Where to Eat in Madrid with Kids

Madrid is an extremely kid-friendly city . Playgrounds are dotted throughout every neighborhood and restaurants are welcoming to diners of all ages. Kids are welcome everywhere (nightclubs and cocktail bars aside, of course) making Madrid one of the best cities to visit as a family. 

We’ve spent years scouring the city for the best restaurants in Madrid and family-friendly restaurants are no exception! While planning our food tours for families we’ve met dozens of restaurant owners, market vendors and churro makers who love welcoming kids and families into their establishments. 

There are so many great places to eat in Madrid with kids! Sharing tapas among family is an essential part of life here.

Here are our picks for where to eat in Madrid with kids as well as some tips and cultural insights that will help you plan your family vacation in Madrid! 

Tips for Eating in Madrid with Kids

Kids are Welcome Everywhere!

From packed tapas bars to formal restaurants, it is extremely common to see kids enjoying a meal alongside their parents. Eating in Spain is extremely social and sharing a meal as a family is an essential part of life. Don’t be shy about bringing kids or teens along with you to a restaurant for lunch or dinner. More formal restaurants will offer a kids menu and more casual spots will always have something they can whip up that kids will enjoy. 

Check Kitchen Opening Hours

Traditional eating hours in Spain are from 1:30 - 3:00 pm for lunch and from 8:30 - 11:00 pm for dinner. Many kitchens will not open outside of those hours even if the restaurant itself is open. The opening times on Google Maps can be deceiving for this reason! 

If you want to eat early, be sure to call the restaurant ahead and ask “La cocina está abierta todo el día?” (Is your kitchen open all day?)

If you’d prefer to leave the scheduling and planning up to a local expert, join us on our Madrid Tapas Tour for Families! We’ll take you to the neighborhood’s best tapas bars at times that are best for families traveling with kids. Many restaurants open their kitchens just for us so we can visit just before the lunch or dinner rush.  It’s the most relaxed way to experience Madrid’s authentic tapas culture as a family!

Embrace the Terrace 

Meals in Spain tend to be long and relaxed. For kids that aren’t used to sitting at a table for long periods of time, outdoor tables in plazas or near playgrounds are often your best bet! See below for our favorite restaurants with seating next to playgrounds.

The one great exception to this rule is Plaza Mayor. Madrid’s most iconic plaza is beautiful to look at and walk through. Be sure to see it while you’re in town! For food, though, the best rule of thumb to follow is that if you can see one of the top 5 most iconic landmarks in the city from your table, don’t order the food. Some of the worst food in the city is notoriously served at the tables lining Plaza Mayor. 

Many restaurants in Madrid have tables outside. Eating outdoors in plazas like this one is a great way to give kids room to run around while you finish your meal!

Markets are Great Options, Especially in Bad Weather

Madrid’s traditional food markets are a must-see when visiting Madrid with kids! Every neighborhood has their traditional market. In La Latina it is the Cebada Market. In the Literary Quarter it is the Anton Martín Market. Malasaña and Chueca have the Barceló Market and if you’re staying near Plaza de España be sure to visit the Mostenses Market. 

These cavernous public spaces are often filled with kids and families doing their grocery shopping or having after school snacks and appetizers. On Saturdays in the Cebada Market it’s not uncommon to see a row of strollers along the back wall, each filled with a toddler taking their afternoon nap while their parents enjoy a lunch of fresh fish or just-sliced Iberian ham. 

Every market has both traditional butchers, fishmongers and produce sellers as well as small restaurants where you can enjoy the cooked versions of the incredible ingredients being sold. 

Markets are fantastic places to visit in Madrid with kids! Try seasonal produce and pick up snacks for the rest of your trip.

On our Madrid Market and Food Tour for Families we eat our way from breakfast churros through a market lunch, stopping at four different market stalls to try the specialties of the day. This family-friendly food tour is perfect for families traveling with young kids as it also includes a treasure hunt through the neighborhood and market!

Use a Travel Stroller Whenever Possible 

Many tapas bars and restaurants in Madrid are very small! While waiters are often very helpful in finding a nook to stash your stroller while you eat, the smaller the stroller the easier it will be to squeeze into the best and most popular spots.

Once at your table, ask for a trona aka a highchair! Most restaurants will have one. 

Bonus tip: Elevators in Spain tend to be very tiny and full-size strollers often don’t fit! If you’re staying in an apartment or Airbnb you’ll likely need a travel stroller or extra small stroller in order to fit into the elevator. 

Kid-Friendly Spanish Foods

On our tours and in our lives, we always encourage kids to try traditional Spanish foods. Many are huge hits! Over the past 10 years giving food tours for families with kids, here are the 7 most kid-friendly Spanish foods we’ve found!

Spanish food can be extremely kid-friendly if you know what to look for on the menu!

Tortilla 

While many may claim that paella is the official food of Spain, we are here to argue that it is actually tortilla, Spanish omelet. Something magical happens when you mix eggs with potatoes and onions that have been slowly boiled in olive oil. 

