As a gourmet chef in Madrid, I am thrilled to recommend to all the tourists visiting this vibrant city the delicious Cocido Madrileño. This dish is a traditional stew made with chickpeas, vegetables, and different types of meats, cooked slowly to achieve its unique and rich flavor. It is a favorite of locals and visitors alike and a must-try when in Madrid.
To help you experience the best Cocido Madrileño in the city, I have compiled a list of the six best restaurants to try this iconic dish. These restaurants are renowned for their exceptional quality, taste, and unique ambiance, and are sure to provide you with a memorable culinary experience.
This tiny, family-run restaurant tucked away into the city center is famous for its hearty, traditional dishes. It should come as no surprise, then, that La Bola is home to the best cocido in Madrid!
What makes their cocido stand out is the fact that they still cook it the same way they did way back when the restaurant opened in 1870: in individual clay jars over oak charcoal. This old-world approach allows each portion to take on maximum flavor.
Telephone: +34 915 47 69 30
Despite having just opened its doors in 1998, Casa Carola has quickly become famous as one of the best places to eat cocido in Madrid. They serve the hearty traditional dish every day for lunch as its own menú del día.
Can’t make it there at midday? No worries! The imaginative cooks use the leftovers of the day’s cocido to create unique tapas, such as cocido croquettes, available in the evening. Cocido madrileño isn’t just a dish here—it’s a way of life!
Telephone: +34 914 01 94 08
Although they only serve it on Wednesdays throughout most of the year, the cocido at Los Arcos de Ponzano is not to be missed. Located on a lively street in the thoroughly authentic Chamberí neighborhood, this friendly restaurant will immediately make you feel at home.
What’s great about this spot is they allow unlimited refills of cocido broth, and the main chickpeas-and-meat course is comfort food like you’ve never experienced it before. Wash it all down with a glass of wine from their very own bodega!
Telephone: +34 914 42 58 84
Ready to take on the challenge of “the most complete cocido in Madrid?” Head to La Gran Tasca, where their gigantic servings of cocido are not for the faint of heart.
After eating as much broth as your heart desires, it’s time to take on the monster of a second course: 15 ingredients total! It all comes with olives and homemade rustic bread (if you still have room for more food!). Despite its huge size, this wonderfully filling cocido madrileño in Madrid is just as delicious as it is big, making it well worth the attempt.
Telephone: +34 915 34 46 34
It’s a bit of a hike from the city center, but this unassuming little bar is the award-winning home of some of the best cocido in Madrid.
With 17,000 cocidos served each year (using 4,000 kilos of chickpeas!), they certainly know what they’re doing at La Cruz Blanca de Vallecas. Still don’t believe us? Ask former King of Spain Juan Carlos I, who visited the restaurant in 2017 to try what he had heard was “the best cocido in the world” (and it seems he agrees!).
Telephone: +34 914 77 34 38
