Restaurants with outdoor dining

When it comes to having fun in the sun, there are all kinds of ways to enjoy a summer’s day in Madrid, but all of them should include lunch or dinner in a special place. You’re guaranteed to have a fabulous time at all of these restaurants with outdoor seating, even if the sea is beyond the horizon. Have a great summer!

Published in esMADRIDmagazine July/August 2024

Summer is a wonderful time in Madrid! It’s impossible to list the countless things to do in the city over the summer, from when the sun rises and we start the morning with a coffee, perhaps with some churros, to when evening sets in and we hear the first strains of music from the many concerts held this time of year. The sea may be a good distance away, but some of the city’s urban thoroughfares double as veritable seaside promenades, lined with restaurants with outdoor seating allowing us to enjoy their finest food in the open air.

There’s nothing better than savouring a meal surrounded by greenery or almost touching the sky. In Madrid, you’ll find al fresco dining at ground level, in hidden gardens and courtyards or up high, on the rooftops of some of our most iconic buildings which, in addition to striking architecture, also offer amazing views. So, there’s really just one decision you need to make: Should we have dinner up high or down low? Both options are perfect. Here are some restaurants not to be missed this summer.

CORNAMUSA CIBELES

Plaza de Cibeles, 1. BANCO DE ESPAÑA. Tel. 91 530 17 61

This restaurant located at Cibeles Palace, one of our city’s most emblematic buildings, is renowned for its unwavering commitment to conveying emotions through feelings—through flavours, smells, textures, details which can become an experience, sounds, views, silence. With the capital as their backdrop, Jesús Almagro and Manu Berganza work true magic in the kitchen. On the menu, you’ll find green tomato gazpacho, vegetables from Aranjuez and Guadarrama sirloin steak. For dessert, try the violet ice cream or anise fritters.

Savour haute cuisine on the sixth floor, nearly touching the sky. For an even higher vantage point, head to the seventh floor to Azotea Cibeles, a rooftop bar boasting an extensive list of classic and modern cocktails. Fancy a mojigato? This non-alcoholic drink is infused with passion fruit.

DANI BRASSERIE

Sevilla, 3. SEVILLA. Tel. 91 330 62 10

Here, gastronomy and design come together in a unique setting: an exclusive rooftop with unbeatable panoramic views of the centre of Madrid. Located on the seventh floor of the Four Seasons hotel in the Canalejas complex, it’s a stone’s throw away from Puerta del Sol.

It’s wonderful to be able to take in everything going on in the city as we enjoy the Mediterranean flavours which always distinguish Malaga-born chef Dani García’s cuisine. Casual and cosmopolitan, his cooking has a touch of sophistication and an ever-present respect for the environment and sustainability.

The menu revolves around first-rate ingredients and includes some of the esteemed chef’s iconic dishes, such as tomate nitro and green gazpacho, grilled red mullet, oxtail ravioli, and Cadiz bluefin tuna tartare. For dessert, try the smoky chocolates.

RUBAIYAT

Juan Ramón Jiménez, 37. CUZCO. Tel. 91 359 10 00 

For eighteen years, this restaurant has stood as a cornerstone of Madrid’s culinary landscape, renowned especially for its charcoal-grilled dishes. Its history goes back to São Paulo, Brazil, where the first Rubaiyat opened in the 1950s with an innovative slogan: “from the farm to the plate”. Beef (Angus, Wagyu, Rubia Gallega) is the house speciality. The Baby Gold and the T-bone with mustard sauce for two are impossible to resist.

Over time, the menu has embraced Mediterranean flavours, so you’ll also find delicious offerings like grilled octopus with romesco sauce, spaghetti al nero di seppia, portobello mushroom carpaccio with pine nuts and truffle oil, and the now classic feijoada stew, which, although it’s not served in the summer, everyone should try at least once in their lifetime. The idyllic outdoor dining area is a veritable urban oasis that’s perfect for beating the heat.

