Celebrating Madrid’s patron saint, San Isidro Labrador, offers a perfect moment to sample the capital’s most beloved dishes. The highlights include classic Madrid stews, both inside and outside, as well as canillejas, a hearty squid sandwich, timeless tortilla skewers, and oxtail prepared in rich, comforting styles.
Five traditional restaurants open their doors this Sunday to mark the holidays with menus that honor the spirit of the celebration.
Manero: a neoclassical bite of squid
Manero presents tapas that feel refined yet approachable, in a neoclassical street setting. Located on Claudio Coello, 3, the venue offers affordable options during this festive period, including a traditional calamari sandwich served on a crisp bread with soft lemon mayonnaise for 8.90 euros. The entrance area near El Retiro park and Puerta de Alcalá features a lively bar display of vermouth, wine, and beer bottles, ideal for a quick meal or an impromptu drink pairings. Inside, guests can watch chefs finish cold dishes as a sausage and cheese station is prepared and assembled in real time.
La Burbujería relies on offal tradition
Hernán González, trained in classic dishes at Viridiana, opens his first birthday celebration at seven with a seasonal tasting menu based on market produce. This Sunday the tasting menu spotlights offal in a harmonious pairing with sparkling wines from Torelló and dishes such as tongue tonnata with piparra and onions in red wine, Madrid tripe, and pork ear. The menu traces a seven course tasting with drinks, priced at 49 euros per person.
An oxtail chotis
Padre Damián’s steakhouse in Madrid’s financial district, Rocacho, nods to the San Isidro Fair with three oxtail dishes. The showpiece is El Capricho, lauded by Time magazine as among the world’s best meat, a claim echoed in Madrid as a signature offering. Bao buns stuffed with oxtail and a traditional Madrid style oxtail stew presented with a fresh twist are featured throughout May. Gyozas and bao buns are shared, each filled with oxtail stew that braises for seven hours. The oxtail chotis at chef Jairo Soria’s venue is a nod to Madrid’s bullfighting period, and a beef alternative is offered on square potato chips with roasted sweet potatoes as a counterpoint to the dish.
Chickpea stew at La Maestranza
La Maestranza, near El Retiro Park, presents a chickpea stew with oxtail and foie gras as a San Isidro tribute. The restaurant, led by Álvaro Garcés, centers its menu on seasonal produce and classic dishes that reflect the region’s culinary influences from the Costa de la Luz to Basque and Catalan traditions. The Don Dimas tasting menu features two large blocks: market twists and classics, plus a San Isidro nod in the form of a Betanzos style omelet with Melanosporum truffle and potato chips. The four dish tasting option with dessert is priced at 48 euros.
Oxtail on a potato rack
In the Serrano district, Hevia offers traditional flavors in a classic setting. The oxtail stew and its accompanying chips anchor a menu that shines with familiar favorites. The venue is known for a lively bar scene that has been drawing guests for more than eight years, featuring a range of gourmet skewers and bold pairings such as Russian salad with Ventresca, tomato salad, slamorejo, shrimp, eel, smoked salmon, and cod. The menu also highlights marinated bonito, micuit, and a stir-fried goose, along with Galician squid in tempura, tripe and the best potato omelets either in the classic style or with tripe, and a rich marrow dish.