The Best Restaurants with Panoramic Views in Madrid
The view from the Azotea de Bellas Artes | @AlbertoAmortegui / Pixabay
Madrid has some of the best weather anywhere in Europe, so one of the best ways to enjoy your dinner in the Spanish capital is by eating al fresco. We take a look at some of the best restaurants with panoramic views of Madrid.
The rooftop of the Círculo de Bellas Artes cultural centre has spectacular 360-degree views over Madrid, from the Prado and Retiro Park to the skyscrapers of the city’s business district. Main courses are between €15 and €20 and include dishes like seasonal fish with garlic, chilli pepper, olive oil and sherry vinegar and acorn-fed ibérico pork with dried apricots. The restaurant is also open for breakfast, a great – and more quiet – time to enjoy the views over the city.
Set inside the Dear Hotel, a chic hotel with Scandinavian-inspired decor right on Gran Vía, Nice to Meet You has great views over Plaza España, Gran Vía, the Casa de Campo park and the Royal Palace. It is located on the 14th floor of the hotel and includes an indoor area and outdoor urban terrace, packed with leafy, green plants – the perfect place to unwind with a cocktail and some nibbles.
La Cocina de San Antón, Madrid | @La Cocina de San Antón
Mercado de San Antón, in Chueca, is a traditional neighbourhood market that has been renovated into one of Madrid’s most buzzing gastronomic spaces. The ground floor is packed with fresh produce, while the second floor is lined with stalls selling freshly prepared food from both Spain and around the world. It’s up on the top floor, though, where visitors get an impressive view over the barrio’s rooftops from the Cocina de San Antón, the market’s rooftop restaurant. With a kitchen open from 12.30pm onwards, it’s a great stop, whatever the time. Menus range from shareable snacks like croquettes, jamón and nachos, to lunch and dinner options.
Michelin-starred chef Ramón Freixa is at the helm of Ático, the sixth-floor restaurant in The Principal Hotel, Madrid. While the decor is sumptuous, with velvet curtains, sink-into-them soft sofas and marble floors, the food is accessible and a more laid-back offering than Freixa’s other restaurants. The main attractions of the cuisine at Ático are the quality and freshness of the ingredients in dishes that include duck confit wrap with foie gras and truffle, Roast Iberian suckling pig, and flame grilled sea bass with mango, quinoa and marine algae.
This cool, off-the-beaten-track café is a great pit-stop for those visiting Madrid Rio, the city’s excellent riverside park. Locals love to come here at weekends to stroll, run, rollerblade and cycle, and after all that activity, a relaxing drink and something to eat at Café del Rio’s lovely roof terrace is the perfect way to wind down. The restaurant’s wide-ranging menu includes pasta and rice dishes, sharing plates like croquettes and grilled octopus and plenty of meat and fish dishes. The terrace looks out over the Royal Palace, just across the river.
On the ninth floor of the Corte Inglés department store is the Gourmet Experience, a gourmet supermarket and food court with a wrap-around terrace. Grab some food from the Basque, Mexican, Burger or Japanese stalls and take a seat on the terrace, that has fantastic views across Madrid, from Gran Vía over to the Royal Palace and the Casa de Campo beyond.
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The rooftop of Madrid’s casino is one of the most exclusive addresses in the city; a luxurious space ideal for a romantic evening. The two Michelin star restaurant is run by Paco Roncero, one of the most famous chefs who trained under Ferran Adrià, and the menu is an exciting array of inventive dishes that add a touch of theatre to the dining experience. The restaurant’s magical terrace opens only during the summer, so is an exclusive spot with lovely views across the city. The tasting menu, which features a creative spin on traditional Spanish flavours, starts at €145.
