Café de Oriente Palacio Real

There’s no shortage of good food in Madrid but Cafe de Oriente was a dining highlight of our visit. Aside from its perfect location with the outdoor seating right across the Royal Palace, the food and the service were absolutely fantastic and it was hard to leave. Loved not being rushed even after we finished our meals. Look forward to returning to Madrid just to dine here again.

I had breakfast and dinner same place , as my hotel upstairs. Location amazing very nice and right in front of the palace ! Very good people come around , the prices are normal. Very good location !

Beautiful spot right in front of the Royal Palace — perfect for a relaxing break after visiting. We tried the Iberian ham croquettes and coffee, both delicious and well presented. Great service, elegant atmosphere, and amazing views. 💳 They accept American Express, which is a big plus in Madrid!

Café de Oriente is a Madrid classic — a must-visit near the Royal Palace. This place truly lives up to its reputation. It’s located very close to the Royal Palace, making it a perfect stop for anyone exploring the area. I highly recommend trying the croquettes — they’re outstanding. The menu is refined and matches the pricing. The service and staff are excellent — attentive and professional. What really sets this place apart is the exquisite décor and ethereal atmosphere. I was lucky to visit during a quiet moment, which allowed me to fully enjoy the space. Without a doubt, I would return.

Café de Oriente is less about rushing in for coffee and more about slowing down in one of the best locations in Madrid. Sitting right in front of the Royal Palace, the terrace offers a direct, unobstructed view that immediately elevates the experience — even a simple drink feels special here. The atmosphere changes throughout the day. In the morning it feels calm and elegant, while at sunset the palace façade turns golden and the setting becomes genuinely memorable. At night, the lighting gives the whole plaza a refined, almost cinematic character. Inside, the décor leans classic rather than modern — polished, comfortable, and designed for lingering conversation. The desserts and coffee are good, but honestly the highlight is the setting. You’re paying partly for the location, and it’s worth it if you accept that beforehand. Service is professional and accustomed to international visitors, making the visit smooth and relaxed rather than formal. Overall, Café de Oriente is an experience café: not the cheapest stop, but one of the most atmospheric places in Madrid to pause, look at the palace, and enjoy the rhythm of the city.

We were passing by and decided to stop for a glass of wine and a small appetizer. There were plenty of free tables overlooking the palace, but when we walked in, the waiter asked if we were going to eat. When we said para beber, he pointed to a crappy table at the back and immediately lost interest in us. So we went next door instead, now enjoying croquettes and wine.

Hola!👋 We enjoyed this cafe in Madrid - Plaza de Oriente, come also and get your “real” experience!

My partner and I had lunch here during restaurant week. The special menu was indeed special. The starter was a shot of savory pumpkin soup and a ham croquette. The first course was causa limeña, salad greens and a generous portion of prawns cooked perfectly. My second plate was bacalao in a sauce of callos of bacalao. My partner chose a delicious pork tenderloin. The dessert is a spectacular presentation of a torrija (French toast) and ice cream in a carmelized cup. Brilliant combination of flavors. The service is impecable here.

Café de Oriente is a great place to stop for a quick lunch & drinks while roaming around/near the palace! Went for a quick drink & appetizer and the calamari was really good! It is sharable for 2-3 people but we were tempted to order more! I went during a busy hour (Friday afternoon) so if you go during a rush hour like I did, be mindful and flexible on the limited seating arrangements inside! We sat outside when it was chilly, however, they had plenty of heaters!The inside is BEAUTIFUL & I would love to go back next time I'm in Madrid to enjoy that ambiance & other items on the menu.

If you're lucky sit outside and enjoy the famous Spanish gin and tonic. they use it with I tried to slice of apple. We did not use tonic we used a special soda water. I'll get the name and let you know. They bring some corn nuts, sweet little candies and something else maybe peanuts. Time it right because it can get busy. We are sat outside enjoying the view. Between lunch and dinner

Made a quick stop for lunch at the Cafe de Oriente on a Friday afternoon. It was very busy so I opted for a seat outside. I only ordered the calamari but it was absolutely delicious. It was perfectly fried and crispy and not too chewy. The sauces that accompanied were a perfect compliment. I enjoyed sitting outside because it was covered and had plenty of heat lamps so I was not cold. I also did get to see inside which was beautiful. I definitely plan to go back soon!

