El Bocaíto

Frommer's Review

Inside this 150-year-old house, four original columns of wood encircle the high ceiling, and bullfighting posters adorn the white-tile walls. Behind a bar shaped into two horseshoes, the staff cooks and prepares some of the most appreciated tapas in Madrid, much loved by showbiz celebs such as Pedro Almodóvar (who once proclaimed it his favorite tapas bar). The selection ranges from simple delights like jamón serrano (cured Serrano ham), boquerones (fresh anchovies), gambas fritas (fried shrimp), and esparragos verdes con huevos revueltos (green asparagus in scrambled eggs) to more sophisticated delicacies such as bacalao con caviar (salt cod pâté with caviar) and mejimecha (marinated mussels with ham and onions in béchamel sauce). If you're hungry, try the plato combinado (a combination platter of practically all the tapas) with a glass of their Rioja house wine.

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