The Madrid Taco Trail: 10 Essential Stops by Neighbourhood

Madrid is now Europe's most taco-rich city, with options ranging from street-style trompo (€1-2 a taco) to Bib Gourmand and Michelin-recommended Mexican kitchens (Tepic, Barracuda MX). This taco trail covers 10 real stops grouped by area, designed so you can do it in one or two days without zig-zagging the city.

The route is split into four logical legs: La Latina/south Centro, Centro/Malasaña, Chamberí/Salamanca, and Retiro/Castellana. Each stop lists the address, signature dish and price so you can decide whether to grab two tacos and move on or settle in for a full meal. Let's go.

Leg 1: La Latina and south Centro — the classic start

Stop 1: Solito Taquería Mexicana

Address: Calle Príncipe de Anglona 1, 28005 Madrid (La Latina).
Style: contemporary gastrotaquería with the Sello Copil.
Order: regional mole tacos, guacamole with hand-made totopos.
Price: €€ (€4-6 a taco).
Why start here: Solito works from home recipes from across Mexico. The kitchen respects tradition but plates with modern technique. The perfect entry point for the trail because it combines high quality with reasonable prices. Sello Copil 2025.

Stop 2: Taquería del Alamillo

Address: Plaza del Alamillo 8, 28012 Madrid (La Latina).
Order: mole tacos, enchiladas, tinga taco.
Price: €€.
Why continue here: tucked into one of the prettiest squares in Hapsburg Madrid. A long-running spot — ideal for a couple of tacos on the terrace after Solito.

Leg 2: Centro and Malasaña — gastrotaquería and trompo

Stop 3: Mawey Taco Bar (San Bernardo)

Address: Calle de San Bernardo 5 Local 2, 28013 Madrid.
Style: gastrotaquería with the Sello Copil.
Order: taco al pastor with spring onion/pineapple/coriander, taco gobernador with Oaxaca cheese and toasted-corn-nut dust, guacamole.
Price: €€.
Why it stands out: menu signed by chefs Julián Barros and Fernando Carrasco. Modern but authentic. The taco gobernador with corn-nut dust is one of Madrid's most copied dishes. Next to the Teatro Arlequín.
Web: restaurantemawey.com

Leg 3: Chamberí — the gastronomic heartland

Stop 4: Mawey Taco Bar (Chamberí/Olid)

Address: Calle Olid 5-6, 28010 Madrid.
Order: huitlacoche and courgette flower quesadillas, pig-ear and cuttlefish taco.
Price: €€.
Why come: sister to the central branch but with a more experimental menu — the pig-ear and cuttlefish dish blends Madrid offal with Mexican technique.

Stop 5: Tobalá Taco Bar

Address: Calle de Gaztambide 35, 28015 Madrid.
Style: traditional taquería with Solete Repsol and Sello Copil.
Order: tongue tacos, suadero, sopes, chimichangas, Pueblan chalupas, panuchos, pozole.
Price: €€.
Why it stands out: Time Out highlights it for regional variety — it serves dishes uncommon in Madrid (Yucatecan panuchos, Pueblan chalupas) you won't find at standard taquerías.

Leg 4: Salamanca and Retiro — high-end Mexican

Stop 6: La Lupita (Villanueva)

Address: Calle de Villanueva 15, 28001 Madrid (Salamanca).
Order: charcoal-grilled taco, trompo al pastor with caramelised pineapple, cochinita pibil, birria.
Price: €€. Sello Copil.
Why it stands out: the original branch of the La Lupita group (since 2013), known for "the best charcoal tacos in Madrid". Strong list of Oaxacan craft mezcal.
Web: lalupita.es

Stop 7: Gracias Padre - Taquería La Roma

Address: Calle de José Ortega y Gasset 55 Local 3, 28006 Madrid.
Order: tacos, margaritas, nachos.
Price: €€.
Why come: authentic spirit, experienced Mexican chef. A comfortable stop in the heart of Salamanca.

Stop 8: Cabrón Mexican Parrilla

Address: Calle Castelló 24, 28001 Madrid.
Style: contemporary Mexican grill with Sello Copil.
Order: CABRÓN taco of grilled sirloin (3rd place at the 2024 Spanish Taco Championship), 24-hour confit shin taco, Sunday brunch.
Price: €€€.
Why it stands out: opened March 2024 by chef Nico Martos, trained at Barracuda MX under Roberto Ruiz. A young, modern proposal that avoids the folkloric clichés. The 24-hour confit shin taco is one of the dishes of the year.

