If you’re not sure where to eat in Madrid at Christmas, you’re not alone. Holiday schedules can be confusing—if restaurants are even open at all—but this guide will help you narrow things down!
It’s no secret that Christmas Eve and Christmas Day are among the most important days of the year in Madrid.
All throughout the city, business owners close up shop and head home for a few days to spend some much-needed time with their families. The same goes for most restaurants.
However, if you’re visiting Madrid at Christmas, you’ll definitely need to eat at some point—and preferably not at a cheesy tourist trap or international fast food chain. These picks for where to eat in Madrid at Christmas will help you make the most of every meal and feast like a local.
Christmas Eve & Christmas Day in Madrid
Known as nochebuena in Spanish, Christmas Eve is a night of magical festivities and family fun. Many madrileños will spend the evening gathered around a table piled high with all kinds of festive fare and surrounded by the people who matter most.
And while Spaniards may favor the Three Kings over Santa Claus, that doesn’t mean that Christmas Day gets completely shoved aside. There may not be as many presents (some families exchange gifts on December 25, but the majority wait until January 6); however, holiday cheer is still in full swing.
So what does all of that mean? On Christmas Eve, it will be a bit harder to find restaurants that are open. It’s not impossible, but given the limited availability, we highly recommend calling ahead to reserve your spot in advance.
Surprisingly enough, it’s more common to find eateries open on December 25 than it is on the previous day. While not every place in the city is open, there’s more variety than you’d expect. Again, we recommend booking in advance to guarantee that you get a table.
Where to Eat in Madrid at Christmas
1. Hotel Santo Domingo
Centrally located just steps from Gran Via, the Hotel Santo Domingo is a wonderful option for meals on both December 24 and 25. This elegant yet unpretentious hotel offers festive meals that draw inspiration from Spanish classics.
This year’s Christmas Eve menu includes traditional dishes like seafood soup and lamb confit. For lunch on December 25, the multi-course meal offers both meat and seafood dishes, with turrón-caramel ice cream for dessert.
Price: €120 for Christmas Eve dinner (€108 if booked before December 18, 2021). €69 for Christmas Day lunch.
2. Bloved
Celebrate a glamorous Christmas at Bloved, a standout gem of a restaurant on Gran Vía itself.
Located inside the sleek, contemporary Hotel Catalonia, the beautiful restaurant offers a lovely setting for enjoying a Christmas meal. The special December 24 menu focuses on both traditional Spanish and contemporary international fusion dishes. It includes four courses, dessert, coffee or tea, and wine.
Price: €90 for the Christmas Eve meal.
Hi Lindsey,Do you know if the San Miguel market i open on Christmas day? we are actually landing the same day in the morning and not sure what we can do, what’s open or not whe it comes to restaurants.
Thanks so much!
Hi! The Mercado de San Miguel will be open from noon to midnight on Christmas Day. Enjoy!
Hello Lindsey do you happen to know what restaurants will be open on Xmas eve and Xmas day 2019?
thank you!
Kiki
Hello Beatriz! While most of our favorite restaurants haven’t released their 2019 holiday menus yet, we’ll update this post as soon as they do (usually in late October or November). Keep an eye on this space!
Wondering if you have information yet on Christmas Eve restaurants in Madrid? We toured with you last year but this time we will only be in Madrid for one night before heading south and need restaurant suggestions! Thank you’
Hi Edye—any of these options would be great! We’d recommend La Antoñita for a more down-to-earth setting, or BLoved for contemporary, stylish fare. Enjoy your trip!
Just found you! I’m looking for a cozy on the more casual side for Christmas eve, do you have any recommendations?
Hi Gina—of the restaurants listed here, La Antoñita would probably be your best bet for a laid-back, casual atmosphere. While most restaurants in Madrid haven’t published their availability for Christmas Eve 2019 yet, we will update this post with even more options when they do!
Hi.
Any ideas for new year’s Eve and day?
Hi there! We’ll have a post coming very soon with suggestions for New Year’s Eve and Day—keep an eye out! 🙂
Hi there,
Most of the Christmas Eve gatherings (one at our hotel for example) are adult only. We will be in Madrid on Christmas Eve and have no idea where to eat dinner with our 12 year old son. We are looking for a casual, kid friendly place, but not one for 89 euros. It seems the dinner prices on Christmas Eve are steep. Thank you for your assistance. Any more reasonable suggestions would be great.
Hi Diana—it’s true that a lot of places raise their prices on Christmas Eve because they know that availability is limited. The chain VIPS (https://www.vips.es/) was founded here in Madrid and is hugely popular among families looking for a casual environment—they’ll likely have a few locations open on Christmas Eve! Enjoy your trip!
Both your restaurant suggestions for Christmas day are not open on Christmas.
Hi Breanna, we’ve contacted both places mentioned and they have each confirmed that they’re open on Christmas Day. BLoved is offering a special menu: https://www.restaurantebloved.com/sites/default/files/menus_navidad_2019-2020_eboca_-_bloved_0.pdf and Media Ración accepts reservations via phone at +34 914 475 111 or email at [email protected]. We hope this helps!