
Ponzano becomes a spontaneous verbena every Saturday. This street of Chamberí is the last bastion of the old-fashioned and central to practice this local hobby: bar-hopping, although in this street it has its own name, ponzaning. To the disgrace of the neighbors, -who have associations and even twitter accounts against noise– and fortunately for the hoteliers, the street, and therefore the Zone, are in fashion.
This was confirmed by Lonely Planet magazine with a viral article in 2019, and the escalation of bar and restaurant openings has run its course. Nearly all of the establishments in the Zone are dedicated to this trade, from the breweries of tapas and portions restaurants, such as El Doble or Fide, to the most promising restaurants such as Sala de Despiece, where you can find Dua Lipa.
1. Agarimo

See, arrive, set up a restaurant, create a menu with the best of Galicia, consolidate in a few months and (yes) win. Agarimo, run by Guille Rivera – 26 years old and trained at Le Cordon Bleu – is a tavern faithful to seasonal produce, to the roots of its very young owner and to the idea of not wasting anything. The menu is renewed almost weekly and has already won over locals and foreigners alike.
💶 Around €30 per person
📍Calle de Bretón de los Herreros, 27
2. Lana

Lana’s owners are of Argentinean origin and in Argentina preparing their meats is a ritual. There is an almost millimetric study based on family roots, respect for the Argentine gastronomic tradition and the quality of the product. The steak eye is of extraordinary quality. And the ritual when it comes to eating it starts before it reaches the table: first, you choose the knife -vary the handle- that you are going to use to cut it. An opportunity to try one of the best in the world steakhouses of Madrid.
💶 Around €60 per person
📍Calle de Ponzano, 59
3. Candeli
A good meat (a good product, really) is indisputable and in Candeli they know it. Market cuisine (pay special attention to fish and seafood) seafood directly brought from the best fish markets in Spain) and a product that stands out above the rest of the things: the cuts of their grilled meats. Sirloin steak, beef tenderloin or suckling pig chops.
between €45 and €70 per person
📍Calle de Ponzano, 47
4. Bichopalo
Bichopalo’s cuisine can only be defined by its quality: the authorial nuance is absolute and the choice of dishes does not suggest a gastronomy of a specific origin or typology. It is a restaurant that was born in the Barceló Market and that some time ago moved to the Ponzano area. A tasting menu that is the only thing offered, fixed dishes (the oysters or the eggs with shitake soil) and a lot of desire to fight.
35€ for the tasting menu
📍Callede Cristóbal Bordiú, 39
5. Cutting room

Sala de despiece was born in Ponzano and is the eternal promise of the street. The concept and decoration revolve around the old butcher’s shops, with hooks, knives and a cold room look. Dishes, tapas and portions that continue the visual line without losing quality are served. This aesthetic consistency creates an intended experience that is a golden nugget among forward-thinking restaurants.
💶 Around 50 €
📍 Calle de Ponzano, 11 (and also in calle de la Virgen de los Peligros, 8)
6. La Lianta

La Lianta de Ponzano was the first establishment of the Lalala Group and has become a street classic. It’s a modernized neighborhood bar, a 21st century tasca: bare brick walls, high tables anchored to the wall, a large bar with beer taps and tiles with a Lusitanian flair. Perfect for tapas between caña and caña.
💶 Around 15 €
📍 Calle Ponzano, 10
7. Fide
View this post on Instagram
Fide does not pretend to be a neighborhood bar: it is and always has been. This brewery, which knows its clientele well, serves a more carefully prepared version of the usual tapas and portions: fresh seafood along with Iberian pork sausages and magnificent canned food (cockles, mussels, ventresca). Nor should we forget their portions of anchovies or anchovies.
💶 B etween 20 and 30 €
📍 Calle Ponzano, 8
8. The Greenhouse

If we had to sum up the essence of El Invernadero in just three words, it would be enough to say “Verde haute cuisine”. And it would be a concise definition, but not entirely complete: in Rodrigo de la Calle’s gastronomic proposal the roots, mushrooms mushrooms or stems are the protagonists of the menu.
A michelin Star menu inclusive, in the sense that it takes into account the needs and preferences of all possible diners: omnivores, vegans, vegetarians and also celiac and diabetics. The menu is also marked by the seasonality of the product.
💶 Menus between 130€ and 165€
📍 85 Ponzano St., 85
9. Neotaberna Santerra

