Laredo

The Retiro neighbourhood has come into its own as one of the biggies on Madrid's gastronomical map for being home to a large share of the city's best bars, taverns and restaurants. Among a wide range of varied and quality (in most cases) spots, Laredo stands out as an important bulwark of quality product, and good cuisine and selection of wines, which make it one of the best bars in Madrid.

The growing popularity of this enterprise of the Laredo brothers, who started with a bar in 1993 and to date have moved its location twice, has not impeded their ability to make quality and proximity top priorities. The clientele appreciate this so much that you'll need to book in advance if you want to get a table in the dining room or at the bar. Of course, you can always elbow your way in at the bar to get a better look at to contemplate the dishes of the day and help you decide what you want.

The wines are the other great strength, and Miguel is the man with the know-how and passion in this area, so definitely let him give you advice – you'll end up discovering a new favourite. We can say similar about the kitchen, which is David's realm, and where they cook up seasonal dishes and magnificent stews.

Standouts on the menu include rabbit cutlets with fries, roasted aubergines with fried artichokes, stewy rice dishes, Russian salad, braised steak, oxtail, monkfish and hake with almond alioli, and suckling pig confit with cream of truffled potato. You'll appreciate the free snacks you get with each drink order as well.