Best Al Fresco Cafés in Madrid's Plaza Mayor

Drinks specialties at this al fresco café include beer and vermouth on tap. Cervecería Restaurante Plaza Mayor also makes the famous bocadillo de calamares (calmari sandwich) which you can even get to take away, but a much better idea is to stay, eat, and relax outside in the sunshine.

If you’d like to enjoy a hearty lunch outside, visit Casa María Plaza Mayor, which prides itself in offering delicious traditional Spanish cuisine. The restaurant regularly offers special prix fixe menus for holidays and events, and you can reserve at table by calling or visit the establishment’s Facebook page, making things easy if you don’t speak Spanish.

The terrace of this bar-restaurant is a beautiful place to sit out with a drink, but the inside of this bar has quite a bit of history to it. With photos covering the La Torre Del Oro’s walls, you’ll see that famous people like Bruce Springsteen and Robert F. Kennedy visited the very same spot you’re standing at. The bar prides itself on serving a variety of Andalusian tapas and boasts a unique bullfighting theme, with photos of famous bullfighters and bull heads hung on the walls.

If you’re looking for a more elegant dining experience, Hegar is one of the fancier restaurants in the Plaza Mayor. While you can still sit out on the terrace and enjoy a coffee, the indoor seating area, designed in a classical, traditional Spanish manner, is the ideal setting for an important evening dinner.

Los Arcos is known for serving up large jugs of sangria and plates of tapas piled high. While the inside is nothing to write home about, splitting a pitcher of sangria on the outdoor terrace is a pleasant way to spend a Sunday afternoon.

Cervecería Éboli open their terrace from January to November each year—what they consider to be the summer season. However, you can reserve indoor seating year round. Enjoy typical plates like Galician-style octopus, oxtail and a hearty pan of paella here.

Contrary to the name, the Museo del Jamon actually isn’t a museum at all—it’s a bar and restaurant with several locations around Madrid, one of which is in the Plaza Mayor. As the name suggests, it specializes in many different kinds of ham as well as typical Spanish dishes and tapas like tortilla española.

The outdoor terrace at Bar Tineo is open year round except for the month of December, and specializes in seafood cuisine. Clams, mussels and paella are must-try options here. They take reservations for larger groups and even if you don’t speak Spanish, you’ll feel right at home, as the staff pride themselves on speaking excellent English.