15 Best Tapas Bars in Madrid | Condé Nast Traveler

"You know you're living your best European life when you step off a cobblestone street into a cheese shop, pick out a few quesos and a bottle of wine, and sit down at a marble table by the window to enjoy them. That's the allure of Casa González, founded in 1931, a hybrid gourmet shop–tapas restaurant where you could spend hours grazing and sipping. While the posher vinotecas in the neighborhood fill up with see-and-be-seen locals, Casa González draws a down-to-earth crowd that's here for nothing more than good food and a good time. The menu revolves around Casa González's expertly purveyed charcuterie and conservas (canned seafood and other delicacies), so it pays to give whomever's behind the counter carte blanche to make you a cheese plate with the best stuff." - Benjamin Kemper