Madrid: Tapas & Wine Tour with Jamón Slicing & Calamari

Madrid's Real Food Stops: Where Locals Actually Eat

You'll taste seven local foods and six Spanish drinks (jamón ibérico, sizzling shrimp, crispy calamari, and handmade chocolate), while a local guide takes you through Madrid's oldest quarters and skips you past the line at the city's favorite sandwich counter. Small groups mean you move at a human pace and hear stories no guidebook carries. Dietary needs can be accommodated with a note at booking.

Step-by-step itinerary

Madrid food tour with historic sites

• Admire Royal Palace and cathedral
• Visit Plaza de la Villa square
• Pass by Plaza Mayor square
• Pass by historic covered market
• Pass by lively literary square
• Eat Iberian ham with wine or coffee
• Taste crispy fried calamari sandwich
• Enjoy sizzling garlic mushrooms with drink
• Try garlic fried shrimp with beer or wine
• Visit artisan chocolate shop for sweets

The experience

Your guide meets you near Plaza Mayor and within five minutes you're ducking into a centuries-old wine cellar where someone hands you a knife and a slice of Iberian ham. The jamón is salty, almost translucent, and you're learning how to angle the blade the way they've been doing it for generations. It's not a performance. It's just how you eat it here. You taste it with tomato toast and wine, or coffee if it's morning, and the whole thing takes maybe twenty minutes but feels like you've been let in on something.

Then you walk. The streets are narrow and the guide points out Plaza de la Villa, one of Madrid's oldest civic centers, and you can see how the buildings lean into each other like they're holding up the history. You stop at a centennial tapas bar for sizzling garlic shrimp. The kind that arrives on a small plate still hissing, and you eat it standing up with a beer or vermouth. After that comes the calamari sandwich, the one everyone talks about, and you skip the line because your guide knows the counter. It's crispy and tender and somehow tastes better when you don't have to wait forty minutes for it. There's a covered market somewhere in there too, full of cured meats and seafood and the smell of things that have been aging in the right way.

The group stays small. That's the whole point. Your guide speaks English and knows which places are real and which ones exist for tourists, and that difference matters more than you'd think. By the time you reach the chocolate stop at the end, you've had seven different foods and six drinks, and you're not stuffed exactly, but you've tasted Madrid the way people who live there actually eat it. The whole thing takes a few hours and covers the old quarters around Plaza Mayor and beyond, moving at a pace that lets you actually notice the streets and the people and the way the city is built.

What’s included

Your day includes a local English-speaking guide, entry to a centuries-old wine cellar where you learn to slice jamón ibérico, 7 food tastings (jamón with tomato toast, sizzling garlic shrimp, calamari sandwich, garlic mushrooms, handmade chocolates, and more), 6 drinks including Spanish wine, Tinto de Verano, vermouth, beer, and chocolate, skip-the-line access at a beloved calamari counter, and walking tours through Plaza Mayor, Plaza de la Villa, and Madrid's oldest quarters. Dietary accommodations can be arranged with advance notice.

Options for this experience

2 options

Food Tour in Small Groups (up to 12 people)Guide in English · 11:30, 17:00 and 18:00Taste 7 dishes and 5 drinks across Madrid's Old Town and Literary Quarter, plus a slice of Iberian ham in a hidden cellar. Length: 3 hours 30 minutes

Switch to a Private Food TourGuide in English · 12:30 and 19:00Discover the Old Town and Literary Quarter of Madrid on a private route you choose, with one additional tasting and a guide just for your group. Length: 3 hours 30 minutes

You see the exact price of each option when you check availability.See dates & prices

Before you book

Days and timesEvery day5 departure times: the first at 11:30, the last at 19:00

Book up to1h before

AgesAdult (18 and older) · Youth (13 to 17 years) · Child (4 to 12 years) · Under 4: can't be included in the booking

GroupUp to 12

Live guideEnglish

Meeting point and pickupNo hotel pickup: you go to the meeting point. Ends at a different place from where it starts.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled if the minimum number of travelers isn't reached. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated yesterday

Good to know

Easy physical levelWheelchair accessibleAccessible transportStroller friendlyPets welcomePublic transport nearby

Operated by Eating Europe Food Tours Rome

Is this one for you?Pick this if you want to eat the way locals do without spending hours researching which bars are real and which ones are set dressing: the small group size and local guide are what make the difference between a food tour and actually being fed.

Traveler reviews

4.97★★★★★★★★★★

426 verified traveler reviews

5 ★418

4 ★6

3 ★0

2 ★1

1 ★1

Read all the reviews ›

Top questions

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Youth (13 to 17 years); Child (4 to 12 years). Under 4: they can't be included in the booking.

How long is the Madrid food tour?

The tour runs for several hours and covers the old quarters around Plaza Mayor and Plaza de la Villa. Exact duration varies by stops and pace, but plan for a morning or afternoon block.

What's included in the 7 food tastings?

Jamón ibérico with tomato toast, sizzling garlic shrimp, the iconic calamari sandwich, garlic mushrooms, and handmade chocolate with a chocolate drink, plus other local bites that may vary by day or season.

What are the 6 drinks?

Spanish wine, Tinto de Verano, vermouth, beer, and coffee (mornings) or cava (evenings), plus a chocolate drink at the finish. Exact selections vary by tour timing.

Is this tour wheelchair accessible?

Yes. All areas and surfaces on the tour are wheelchair accessible, and public transportation options are available nearby.

What if I have dietary restrictions?

Email the operator or add a note at booking for vegetarian, gluten-free, or other dietary needs. They'll accommodate where possible. Severe food allergies should be flagged, as the company cannot guarantee allergen-free preparation.

What's the minimum group size?

Minimum 2 guests. If the group doesn't meet this, you'll be contacted to reschedule or receive a refund.

Do I need to book in advance?

Yes, this is a small-group tour with limited spots. Book ahead to secure your place.