For the most kid-friendly version of tortilla, be sure to ask if it is “muy hecha” which means “well done”. Many bars and restaurants make their tortilla slightly runny (aka poca hecha) which is delicious but may be a harder sell for children. 

Croquetas 

Croquetas are ubiquitous on Madrid menus.  Many restaurants will offer multiple types of these fried balls of bechemel. The most common type is jamón, cured Spanish ham. Be sure to ask what flavors they have before you order as blue cheese is also a very popular filling but might not be as big of a hit with the little ones. 

Also, try to catch a glimpse of another table’s croquetas before you order. If they are all slightly different shapes and sizes, you know they are homemade and will be the good ones! 

Solomillo Steak

While Spain’s Iberian pork and incredible seafood often take center stage on menus, we also have truly incredible beef here as well. From Ávila to Galicia, Spain has multiple native breeds of cow that are so prized for their beef that they’ve been given protected geographical designations. 

The famed chuletón, a 1-kilo T-Bone steak that is often served rare, may be a bit intense for kids. Try a solomillo instead. This tenderloin cut is equivalent to a filet mignon in the U.S. or a fillet steak in the U.K. At a no-frills tapas bar you’ll often find a simple filete which will be a thin slice of chuck steak often pan fried and served with fried potatoes. 

Bravas 

One of the most iconic tapas in Madrid is patatas bravas. Fried potatoes are topped with a red “bravas” sauce. This “brave” sauce gets its name from the slightly spicy smoked paprika it is made with. For most palates, the sauce is not spicy at all. 

Each tapas bar will have their own take on bravas. Some will have a thick, deep red sauce. Some will serve both the bravas sauce and a garlicky aioli. The most traditional Madrid tapas bars will serve their bravas with a thinner, runnier sauce. With all these varieties to try, patatas bravas are a great go-to tapas option when visiting Madrid with kids!

Empanada 

When you wrap meat, fish or vegetables in delicious bread or pastry it’s hard not to win over kids’ hearts! Spanish empanadas, unlike their South American cousins, are the size of sheet pans. You’ll often order either a full or half portion (ración or media ración) with the full portion being a rectangle about the size of an adult's hand.

The most common fillings are tuna and vegetables (atún) or ground beef (carne). Empanadas make a great travel snack as well! You can buy slices of empanada to go at most bakeries around town. 

Churros and Spanish hot chocolate are an absolutely must when visiting Madrid with kids!

Churros 

Deep fried dough dipped in chocolate. Have you ever met a kid that would say no to that? Churros and their accompanying thick Spanish hot chocolate are always a slam dunk. 

We start our Madrid Market and Food Tour for Families at a neighborhood churreria where kids not only get to indulge in two types of churros but they also get to see how they are made! 

Sandwich Mixto

The humble sandwich mixto is a great fail-safe option. It is a toasted ham and cheese sandwich. Despite its simplicity, it is one of the most comforting and delicious foods in Madrid! Nearly every bar or restaurant will make one whether they have it on the menu or not. 

And if the ham and cheese are too much, don’t be shy to ask for plain bread. No meal in Madrid is complete without bread! Every restaurant will offer it to you when you order and you can always ask for more throughout the meal. While most do charge for bread, it is usually only a euro or two! 

Best Restaurants in Madrid for Families

Restaurants with All-Day Kitchens 

Most kitchens in Madrid will close between 4:00 pm and 8:00 pm, after lunch has finished and before Spanish dinnertime gets started. If you’re looking for an early dinner, be sure to call ahead to make sure the kitchen is open at the time you want to go! Here are a few restaurants whose kitchens are open all day. 

Bodegas el Maño

For classic Spanish tapas look no further than Bodegas el Maño. This historic tapas bar in the Conde Duque neighborhood serves some of the best classic tapas in town! Importantly for families in Madrid, this is one of the few classic tapas bars whose kitchen is open all day. 

From 12:30 in the afternoon until 1:00 in the morning you can enjoy tapas like patatas bravas (they serve some of the best in the city!), torreznos aka fried pork belly or a fresh Iberian tomato salad. 

Maño gets packed at prime meal times so be sure to go early before the rush arrives! For lunch, aim to get there right when they open at 12:30. For dinner, try going between 5:00 pm and 7:00 pm as the small dining room is almost always completely full by 8:30 pm!

Celso y Manolo 

Celso y Manolo is another of those very rare Spanish tapas bars whose kitchen stays open all day. As with Bodegas el Maño, the restaurant will be full by 8:30 in the evening so be sure to go early! 

The owners of Celso y Manolo are originally from Santander on the northern coast of Spain. Most of the products they serve are driven in fresh from Santander a few times per week! Be sure to try their famous tomato salad, or as they call it the “Chuletón De Tomate Con 6 Cosas Ricas”, as well as their fried calamari. Both dishes are some of the best versions of those dishes in town!

Chocolatería San Ginés 

We’ve all been there. Sometimes when traveling with kids you just need some emergency churros and hot chocolate. That is where Chocolatería San Ginés comes to the rescue. 

