Dinner at midnight, because you can

The world's oldest restaurant per the Guinness World Records, operating continuously in its stone-walled cellar on Calle de Cuchilleros since 1725 — the cochinillo asado (suckling pig) carved tableside from the original wood-fired oven is non-negotiable, the last dinner seating runs to 11:30pm, and Hemingway ate here enough times to write it into 'The Sun Also Rises.

The Cava Baja institution that has fed Spanish royalty, Hollywood actors, and every serious eater who's spent time in Madrid — legendary for its huevos rotos con jamón (broken eggs over fried potatoes with Ibérico ham) and gambas al ajillo sizzling in clay pots, with kitchen service running to 11pm and a bar packed with locals well past that.

A living piece of 19th-century Madrid history on Carrera de San Jerónimo — opened in 1839 and still serving cocido madrileño in private dining rooms with painted ceilings, crystal chandeliers, and service from Pedro and staff who treat every dinner like an occasion, with the ground-floor delicatessen open as a wine-and-caldo counter until midnight on weeknights.

A beloved Lavapiés neighborhood tavern with a 4.5 rating and midnight closing time where the owner greets regulars like family, portions are enormous and honest, the pork cheeks melt like they've been braised since morning, and the prices are so reasonable you'll order one more round just because you can — the kind of place that makes you feel like a local by your second visit.

A quirky, warmly lit Antón Martín bar-restaurant with a loyal local following, open until midnight on weekdays and recommended by Spanish friends as the real deal — callos, oxtail with rice, brie-and-squash tapas, and all of it well under €16 per person in an atmosphere that feels less like dining out and more like eating at a brilliant neighbor's house.

Steps from the Plaza Mayor on Cuchilleros, this award-winning taberna is one of Madrid's most respected addresses for cocido madrileño — the city's iconic three-course chickpea stew served at dinner with advance notice — alongside nightly callos, croquetas de cocido, and an octopus dish that regulars call perfectly executed and impeccably authentic.

A pintxos bar phenomenon with a midnight closing time that packs in both locals and in-the-know visitors for what may be Madrid's most celebrated tortilla de patatas — silky, barely set, with caramelized onion — alongside extraordinary nigiri de anguila con foie, tuna panko pintxos, and huevos rotos con trufa negra that consistently leave guests ordering the same things again before the first round is even finished.