Going to a buffet in Madrid always had something of Russian roulette. There were several clear, immovable factors, but in spite of everything you decided to take a gamble and give yourself a whim assuming the risk. Going to a buffet was exactly that: you knew there would be plenty, you knew you would have to fast a week and a half beforehand to amortize and you knew the food would be crappy and oily. Going to a buffet used to mean that, but now the options have multiplied and the quality has gone up with the competition.
1. Miho
In the Nuevos Ministerios area we find a sophisticated place where only top quality Japanese dishes are served. It is Miho, belonging to a chain of restaurants that has triumphed in Italy and is following the same path in Spain. One of its great successes is its a la carte buffet, where you can order more than a hundred different options. Perfect for celebrating a special occasion: its elegant and luxurious decoration leaves no one indifferent.
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📍 Calle de Orense, 70 (Tetuán)
2. Sumo
The quality of Sumo is first class and probably the best place in Madrid to eat sushi when enough or enough does not mean all you want. One of the virtues of this free sushibuffet in Madrid is that you can choose from 85 options and you can repeat as many times as you want. Nigiris, makis, temakis, soups, rice dishes and a long list of starters that will make it very difficult to choose.
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📍 Several locations.
3. Buffet and show at Gula Gula Drag Show
Gula Gula is one of the best restaurants with show in Madrid and celebrates its magical nights on Fridays and Saturdays with an open buffet with a wide variety of meats, fish, pasta and rice dishes. It also includes an open bar (wine, soft drinks, beer and sangria) until the show starts: a drag show with the best artists, monologues and musical passages.
Buffet dinner with open bar and show: 49 €.
📍 Calle de Preciados, 46 (Centro)
4. A Ri Rang
This Korean a la carte open buffet features (attention!) a grill in the center of the table. You may have seen a gas stove in the center of the table at a Chinese restaurant before, usually to heat up a giant bowl of soup, but this is an ode to the joy of eating without having to get up to go to the kitchen.
The buffet option is limited to a few specific dishes, which are mostly meats and fish to be grilled accompanied by rice and kimchi (spicy coleslaw). You can only order three or three dishes or ingredients per person, although there is no limit to the number of rounds. You can also order a la carte (many dishes are outside the buffet) or menu of the day at lunchtime.
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📍 Calle de la Bola, 12 (Downtown).
5. The Knife
For meat lovers there is this Argentinean grilled meat buffet. Its strong point is the quality of its Argentinean-style meat cuts, grilled to the diner’s taste on its charcoal grills. To accompany the meat, which you can enjoy in unlimited quantities, they offer fresh salads and, to finish, a variety of homemade desserts.
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📍 Arturo Soria Street, 126 (Arturo Soria Plaza Shopping Center)
6. The Kaiten Lab Wonderland
If you like fantasy and sushi, this restaurant combines both concepts in the same space. The Kaiten Lab Wonderland is a running sushi buffet in a setting inspired by Alice in Wonderland. From its decoration to the presentation of the dishes, everything evokes the dreamlike world of Lewis Carroll.
💸 Buffet menu at lunchtime: 24,95 €.
📍 Calle de Manuela Malasaña, 5 (Malasaña)
7 .Running Sushi
We could not miss in this list some of the most fun and celebrated kaitenzushi restaurants in the capital. This type of restaurant, in which the dishes slide on a rotating belt, first opened in Osaka in the late 50’s. And in aesthetics and gastronomic offer, Running Sushi is a tribute to them.
Among neon signs, details of Japan’s urban landscape and reproductions of video games and arcade machines from the 90s , more than 300 individual dishes are divided into two belts: one for cold dishes and desserts and another for hot dishes, with vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free options.
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📍 Various locations
8. Shi-Shang
One of the vegan and vegetarian Asian food buffets par excellence in Madrid. For a very affordable price you can taste their dishes, which replace meat with other options such as tofu or seitan. Spring rolls, dumplings, rice or vegan chicken with lemon are just some of the options you can sink your teeth into.
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📍 Concepción Arenal Street, 3 (Downtown)
9. Guanabara by el Rodizio
A restaurant recommended by Cenando con Pablo, one of Madrid’s most popular foodie youtubers, can’t be a bad thing. Guanabara by el Rodizio is not just a buffet. And here that meaning “it’s much more than” fits like a glove on a hand of his size. Premium rib, faldinha or filé mignon are some of the cuts you can try at this rodizio. It also has vegan options and a long wine list.
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📍 Calle de Medea, 4 (Suanzes)
10. La Federala
La Federala is one of those restaurants with free buffet that are far from what is generally associated with them, both for the type of food, as for the format. Here you can have unlimited tacos only from Monday to Friday from 1pm to 5pm, excluding dinners, holidays and their eves.
But this Mexican restaurant not only includes tacos in the buffet, but also unlimited nachos, starters and side dishes. One dessert per person is also included.
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📍 Calle Polvoranca, 108 (Alcorcón) and Calle Río Segura, 22 (Móstoles).
11. Hemu Sushi Buffet Libre
Hemu Sushi is the free buffet that triumphs in social networks and is in the vicinity of Gran Vía. Its neat decoration, of traditional Japanese inspiration and the good presentation of its dishes makes it move away a little from the aesthetics of the running sushi places -which also have their charm. The price of the buffet, which is one of the cheapest, also includes dessert, but not drinks, as usual.
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📍 Calle de los Jardines, 3 (downtown)