Madrid: Gourmet Tapas Walking Tour & Wine Tastings

4.94

(173 reviews)

What’s the experience like?

I thought I knew what “tapas” meant before this tour in Madrid — turns out, I didn’t. We met right outside Retiro Park on Ibiza Street, sun barely starting to dip. Our guide, Marta, waved us over with that easy local confidence and a grin that said she’d seen it all. Right away, she asked if anyone was vegetarian (I’m not, but someone else was — no fuss). The air smelled faintly of olives and grilled peppers from nearby kitchens; it was one of those evenings where you could feel the city humming around you.

The first stop was a tiny bistro I’d never have noticed on my own. Inside: clatter of plates, bursts of laughter from a table of abuelos. Marta ordered for us — something about trusting her “madrileña instincts.” We tried these little toasts with anchovy and roasted red pepper, plus a glass of verdejo that tasted like summer grass (in a good way). She explained how this side of Retiro is where chefs experiment but don’t forget their grandmothers’ recipes. I tried to pronounce “salmorejo” correctly; Marta laughed and gave me a high-five anyway.

Each venue felt different — one had velvet stools and moody lighting, another was just loud chatter and handwritten menus taped to the wall. At the third place (apparently some royal family members eat there? wild), we had slow-cooked oxtail croquetas that nearly made me forget to talk. By then, our small group felt like friends who’d known each other longer than an hour and a half. The wine pairings kept coming; I stopped keeping track after the second glass because honestly, who’s counting?

When the tour wrapped up near Retiro again, Marta just smiled and said we could keep exploring together or split off — no pressure. The city lights were flickering on by then. I still think about that last plate of manchego with quince paste, how simple it looked but how much it tasted like Madrid itself — layered, salty-sweet, kind of surprising if you’re paying attention.