Stop 9: Tepic

Address: Calle Ayala 14, 28001 Madrid (Metro Serrano).
Style: contemporary Mexican with Michelin Bib Gourmand and Sello Copil.
Order: Yucatecan/Maya cooking, cochinita pibil, moles from south-east Mexico.
Price: €€€.
Why it stands out: the benchmark for contemporary Mexican fine dining in Madrid. Bib Gourmand plus Sello Copil — the most demanding combination of accolades for a Mexican kitchen.
Web: tepic.es

Stop 10: Barracuda MX

Address: Calle Valenzuela 7, 28014 Madrid (Retiro/Puerta de Alcalá).
Style: Mexican Pacific haute cuisine. Michelin Guide-recommended, Sol Repsol, Sello Copil.
Order: pescado a la talla, ceviche, aguachile, fish tacos.
Price: €€€€.
Why finish here: the project of chef Roberto Ruiz, who earned Europe's first Mexican Michelin star at his previous restaurant Punto MX. His fish tacos are the high point of Mexican cooking in Madrid. Ideal as the finale stop when you want a high-end ticket.

Honourable mentions: Iztac and Bakan

Iztac

Address: Plaza de la República del Ecuador 4, 28016 Madrid (Chamartín).
Style: traditional Mexican high-end. Michelin Guide-recommended.
Order: dishes from Mexico's 32 states (menu changes every 6 months), green pozole.
Price: €€€ (average ticket €45).
Why include it: often called "the Mexican restaurant where Mexicans in Madrid actually eat". Traveler 2023 award for best Mexican cooking in the city.

Bakan Madrid

Address: Plaza de la Independencia 5, 28001 Madrid (Puerta de Alcalá).
Style: premium Mexican with Sello Copil.
Order: hand-made tortillas, oak-fired meats, more than 250 mezcals and tequilas.
Price: €€€.
Why it stands out: three pillars — nixtamalised blue criollo corn, wood fire and mezcal. Long opening hours (midday to midnight, Fri-Sat to 1am).
Web: bakanmadrid.com

How to plan your Madrid taco trail

• One-day low-cost route: stops 1, 2 (La Latina) and 3 (Centro). Total ~€25-35 with drinks.
• One-day mixed route: 1 → 4 → 5 → 6. Combine gourmet taquerías in Chamberí with La Lupita in Salamanca. Total ~€45-60.
• Weekend route: Saturday legs 1+2 (centre), Sunday legs 3+4 (Chamberí + Salamanca). Finish with Sunday brunch at Cabrón.
• Gourmet route (one evening): Mawey San Bernardo for an aperitif → dinner at Tepic, Barracuda MX or Bakan. Ticket €80-120 per head.

Practical tips

• Book Tepic, Cabrón, Iztac, Barracuda MX and Bakan: these are fine dining and fill up 1-2 weeks ahead at weekends.
• Mawey, Solito and La Lupita take bookings but also serve at the bar: if you can't get a table, head straight to the counter.
• Tobalá has a Solete Repsol: booking for the weekend is strongly recommended.
• The metro covers the whole route: La Latina (line 5), Tribunal (1, 10), Iglesia (1), Argüelles (3, 4, 6), Serrano (4), Velázquez (4), Retiro (2), República Argentina (6).
• Mix prices: starting cheap (Solito) and trading up through the trail (Cabrón, Tepic) is more sustainable for both wallet and palate.

Take the trail home

If you want to recreate what you ate, try our homemade tacos al pastor, traditional cochinita pibil, green aguachile and red pozole. For cheap taco options around Madrid, see our cheap Mexican in Madrid guide; to stock up on ingredients, the Madrid Mexican shops guide.

Frequently asked questions

Which is Madrid's most acclaimed Mexican restaurant?

Tepic holds a Michelin Bib Gourmand and the Sello Copil, making it the Mexican kitchen with most institutional recognition in Madrid. Barracuda MX (chef Roberto Ruiz, Europe's first Mexican Michelin star) is Michelin Guide-recommended and has a Sol Repsol.

Where is Spain's national taco champion?

Valletako (Mercado Numancia, Vallecas) won the 2024 Spanish Taco Championship with its oxtail birria taco. Cabrón (Salamanca) came third with its CABRÓN sirloin taco.

How much does the full taco trail cost?

The comfortable route (5-6 stops, 2 tacos at each) runs €60-90 per head if you combine low and mid prices. The full gourmet route with Tepic + Barracuda + Bakan tops €200 per head.

Are there vegan tacos on the trail?

Yes. TKO Tacos has 4 vegetarian tacos on the menu, Mawey offers pig-ear tacos that can be swapped for mushroom, and Tobalá Taco Bar serves vegetarian Pueblan chalupas and sopes. Tepic adapts the menu on request.

Which taquería opens late for a taco dinner?

Bakan Madrid (Puerta de Alcalá) serves until midnight on weekdays and 1am on Friday and Saturday. Mami Tacos Birriería (Malasaña) and Antigua Taquería (Lavapiés) keep late hours.