The city’s culinary history began when King Felipe ll established Madrid as the capital of Spain which attracted a major population influx from many people around all parts of the Spanish Empire. Trade thrived across the Atlantic between Spain and America and Madrid was able to enjoy a culture golden age between the 16^th and 17^th centuries. Madrid re-shaped the local gastronomy, dividing it into two independent branches including humble and aristocratic cuisine and this remained for the next 4 centuries. Many of the food traditions since first being created such as tapas. Many say they were created when King Alfonso X of Castile recovered from an illness by drinking wine with small dishes in between meals. Today, the king doesn’t serve wine without it being accompanied by the small snack of tapas. In the city of Madrid, dinner is normally served around 10pm at the earliest, so when living or visiting Madrid the tapas can be useful to tie you over before a late dinner. 

Madrid is home to the world’s oldest restaurant allowing the city to have heritage and tradition of fine dining. You will find a wide variety of tasty treats tucked away whether it is in the city’s bodegas or sold from vendors on the street. A lot of Madrid’s food scene is centered around the world-famous markets located along the streets, where people buy quick and to go food while shopping for the local produce being sold. These customs that Madrid has have helped shape the city with foods that can be enjoyed authentically on a tight budget.

Madrid has its own gastronomy with the typical recipes which include tripe, snails, squid rolls and tapas. Although the city has its own practice of cooking they also follow culinary specialties from other parts of Spain to be enjoyed by the natives. Some popular dishes that have been created by the Spanish include Paella, a rice dish with your choice of seafood and/or meats of a variety, Roast Suckling Pig, Galacian Octopus, Bean Stew, prepared with white beans, sausage, black pudding and bacon, Fried Fish, and many more delectable dishes served for lunch and dinner. 

Eating in Madrid is one of the best experiences for people visiting. Being able to find where each food gastronomic quarter is easy and there are many different places to try out. You can find traditional foods in the old city near Royal Palace of Madrid and Plaza Mayor. Modern and International can be found in the neighborhoods of Malasana and Chueca. Ethnic foods can be found in Lavapies, where you can find Indian and African restaurants. And if you’re trying a more sophisticated and fancy plate, you would head to the Salamanca quarter. While food in America is much different, Madrid, Spain has one of the healthiest diets compared to many countries all over the world including fresh meats and veggies. None of the foods served in the city are processed which make the city’s food more appealing to many individuals.