Tapas, Taverns & History Tour

TOUR SNAPSHOT

Get ready for Spanish food and Spanish history to come to life. As you weave between century-old tapas bars, historic plazas and mystery-filled streets, you’ll learn how the story of Madrid is as much a story of kings and wars as it is one of garlic shrimp and crusty bread. This is a classic tapas crawl in the classic style, which means that no tapas bar is ever too crowded—there’s always room for a few more!

STOP-BY-STOP

Start your night off in a historic tavern with connections to the Spanish Civil War. You’ll sip vermouth and try a tapa that’s been served here for over 100 years! This traditional stop will be your first introduction into what going out for tapas really means in Madrid.

Now it’s time to build up an appetite! We’ll start our 45-minute history walk through the oldest part of Madrid by heading towards the Royal Palace. As we explore the Habsburg neighborhood, you’ll discover its hidden squares and secrets while hearing the story of how Madrid went from being a small village to the capital of one of the world’s greatest empires.

The next tapas bar is known for one thing: grilled mushrooms that will change the way you look at mushrooms forever. While here, you’ll learn what most locals drink on a night out (hint: it’s not sangria!) and you’ll pair it with the famous mushrooms and addictive Padrón peppers.

On our way to the next stop, we’ll pass through one of Madrid’s key squares and its hidden backstreets. Here, your guide will bring more of Madrid’s storied past to life.

At the third tapas bar of the night, you’ll taste one of Madrid’s signature tapas: gambas al ajillo. We’ll tell you all about how this family-run bar claims to have invented it–and they’ve been in business since 1906 so we’ll take thier word for it! You’ll also enjoy a glass of wine made from their family vineyard.

After a quick visit to another of Madrid’s iconic squares where you’ll get a crash course on the city’s recent past, it’s on to our last stop! We’ll squeeze into one of Madrid’s last remaining traditional tapas institutions, a no-frills spot where locals crowd in for classic dishes. Having explored historic madrid from top to bottom, we’ll be ready to get off our feet, so we’ll sit down here and start passing plates of Madrid specialties around.

By the time we part ways, you’ll have seen some of Madrid’s top sights and eaten at the city’s most beloved bars. More than that, you’ll understand how the two go hand in hand.

And as with all Devour Madrid tours, you’ll receive our Devouring Madrid guide. Packed with all our favorite places to eat and drink in the city, put down your guidebook and get ready to experience Madrid like a local!