Great location across from the palace. Rude service. Overpriced drinks. Won't be going back.

I would like to commend the staff: Maitre Daniel, Waitress Julie, and most of all, Manager Javier. We were a party of 15 that's traveled from all over the world for a work meeting. I had reached out to the restaurant weeks prior to make a reservation and was promptly responded to by Javier. The night before of our reservation, we had gone to a different restaurant and had experienced a very unfortunate and terrible service. I reached out to Javier that night in the hopes of making sure that our night with Cafe de Oriente will make up for the lackluster experience we had elsewhere. He replied right away and made sure that my executives will be greeted by him personally and absolutely be taken care of. When we got to Cafe de Oriente, Javier welcomed us with open arms and provided us a tour of the whole restaurant along with its history! He also reserved a private section for our group! Not only was everyone impressed by Javier's initial impression and the ambiance, but Maitre Daniel and Waitress Julie made sure that they were on top of everything - food, wine, service - everything was fantastic! We couldn't have asked for a better night to have ended our time in Madrid. I cannot express how grateful I am to the team for all the special touches and making it an experience to remember! Thank you, Javier, Daniel, and Julie!

Tres chic. A very pleasant room. The perfect way to start the day. Everything was perfect.

We stopped by this cute cafe before we headed to the royal palace. When we walked in I really like the decor of the place! There was a mixture of tables and sitting areas to make anyone comfortable. We sit down and order breakfast. My friend and I both got the breakfast combo which comes with eggs, bacon, a biscuit and fries. I ordered overeasy eggs while my friend ordered scrambled. When our plates came out we noticed both our eggs were over easy. Overall meal was good but a bit ordinary. Something I could def. Make myself at home and not worth the price of the dish. I understand that since the cafe is near a tourist site that the food will be more expensive. Regardless, the food was very filling and the coffee was pretty good. We left with full bellys and the energy to start our day!

Best meal of our trip, and we've been to Lisbon, Sintra, Nice, Monaco, and now Madrid. Highly recommend: croquettes (come with 3 different types, cod, ham, and spinach and cheese), jamon iberico, and the tortilla espanola. The white sangria was also very tasty.

The food was excellent and so was the service. Ambience was great! The suckling lamb chops were truly outstanding !

Went there with a group in a private room. Had a seven course meal and it was delicious. Service was impeccable.

Surprisingly good food and a wonderful view which can't be beat. I came in here on my way to el Palacio Real. I had heard there were some good restaurants around the palace and once I saw the glowing Yelp reviews, I decided to come to this place because the food looked decent and the view sitting outside was awesome. I ordered the Luxe burger, which had goat cheese, bacon arugula, and some aioli sauce. It was served with fries. The burger itself was very, very good and also fairly large. It was cooked perfectly. I was pretty full once I was done eating it since it was so big. The fries were really good too, and I honestly don't even like fries. The service was really not great though. We were seen by two different waiters -- one brought us the drinks and took our order while the other handled everything else. The first guy was pretty sassy and looked at me like I was an idiot when I asked for the burger which I thought was pretty rude and uncalled for. He actually walked away from our table shaking his head. The other guy was nice though. If the service had been friendlier I would have given this place a higher rating. I think this place is worth it for the view alone, so that's why I would recommend it.

Great location and tons of outdoor seating, this place is fancy! Next to the palace, lots of small items to choose from. Of those, I recommend the octopus, soooo good and huge too! Pricing is fairly on the cheap side, has a list of wine and other alcohol as well as fruit drinks. The waiters are slow at coming to you so you really have to waive them down.

