Patio de Leones

Patio de Leones boasts an impressive bar with 500 varieties of wine, and exclusive pieces by artists Sergio Mora and Pepe Puente are among the decor. The tapas menu features items close to Madrid's heart, including toothpicked 'gildas de piparras' with olives and mild chillis, creamy 'cocido' croquettes, 'patatas bravas' with green mayonnaise, ciabatta served with spicy calamari or 'ropa vieja', made-to-order potato omelette, and garlic prawns. When you want more than tapas, try the stews or more complete dishes such as oxtail in red wine, veal meatballs or tripe with chorizo. But do remember that one of the greatest hits here is the thick dipping chocolate with churros for breakfast or a snack. They are 100 percent artisanal and made fresh by a third-generation master churro cook who is part of the kitchen team. You can't get more traditional than that.