First time in the city and looking for the finest and principal tapas near Madrid Gran Via? You might think that a river runs across the city, splitting Madrid in two halves but no!. It is a street named Gran Vía that divides the north and the south of the city.
Gran Vía is the most famous street in Madrid. Historically it has been awarded many other names, such as Avenida de Rusia or Avenida del Quince y medio. Also Avenida de José Antonio, in homage to José Antonio Primo de Rivera, for his victory in the Civil War.
The construction of the Gran Vía was a project that lasted several decades. The first sketches were made in 1862, when a part of the historic center of Madrid was created. The final project came only in 1899, proposed by architects José López Salaberry and Francisco Octavio Palacios. Work began in 1910 and ended in 1929.
Gran Vía was one of the most important constructions in Spain. It caused the demolition of 300 houses and involved almost 50 streets. Thanks to the Gran Vía, there was better communication between the centre of Madrid (Calle Alcalá) and the northeast of the city (Plaza de España). In all this area there are several places that offer food. But not all of them are cool.
Skip the tourist traps and go to the best quality-price tapas Madrid Gran Via places. After a long day shopping you would like to eat some tapas and that’s why we have this great sport:
THE THREE BEST TAPAS RESTAURANTS GRAN VIA MADRID
There are famous tapas Madrid Gran via restaurants and great views in their rooftop bars. In fact, this street is one of the most important and well-known in Madrid. The street starts in Alcalá and ends in Plaza de España. The route we propose begins in the Parque del Retiro. After taking a nice photo with the famous Puerta de Alcalá you start walking through Gran Vía. Once you are here you must go eat and see:
1 Circulo de bellas artes rooftop restaurant
This is a quite non-ordinary place where you can have a drink and some tasty tapas. It is a rooftop right at the beginning of the Gran Vía. It is located in the building of Circulo de Bellas Artes, right in front of the Metropolis building. The view from there is one of the best ones in Madrid and is considered one of the best tapas in Madrid Gran Via.
Of course, eating at the rooftop restaurant is not going to be cheap but it is really worth it. You can enjoy typical wines and foods like croquetas as well as a new interpretation of Mediterranean cuisine. We recommend booking as soon as possible and eating while watching the sunset. If you are interested in more rooftop bars in Madrid where to eat and drink here you can see the top 10!
2 El tigre tapas bar Madrid
Located just behind Gran Vía, this place is completely different compared to the rooftop that we described above. People love to go to El Tigre because of its quality food and low prices. You can have a jarra (a tankard-sized glass of beer) that comes along with a platter of pinchos (which are slices of bread usually with jamón and/or Spanish cheese) or croquetas de jamón for just 5 euros.
It is amazing also because you can have an authentic Spanish experience just a few steps away from the chaotic and touristic Gran Vía. We are not gonna lie!. Gran Vía is a must-see but it is also the most frequented street in Madrid. This is one of the places we go on our tapas tour Madrid. So, don’t lose your chance to make new friends while learning more about the history and fun facts of tapas food.
3 Taberna el Mus Gran Via Madrid
Almost like a secret tapas restaurant in Gran Via Madrid that just locals know. It was the palace’s coal storage, a hiding place for conspirators and a place where the mus began to be played when Luis Candelas made it a refuge from his raids as a Traganiños tavern in 1830.
It has been called El Mollete for 40 years and has become, over time, a tavern of authentic Madrid style. Since then, it offers a simple and homemade cuisine of tapas and rations in which they emphasize the Iberian secret. Broken eggs with paprika, chocolates of morcilla wrapped in brie mass, chipirones with humus and chuletillas of rabbit are the main tapas here. Definitely a must-try option if you are with friends and family.
At the end of the route you can visit Plaza de España, where there is the famous monument to Cervantes, as well as the España Building. If your feet last a couple of meters longer, you should go to see the Temple of Debod (of which there is an article made by me, visit it is very nice).
What to do in Gran Via after eating some great tapas?
Currently, in Gran Vía there are three types of commercial premises: restaurants, shops and cinemas. The cinemas are in a phase of decadence and there are fewer and fewer. At its peak, the Gran Vía was called “the Madrilenian Broadway”. However there are still lots of cinemas and theatres. For example, you can see the theater where the famous Rey León show takes place. Few steps ahead you can find the Callao cinema which is almost 90 years old.
There are a lot of brand stores that in many other Spanish cities are not there. The best thing is the fact that there are stores that we all know as Zara, Stradivarius or H&M but huge in size. For example, Zara in Gran Vía, is composed of four floors, and looks like a luxury store. You can find the complete collection of the brand, while in Murcia it is impossible. The same happens with Stradivarius, which is formed by two floors. If you are lucky enough to have good “purchasing power”, there are also luxury shops and jewelries, such as Loewe, Sanz or Grassy, among many others.
Gran Vía is one of the nerve centers of Madrid and is a popular area at any time of the day and throughout the year. Some of the most famous buildings in this mythical Madrilenian street are the Metrópolis Building and the Carrión Building. Crowned by the famous Schweppes advertising sign, which presides over the Plaza del Callao. Gran Vía is a ‘must-see’ that you cannot miss if you come to Madrid.
Not only for its importance and its fascinating architecture, also because simply walking around, you will find three or four places with important monuments and equally emblematic.
In addition to Gran Via Tapas Bar Madrid you also can find:
Tapas Experience in Madrid
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Tapas and Wine Tour in Madrid
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