely wants to know how you are. He’s going to give you the best homemade pizza and you’re going to leave a Google review because you experienced customer service that left you wondering if he is your grandfather reincarnated. All the dough is handmade here, except the gluten-free dough, which he informed me he imports from Italy. After trying his own gluten-free recipes and brand after brand, he found the perfect dough out of Sicily. For this dough, you have to buy the whole pizza, but for you regular people you can buy by the slice, and mix and match tons of classic and unique flavors. 

Grosso Napoletano Gluten Free, C. de Fernando VI 23, Centro

$-$$, Italian, dedicated gluten-free, vibe

An entirely gluten-free Italian restaurant? Of course, I have a weakness for it. This restaurant group also has non-gluten-free facilities, which I will not recommend because I simply cannot eat there. Although, I'm sure they are delicious as well. The pizza was amazing, the crust was doughy, and flaky and any unassuming regular eater would assume it was full of gluten. Can’t taste the difference!! They also have gluten-free beer, a simple pleasure everyone should be able to enjoy in this life. 

Celioso, C. del Barquillo 19, Chueca

$$, restaurant and bakery, dedicated gluten-free

This dedicated gluten-free utopia has many locations around the city, I only know of this specific one in the center because it has real food and treats. The service isn’t the best (a common theme in this city) but the food was worth the long wait I experienced. It's hard to find an American-esque sandwich here, especially a gluten-free one. I got a BLT with chicken, that I consumed at an unattractively fast pace. It was juicy with a special sauce that I practically licked off my plate and fingers, and with bacon just how I like it – extra crispy. Madison had the banana pancakes, which are the best gluten-free pancakes I’ve found in this city. This is the kind of place you order at the counter and someone brings it to you, so it's supposed to be moderately fast service, but again, Spaniards will teach you patience. I recommend this place if you or someone you love is GF because you can hardly taste the difference. I swear you can’t, if I brought you here and never told you there is no gluten, you would never be the wiser. So go with your GF friend or your regular friends and support the less fortunate members of society, the gluten-free. 

Kebab, your local street corner

$, middle eastern 

The concept of a kebab shop may be hard for the American mind to comprehend. Kebab is everywhere in Europe and tastes just as good at every location. It's not a chain, but the Middle Eastern food on your local street corner will satisfy your hangover in your hometown or on your weekend trip. If you need a quick cheap meal? Kebab. What is kebab? It's essentially meat (chicken, lamb, beef, a mixed array), shaved off from a giant warmed meat stick into a bowl of rice, fries, lettuce, and onion. Topped with a red sauce and a white sauce, (no I don’t know what they are), it's a zingy and creamy mix that tastes good so I don't ask questions. There are many variations of the kebab, you can get it in a gyro or without fries, add potatoes, etc. I also guarantee it will be the most bizarre and random decor within. I usually get mine to go, since it’s the perfect after-bar excursion, as they are generally open late into the wee hours of the morning.