Mexican cuisine is one of the world’s favorite and most widespread… and the epitome of its cuisine is the taco. Easy and quick to eat, adaptable to different tastes, there are many fans of this Mexican dish. Although few know that the word ‘taco’ comes from the Nahuatl dialect: tlahco, which means ‘in the middle’ in reference to where the food is placed on the tortilla. This Aztec specialty arouses passions in all latitudes. And Madrid has known about tacos for a long time.
1. Can Chan Chan Chan
Can Chan Chan Chán is a tribute to the less traditional Mexican cuisine. Chef Roberto Ruiz, who already knows what success is with Barracuda MX, opened a year ago this restaurant of “craving cuisine”. The result is a menu where you can find chopitos and pico de gallo or potato revolcona and octopus tacos.
💶 Average price: €€€€€
📍Location:Calle de Serrano, 47 (in El Corte Inglés, 3rd floor).
Mami Tacos
Mami Tacos, located in the Malasaña neighborhood, specializes in birria, a traditional Mexican stew from the state of Jalisco that combines beef cooked at low temperature with chiles and spices, served in tacos and accompanied by its consommé. In addition to tacos, they offer dishes such as quesadillas, quesabirrias and even ramen with birria. This project, led by two Mexican mother and daughter, pays homage to traditional cuisine and has chefs with experience in Michelin restaurants.
💶 Average price: €€€€€
📍Location: calle de San Andrés, 31 (Malasaña)
3. Mawey Taco Bar
Fernando Carrasco and Julián Barros, both chefs with extensive experience (in several great Michelin-starred restaurants), are at the helm of this cuisine focused on one dish: the taco.
You can’t miss the gobernador, with blue corn tortilla, grilled Oaxaca cheese, ancho chile sauce, sautéed shrimp, pickled onion and chili powder; or their cochinita pibil taco with roasted pork leg, marinated with achiote and orange juice. These masters in bringing pre-Columbian cuisine closer to local gastronomy also have foodtrucks for events, in case you’re craving it at your wedding.
💶 Average price: €€€€€
📍Location: various locations
4. Taqueria mi ciudad
A classic if you want to eat tacos in Madrid. Any of the Taqueria Mi Ciudad locations serve happiness to the dish. We recommend the chicken taco with mole, chicken tinga, nopales, pumpkin flower or the classic among classics: the taco al pastor. But beyond that, Mi Ciudad also serves a series of snacks as essential as their guacamole with homemade tortilla chips.
💶 Average price: €€€€€
📍Location:Calle de las Hileras, 5 (Ópera); Calle Infantas, 9 (Chueca) and Calle Fuentes, 11 (Ópera).
5. Takos al pastor
There is always a queue to eat one of these tacos for a reason: price and quality are not always at odds. Years go by and the level of their famous tacos is maintained, although the price has been rising slightly. Yes, one of the best tacos in Madrid still has one of the lowest prices on the list. You should not leave there without trying the cochinita pibil and, of course, their specialty, tacos al pastor with the classic adobe of achiote.
💶 Average price: €€€€€
📍Location:Calle de la Salud, 13 (Downtown)
6. Bakan
Bakan is one of those restaurants that Mexicans themselves recommend to eat tacos in Madrid. It opened at the end of 2021 near Puerta de Alcalá, after its success in Miami. Tradition is at the heart of this cuisine and the key to its success. Its big bets? Chalaqueño blue corn with which they make tortillas, for their wide variety of tacos and firewood to slow cook the meat.
💶 Average price: €€€€€
📍Location: plaza de la Independencia, 5 (Salamanca neighborhood)
7. Gracias Padre
There are several Gracias Padre scattered around Madrid, each with its idiosyncrasies, but they are easily distinguished by their neon and crosses (most of the time merged). Their taco menu does not fail, neither in the conventional ones, nor in the ones they have innovated: the beef birria taco has the consommé included. They also serve Jose Cuervo margaritas and a mix with beer. More is more.
💶 Average price: €€€€€
📍Location: various locations.
8. Birrä Taqueria
Another of the pioneer taquerias in Madrid and one of the oldest Mexican restaurants, it exudes Mexican power in each of its two locations: Don Pedro street and Comendadoras square. Among its photographs, collector’s items and background music, the two house specialties, the taco and guacamole, are warming the cantinera soul and the palate of its faithful, who are not few.
💶 Average price: €€€€€
📍Location: Calle Don Pedro, 11 (La Latina) and Plaza de las Comendadoras, 2 (Conde Duque).
9. Las Mañanitas
It was 1997 when a place abandoned to its fate reopened on Fuencarral Street as a taqueria. In that century, Mexican gastronomy and tacos had not yet permeated with all its fury among the diners of Madrid. Later they moved to Chamberí and then opened a place in Boadilla del Monte.
The speakers at Las Mañanitas emanate corridos, rancheras and mariachi laments, while the kitchen serves authentic tacos, quesadillas and nachos. All, of course, washed down with margaritas, mezcalitos and chelitas.
A quarter of a century later, this Mexican pioneer boasts of having discovered the charms of Aztec cuisine to two generations of his now loyal customers. In addition to providing food, the Las Mañanitas team offers workshops and tastings for those who want to investigate, discover and taste the truths of the recipe book and the products of the Central American country.
💶 Average price: €€€€€
📍Location: Calle Bravo Murillo, 54 (Chamberí) and Avenida Siglo XXI, 8 (Boadilla del Monte).
10. Xipe
On the opposite sidewalk from Bernabéu this restaurant serves excellent tacos and better margaritas. Wrapped in tortillas of different shades, including blue corn (which is grayish), the filling of their tacos follows all the canons, but with some less expected ingredients, such as the calamari governor a la madrileña or carnitas al habanero. And to accompany a watermelon, banana, raspberry or a classic margarita cocktail.
Average price: €€€€€
📍Location: paseo de la Castellana, 105 (Tetuán)
11. La Única
Ever since we tried it for the first time back in September 2022 we haven’t been able to stop thinking about it (the taco gobernador you see above: with shrimp, cheese crust, pico de gallo, smoked chipotle aioli and avocado emulsion). That gives a clue to the quality of this snack, to which we could add another: one of the people who sat at the table to try it was not a fan of seafood… and did not even leave the crumbs of the tortilla.
Anecdotes aside, it is not surprising that the result of La Única is worthy of note nor that we include it in this list when it is distinguished with the Copil Seal of Mexican gastronomic excellence.
💶 Average price: €€€€€
📍Location: calle de Claudio Coello, 10 (Barrio Salamanca)
12. Tacos Chapultepec
Tacos Chapultepec is one of those places that you’re grateful to have close to home: quality homemade food, a nice local -watch out, it fills up easily, especially on 2-for-1 margarita days- and at a price that’s hard to beat. In short: it complies with the 3 B’s rule (good, nice and cheap). And that’s why we felt it should have one of our stickers.
Any taco you order will be a hit and, even more, if you accompany it with one of their homemade margaritas (for tastes colors and flavors, but from here we strongly recommend the guava frozen).
💶 Average price: €€€€€
📍Location: Calle de Cardenal Cisneros, 13 (Trafalgar)