1. Casa Labra

Casa Labra is located 140m (about 459 feet) from Puerta del Sol. The only reason it will take you more than 2 minutes to get there is because you will be in the epicenter of Madrid walking besides hundreds of locals and tourists. This charming bar and restaurant was first opened in 1860. Fun fact: The Spanish Socialist party was founded at this location and you will see a placard that confirms this.

You will easily identify this bar around the corner from El Corte Ingles in Calle Tetuan 12. In addition its signature wooden façade and business name boldly announce it. The food speciality of Casa Labra is cod. You can have fried cod (locally known as Soldaditos de Pavía) or croquettes and we highly recommend that you try them with a small beer or draft vermouth (If you are not a drinker, then soft drinks are available to accompany your cod choice). Be warned: Peak hours mean long waiting lines. The other option is to order the cod croquettes to go. The cod croquettes are sold per piece and cost about €1.50. Keep in mind that the outside seating is limited and that you will probably be snacking on your feet! If you would like to discover this centennial bar with an authentic Madrileño, then join us on our Tapas Tour here.

Take a virtual tour of the bar here: http://www.casalabra.es/en/virtual-tour

Website: http://www.casalabra.es/

Location: Calle Tetuan 12

2. Casa del Abuelo:

The name Casa del Abuelo translates to Grandfather´s House/Home. Their food specialty is almost exclusively garlic shrimps (gambas al ajillo) accompanied by the sweet wine “El Abuelo”. However, you can taste other typical Spanish tapas here like croquettes, Iberian ham or black pudding. This centennial bar is located about 290m (about 951 feet) from Puerta del Sol. The servings of garlic shrimp are not cheap but well worth the visit. The décor from the floors to the walls speaks of traditional Spanish hospitality. You will see framed wall pictures of famous people who have been at this legendary address. Speaking of famous people, on his visit to Madrid Rick Steves stopped at Casa del Abuelo to taste the star dish. Check out his experience at minute 2:12 here:

Website: https://lacasadelabuelo.es/

Location: Calle Victoria 12

3. El Sobrino de Botin:

This Guinness World Record holder needs no introduction. Apart from its popular dish, the mouth watering roast suckling pig, we recommend visiting their bicentennially old stone oven still in use. Apparently this oven has never stopped burning – They never completely put out the fire. In general the experience can seem a bit touristy and the food overpriced. Most people do it as a bucketlist adventure in Spain. Be sure to call and reserve ahead of time as the restaurant tends to get fully booked easily. Sobrino del Botin is about 650m (2132 feet) walking distance from Puerta del Sol. Get an inside view from this Youtube video here:

Website: www.botin.es/en

Location: Calle de los Cuchilleros 17

4. La Venencia

Among our listed centennial bars, La Venencia is without a doubt the most authentic and unpretentious of them all. Inside this dark sherry bar you will encounter old unvarnished tables and chairs and even an outdated cash register machine. Since sherry is native to Jerez, there are also posters and other relics to remind you of the heritage of La Venencia. Spoiler Alert: The bar is anything but fancy. Located in the Barrio de las Letras district, this no-frills bar is about 400m (1312 feet) from Puerta del Sol. Come here for a glass of sherry at most accompanied by green Spanish olives.

Website: N/A

Location: Calle de Echegaray 7

5. Casa Alberto

Founded in 1827, this tavern and restaurant prides itself as the yesteryear meeting place for  bullfighters and bullfighting connoisseurs, writers, playwrights in Madrid. Recently, it won most of its awards and accolades in 2017 namely: Guia Repsol 2017, TripAdvisor Excellence 2017 and the Chinese Award LianOrg .Casa Alberto is a tapas bar therefore you can order anything from snails, meatballs servings and  anchovies or padron peppers. The distance from Puerta del Sol to Casa Alberto is about 550m (1804feet)

 Website: https://www.casaalberto.es/

Location: Calle de las Huertas 18