EL JARDÍN DE ARTURO SORIA

Arturo Soria, 207. ARTURO SORIA. Tel. 91 896 59 25

This is the perfect place to unplug from the noise, from the rush, and from just about everything—were it not for the fact that its fantastic food makes it so easy to connect with our roots. Tradition is at the forefront here. Creamy Ibérico ham croquettes or tuna salad might be followed by sirloin steak with Padrón peppers or grilled Cantabrian monkfish with pil-pil sauce. The sweet-toothed will love the violet candy mousse with white chocolate.

DRY MARTINI

Ferraz, 2. PLAZA DE ESPAÑA. Tel. 91 368 88 82

Located in Casa Gallardo just off Plaza de España, Dry Martini is one of Madrid’s most famous cocktail bars. When the good weather arrives, the al fresco dining area in Fanjul Gardens becomes one of the most popular in the city, thanks to its lush green surroundings and a drinks menu designed by Javier de las Muelas. The best part is that you can combine your refreshment with delicious snacks and heartier dishes ranging from gildas (pepper, olive and anchovy skewers) to caviar to Armagnac brandy-flavoured terrine de foie gras.

EL JARDÍN DE LA FONDA

Génova, 27. COLÓN. Tel. 91 108 88 81

The time has come to reveal one of Madrid’s best-kept secrets. Inside the restaurant La Fonda Lironda, there’s a courtyard with a pleasant, charming dining area that’s perfect for couples. The greenery here is paired with modern, elegant décor that compliments the menu, designed to turn dining into a fun experience. Options include gazpacho, salmorejo (another cold, tomato-based soup), fideuà (pasta paella) and coal-oven-roasted spring chicken. For dessert, how about coconut crème brûlée?

BRASSERIE LAFAYETTE

Recaredo, 2. REPÚBLICA ARGENTINA / CRUZ DEL RAYO. Tel. 91 260 69 12

Welcome to one of Madrid’s most distinguished French restaurants. Provençal charm fills its interior but also extends to its outdoor dining area, which is one of the prettiest in the city, surrounded by lush greenery with just eight tables to guarantee an intimate dining experience. For the hot summer months, chef Gustavo Valbuena has added fresh and original dishes to the menu.

Many of these are new takes on classic options from our neighbouring country, such as the hake Lorraine, inspired by the classic quiche, the ray meunière, cooked in a delectable sauce flavoured with its own juices and enhanced by citrus fruits and capers, and the Normandy-style tripe, whose ingredients include an osmotically dehydrated apple. Perhaps you’d prefer to try the rice with Nantua sauce, which the restaurant makes with shrimp instead of crayfish.

OROYA AT EDITION

Plaza de Celenque, 2. ÓPERA. Tel. 91 954 54 50

This appealing, inviting setting calls to mind a greenhouse. Framed by a steel structure decorated with climbing plants and coloured glass panes, this restaurant features a terrace area called The Roof. It boasts a casual tapas menu for sharing, including tasty ceviches and desserts made with lucuma fruit. Peruvian chef Diego Muñoz helms the kitchen.

RESTAURANTE AMOS BY JESÚS SÁNCHEZ

Paseo de la Castellana, 22. RUBÉN DARÍO. Tel. 91 587 19 91

Seafood-stuffed artichokes with sea urchin sauce, steak tartare with caviar, green avocado gazpacho with smoked sea bass in a salpicón dressing… It’s so hard to decide! The menu created by Cantabrian chef Jesús Sánchez for the Rosewood Villa Magna hotel is based on four key pillars: tradition, essence, flavour and quality ingredients.

PACO RONCERO RESTAURANTE

Alcalá, 15. SEVILLA / SOL. Tel. 91 532 12 75

Located on the top floor of Real Casino de Madrid, in the heart of the city, this restaurant has been one of the capital’s foodie hotspots since it first opened in 1990. Its menu is an ode to nature. Dinner on the terrace is a real experience altogether. So don’t miss it!

EL JARDÍN DEL RITZ

Plaza de la Lealtad, 5. BANCO DE ESPAÑA / ESTACIÓN DEL ARTE. Tel. 91 701 67 67

Open all year round, weather permitting, the beautiful Jardín del Ritz at the Mandarin Oriental Ritz Madrid is an elegant outdoor space where you can meet up with friends. The chef, Quique Dacosta, fancies “it’s like going for a picnic in the Gardens of Versailles”.