Madrid’s most famous churrería is open 24 hours a day, every day of the year. Not necessarily by choice, but by order of the King! Even the royal family knows that churros are an essential snack, even at crazy times of the day or night. 

What started as a single small café has now expanded to more than half a dozen locations all along the alleyway behind the San Ginés Church between Madrid’s Opera House and the Puerta del Sol. Enjoy your freshly fried churros and hot chocolate in one of their cafés or take them on the go from one of the various to-go windows! 

Restaurants Next to Parks or Playgrounds

There is nothing more Spanish than sipping a cerveza or a sparkling water on a table outside overlooking a playground where your kids are playing. Finding a restaurant that fits that setting and also serves good food is a skill we have been cultivating for years. 

Many outdoor restaurants focus more on drinks with food being an afterthought. Here are a couple of exceptions that combine excellent Spanish food and a beautiful outdoor setting where kids can run around while parents finish their vino!

Restaurants next to plazas with playgrounds are an excellent option when visiting Madrid with kids!

Mama Campo in Plaza Olavide 

Plaza Olavide is kid heaven. This large, circular plaza is one of the best places to eat in Madrid with kids! It has no fewer than three different playgrounds divided by age (little kids, big kids and adults). Yes, there is a workout circuit built just for grown ups! You’ll also find ping pong tables, benches and even a book exchange. 

The full circumference of the plaza is home to bars and restaurants, their outdoor tables encircling the playgrounds and green space. For the best food options, we recommend Mama Campo.

The menu features all the Spanish classics but with a slightly elevated twist. We love the strong showing of seasonal vegetables like green asparagus and roasted leeks. Be sure to save room for dessert as their torrija, like a richer version of French toast, is always a winner. 

El Ancla in Casa de Campo

After a few days in the city center, there is no better reprieve than an afternoon around the lake in the giant Casa de Campo park. There are paddle boats and hiking trails as well as wide, paved walking paths. Around the lake are a collection of restaurants, our favorite of which is El Ancla. 

This sprawling area of outdoor tables overlooks the lake with views of Madrid’s cathedral and Royal Palace in the distance. While most of the other restaurants around the lake can get very busy, El Ancla is the furthest around the lake and often is much quieter and more peaceful. 

El Ancla serves all the classic dishes that no great Spanish lunch can be without. From fried calamari to steak that you grill right at the table, order a few raciones to share and enjoy a relaxing outdoor feast!

Frida in the Chueca Neighborhood

Tucked into a mini-plaza just two blocks up from the bustling Chueca square is Frida. Huge glass windows look out onto a small playground that seems like it was created solely for families dining at Frida! This is one of our favorite quiet corners of the bustling Chueca neighborhood. 

Frida is a great place for any meal of the day. They offer traditional Spanish breakfasts like toast with grated tomato and olive oil as well as more international options like avocado toast and scrambled eggs. For lunch and dinner the menu offers a variety of both Spanish and international options like crispy artichokes with Romescu sauce or grilled salmon with vegetables and a mustard sauce. 

Bar Toboggan near the Matadero Cultural Center

To really feel like a local Madrid family for a day, head down to Bar Toboggan. This classic Spanish neighborhood restaurant is located right next to a large playground and you’ll often see parents finishing up their lunch at a table outside while the kids play. 

The food is no frills.  The menu combines excellent Madrid classics like patatas bravas and homemade salmorejo (a cold tomato soup served only when tomatoes are in season) with international options like chicken fingers and hummus with crudités. 

Restaurants with Options for Both Adults and Kids

While many formal restaurants in Madrid will offer a kids menu, most tapas bars hide kid-friendly favorites throughout the menu. Here are a couple of spots that offer excellent traditional Spanish dishes that adults will love as well as a few aces in your back pocket that will delight your kids. 

Bodegas Rivas 

This century-old tavern in the Conde Duque neighborhood does the best American-style brunch in town by day and serves some of the best takes on classic Spanish tapas at night. For adults the pork cheek slow roasted in red wine (carrilleras) is a must as is the tomato salad with smoked sardines. For kids, Bodegas Rivas serves the best chicken fingers in town! 

Mercado Tirso de Molina  

This market is a bit off the beaten path, but is just two blocks away from the Madrid River Park. This park has an incredible slide playground with nearly a dozen slides built into a hillside! 

After an afternoon of playing, head to the Tirso de Molina Market for a wide variety of food options. The paella at Paellamar is excellent. As are the pizzas at Pan Domé! You can get food from various different stalls so every member of the family can have what they want. 

The paella at Paellamar in the Tirso de Molina Market is one of the best in Madrid! This market has something for everything making it a great option for families visiting Madrid.

La Revoltosa in Plaza del Rey 

This restaurant checks the boxes of outdoor seating in a nice plaza as well as food options for the whole family! Try Spanish classics like croquetas or meatballs with stewed vegetable pisto. Or go for a more familiar option like a hamburger or fried free-range chicken! 

No matter where you decide to eat in Madrid with kids, I hope you’re able to find something new and delicious to delight the whole family!