El Museo Nacional del Prado, known by most as just the Prado, is one of the world’s great depositories of priceless art. Here you can stand in front of masterpieces by Velázquez, El Greco, Hieronymus Bosch, Titian, Goya, Albrecht Dürer, Rafael, and Caravaggio, among many others. A who’s who of Renaissance and Baroque painting and sculpture.
And if all that gawking at great art builds up an appetite, you need not stray too far from the Prado to eat well. This is Madrid, after all. When the stomach starts to rumble and you’ve taken in nearly all the masterpieces in the Prado, here are the best places to eat nearby.
Where to eat near the Prado
Casa Alberto
Just 10 minutes walking from the museum in Las Letras, Casa Alberto is a century-old tavern that oozes with ambience. If you like paintings and photos of famous bullfighters, even better. Cozy up to the casual bar for some outstanding tapas, such as fried calamari, crispy patatas bravas, and veal meatballs or try to nab a table at the more formal restaurant for their famous Russian salad, cod-stuffed peppers, tender beef cheeks, and rich oxtail stew.
La Sanabresa
Walk 10 minutes west until you reach Calle del Amor de Dios and you’ll find La Sanabresa (C. del Amor de Dios, 12), an ancient restaurant that is very popular with the neighborhood locals. Here three waiters work the table-crammed dining room, serving home-style Madrid fare to the loyal crowd. This is about as old-school as it gets in Madrid.
Lhardy
Not far from La Sanabresa and dangerously close to bustling Puerta del Sol is Lhardy, a 185-year-old restaurant serving up Spanish fare with a slightly French accent. The handsome dining room is clad in wooden walls and chandeliers hang from the ceiling while white clothes cover the table. Lhardy isn’t the cheapest restaurant in town but if you want a splurge-worthy meal in an elegant environment, this is it.
Emma Cocina
Located near Puerta del Sol, about a 20-minute stroll from the Prado, Emma Cocina (Pl. de San Miguel, 4) serves up tapas and full portions of saliva-inducing fare. The menu leans toward Spain but also takes a jaunt around the Mediterranean, offering Turkish kofte, pasta dishes, and spinach-and-feta wraps. There’s a long list of jamón Ibérico to consider and the lunchtime menu del día is a two-course affair priced very reasonably.
Barracuda Mx
Around the corner from the triumphant Puerta de Alcalá arch and a 10-minute walk from the Prado, Barracuda Mx serves up award-winning haute Mexican fare from celebrated chef Roberto Ruiz. The seafood-leaning menu will bring your taste buds to a coastal town in Mexico. And the tequila and mezcal cart, moving about the dining room, adds to the dining joy.
Los Gatos
A six-minute walk from the museum brings you to Los Gatos (C. de Jesús, 2), a beer-focused tavern with a wonderful list of tapas delights. Order Galician octopus, tinned seafood, jamón Ibérico, and anchovies from Cantabria, among other Iberian treats. The wild decor with skeleton images on the tiled wall, chandeliers, and various portraits of famous bullfighters is a feast for the eyes.
Cervecería Alemana
Since the turn of the 20th century, the Cervecería Alemana has been pouring frothy golden ales for Madrileños. The German beer spot was also a favorite of one Ernest Hemingway, who had his favorite table in the front and to the right, if you want to sit where Papa Hemingway frequently got tipsy. The place has a large beer selection including some German and Czech brews and the menu includes Spanish staples, as well as some requisite German sausages. A 13-minute walk from the Prado Museum, the beer spot sits on handsome Plaza de Santa Ana.
Salmon Guru
This chic and fun spot may be known as a cocktail bar—it’s currently on the list of the World’s Top 50 Bars and is one of the best bars in Madrid—but there’s a fantastic and eccentric food menu on offer at Salmon Guru. Think tempura prawns wading in a tangy salsa verde, duck yakitori, and Chinese pork belly and caramelized popcorn wrapped in a blue corn Mexican tortilla. And oh yeah, the cocktails are worth every sip here. It’s a 10-minute walk from the Prado. The bar opens at 6pm, so time your late-afternoon visit to the museum so you can arrive when the bar is open.
Nunuka
If you need a descanso or a break from croquetas and jamón, punch your meal ticket at Nunuka, a 15-minute walk from the Prado. Nunuka serves up the cuisine of Georgia—for the uninitiated, that would be the Republic of Georgia, located in the Caucasus Mountains. The Georgian food is one of the great cuisines of the world, serving up baked cheese bread called khachapuri, broth-holding dumplings called khinkali, plus walnut-sauce slathered roasted chicken and pomegranate-seed-spike salads. Nunuka is a casual but inviting place to enjoy this Georgian feast.
