Madrid Tapas Tour: From Historic Taverns to Churros Tales

Madrid’s tapas culture isn’t just about food. It’s about history, conversation, and centuries of tradition tucked into centuries-old taverns.

On this food tour, you’ll discover how simple necessity evolved into Spain’s most beloved social ritual, as you taste your way through dishes that have defined the city’s identity since the 1600s.

The tour starts at Plaza de Santa Ana in the Barrio de Las Letras, Madrid’s literary quarter where writers and artists once gathered in cafés. You’ll walk past the birthplace of Spain’s famous patatas bravas sauce, through narrow streets marked with poetry, and into the Barrio de los Austrias, the city’s oldest district. Along the way, you’ll hear how tavern owners once placed food on top of drinks as protective lids, creating the tradition of tapas, and discover why Madrid residents are called “gatos.”

You’ll have an opportunity to taste slow-cooked oxtail wrapped in phyllo pastry at Anciano Rey de los Vinos, a wine tavern from 1909, and bite into the crispy squid sandwich that has become one of Madrid’s most controversial food symbols. The tour ends at Chocolatería San Ginés, serving hot chocolate and freshly fried churros since 1894, where you’ll find out whether it was really Spanish shepherds or Portuguese sailors who invented this beloved treat.

On this two-hour tour, you’ll have a chance to:

• Stop at Casa Alberto, founded in 1827 in Cervantes’ former stable, famous for slow-cooked tripe stew
• Sample garlic shrimp at a family business that survived the Spanish Civil War by abandoning doughnuts for prawns
• Explore Mercado de San Miguel, Madrid’s only surviving example of railway architecture, transformed from a fish market into a gastronomic showcase
• Hear the dramatic story of the 1906 assassination attempt at Casa Ciriaco during King Alfonso XIII’s wedding procession
• Stand outside Restaurante Botín, the world’s oldest restaurant according to Guinness, where Goya once washed dishes
• Learn how potatoes traveled from the Andes to become essential to Spanish cuisine
• Discover underground cellars beneath Plaza Mayor that once stored goods and now house tapas bars

This tour connects you to the small business owners, cooks, and traditions that keep Madrid’s culinary heritage alive.