The most recent addition to his résumé is the merit of having obtained the title a best sandwich in Spain at this year’s Madrid Fusion –here its ideologist and head chef of Neotaberna Santerra, Máximo Benagues, from Cuenca, told us how he does it. Of the sandwich, by the way, they only serve 10 units per service.
Its menu features “neo-castiza” tapas ranging from the (also) award-winning ham croquettes – a recipe this time by chef Miguel Carretero – to its Basque-Mexican version of gilda with bonito and jalapeños. Or the rejos chili peppers, their calamari sandwich. A different (and essential) place for “fine” tapas in the area.
💶 Around 30€ per person
📍62, Ponzano St
10. Frankie Burgers

The wide range of offerings in Madrid with regard to hamburgers can be overwhelming, and that is why it is useful to have a sort of filter to help you choose. One of them is the Hamburger Championship of Spain, and according to this contest in 2022 the third best burger in Spain is made at Frankie Burgers.
The burger in question is the Super Frankie Cheese, made with 250 grams of beef, double cheddar, double bacon and Frankie sauce. But the list is rounded out by seven other burgers, among which there is also a choice of vegetarian.
💶 Around 30€ per person
📍 46, Ponzano St
11. Korea

one of the best Koreans in Madrid? We would say that, along with the Seoul restaurant (Ronda de Segovia), they are a must if you like the cuisine of this country. Korea has been in Madrid since 1983 (the first Korean restaurant to open in the city) and is part of the circuit of restaurants supported by the Korean Food Foundation. In other words, it has the official seal of the highest authority in bringing Korean cuisine to the world.
and what to order? All. Their menu is an absolute delight but, obviously, we have favorites: the Bibimbap (and let the spicy gochujang sauce do the work), the mandu mandu (something like Korean gyozas) and the Bulgogi to share (beef marinated in soy and ginger that you can cook to your liking and eaten inside a lettuce leaf with gochujang sauce ).
A recommendation: book in advance, as it is a very popular restaurant (especially on weekends) and, if you want to live the authentic Korean experience, we recommend that you reserve a table in the small lounge on the second floor that lacks no detail. You will feel like you are in Seoul.
💶 Around €30 per person
📍CristóbalBordiu, 59
12. Mo of Movement

Mo de Movimiento is not a restaurant, it is a project and almost an experiment. It is a space where sustainability comes first, above all else and above aesthetics. Everything is measured based on the ecological footprint it generates, from the dish that arrives at our table to the architecture of the space, the materials used in all processes… and even the team’s uniforms.
The epicenter of its menu is its oven baked pizzas made with seasonal ingredients and proximity. Not surprisingly, the flours used for their doughs are from Sigüenza and Molino de Cerecinos (Zamora), for example. And the ingredients that crown each of these pizzas come from a corner of Spain (like their zucchini from La Vera or their eggs from Avila, Iberian cured meats from Jerez de los Caballeros, seasonal vegetables from Alfaro, Galicia, Cadiz…). You will be able to check on the menu where each ingredient comes from: this is true traceability.
💶 Around €30 per person
📍Espronceda, 34
13. Sylkar

How can something so simple become one of the most complex dishes in Spanish gastronomy? Whether with onion, without onion, better scattered and undercooked Betanzos style, compact and firm as a book… for tastes, the tortillas. But if there is one that unifies the people of Madrid around a metal bar, that is the Sylkar, one of the best potato omelets in town.
Sylkar‘ s history takes us back to half a century ago, when Alfredo and María opened this bar and offered a humble pincho de tortilla with coffee or beer. The rest, history of Madrid. Of course, here you can also order a good cocido madrileño, ensaladilla rusa, calamares? good tapas, good casticismo. Good omelette with little curd.
💶 Pincho de tortilla: 4,25 euros
📍Calle de Espronceda, 17
This article has been written by Alberto del Castillo, María F. Carballo, Isabel Nieto, y Elena French.