Casa Dani

Casa Dani is a bar and eatery inside the Mercado de la Paz, the traditional covered food market in the upmarket Salamanca district, and it is famous across Madrid for its tortilla de patatas. Food writers regularly list it among the best tortillas in the city, and on weekday mornings the counter is crowded with market workers, office staff and regulars ordering slices with a coffee or a beer.

The tortilla is made in the classic way with potato and onion. The potatoes are fried in sunflower oil, and the sweet onion balances their flavour. It comes as a wedge on a plate, often with bread, and it is cheap and satisfying. Many people simply come for a slice, but the kitchen also serves croquetas, oxtail, salmorejo and fish bought from the market's own fishmongers.

At lunchtime on weekdays, Casa Dani offers a menú del día, a set menu of traditional dishes written up on a board, which changes daily and might include lentils, chickpea stew, tripe or meatballs in sauce. It is one of the best-value ways to eat a proper Spanish lunch in this part of the city. Seating is mostly at the counter, and it works on a walk-in basis, so expect to wait at peak times.

Casa Dani keeps market hours. It opens early in the morning from Monday to Saturday, closes in the early evening on weekdays and in the afternoon on Saturdays, and is closed on Sundays and public holidays. The tortilla can run out late in the day, so go in the morning or at lunchtime if it is your priority. It suits solo travellers, budget eaters and anyone curious about everyday Madrid food culture, and a visit pairs well with a wander through the market's stalls.

The Mercado de la Paz is entered from Calle de Ayala, between Calle de Claudio Coello and Calle de Serrano. Serrano metro station on line 4 is around five minutes away on foot. The surrounding streets are home to Madrid's luxury fashion boutiques, and the Retiro park and the National Archaeological Museum are both within easy walking distance.