Pésimo servicio en la terraza. Lento, caótico, antipático. no vuelvo. Me traen la cuenta antes de ofrecer postre y café. Cuando digo que no he terminado, se irrita el camarero. En fin.... Y el ceviche exceso de limón.

Beautiful restaurant with a beautiful view of the palace. Service was a little slow and they forgot to bring out something we ordered but food was delicious nonetheless. Extra charge for sitting on the patio.

- Great stop for a respite after long royal palace day - Great cocktails - Grasshopper cocktail is phenomenal

Great location near the Palace, but keep in mind that you can only get the cheaper prix fixe menu if you sit inside. Restaurant has an old world charm with a good number of locals. Food was pretty good...3 course lunch with drink and bread included was 11 Euros per person.

After reading all the reviews here, I was sorely disappointed and felt compelled to give fair warning to those who may consider having dinner here. The best thing about this place is the location; facing the Royal Palace and the Plaza de Oriente, it makes for great people watching. Everything else was blah. Food was very mediocre and arguably bad; service was somewhat friendly but slow; price was borderline ripoff, if it weren't for the location. If you are looking for drinks and a snack, this place may make the cut. But for regular dining, much less fine dining, I'd go elsewhere.

If you want the quintessential posh Spanish breakfast experience come here. Great coffee, fresh squeezed orange juice and tomato toast was exactly what we were looking for. The restaurant is adorable and in the perfect location.

This is a cute place with a gardenlike atmosphere. I stopped by for some churros, hot chocolate, and cafe con leche. All of them were fine, but nothing special. Service was really slow. It's probably worth stopping by if you're in the area just for the experience of sitting there and feeling fancy, but I'd probably just stick with drinks rather than a full meal.

Love this place!!!! The food was amazing and so was the restaurant. We had brunch here which comes with coffee and fresh orange juice. The staff was very friendly and the service was impeccable. It is right next to the royal palace so it's perfect for a before/after visit.

This restaurant was unbelievably wonderful. We visited in a large group and sat in their cave basement room. When you walk in, it looks like a cute Parisian bar and café, but there are multiple rooms that seem different size groups. Once we got downstairs there was a coat check and they served us multiple platters of appetizers - Iberian ham, potato cake, ham coquette, and other delicious items. We had a set group menu once we sat down that was as delicious to taste as it was beautiful to look at. Leak soup, calamari, Hake and clam in Green sauce, fillet mignon with foie gras in a truffle sauce, and finished off with Torrija with vanilla bean ice cream and a sugar bowl. The service was wonderful and my glass never went empty. Absolutely we come back anytime.

Great food, location, and service: - Our server was extremely courteous and attentive. - We had Gazpacho and Ratatouille to start, then the veal and Hake. Everything was delicious, well presented, and very high quality. Definitely recommended.

I'm impressed. It is a very nice, a bit posh place. It is located just a cross from the Palace Royal. Downstairs it's a nice dining area. Brick walls, white cloth on tables, nice plates and silverware. Food was great! Although it was a corporate event so we had a fixes what I tested I loved! After dinner we had some drinks upstairs. The drinks were huge! I wouldn't mind re-visiting :)

Food was bad but the service was worst! We ordered the burger, the cod and the crab they did not taste good and there were very salty. I only dish I would recommend is the creamy seafood risotto and that's in the specials menu. The only good thing about this place is the wifi !

I came to Cafe de Oriente for a quick breakfast one morning and had a pretty meh experience. The service here was slow and somewhat unfriendly as well. I ordered the jamon sandwich which came with fries, coffee, and orange juice. There was nothing particularly good or bad about the meal, it was just average and slightly pricey. However, the poor service drops this from 3/5 to 2/5.

Good food and a fast and courteous staff. Tried the daily menu and it's a great deal. Must visit the restaurant when visiting the Royal palace it's just next door to it.

No service! We sat at an open table outside and waited for 20 minutes without the waiter ever coming over. He even asked the ladies at the table next to us (who showed up after we sat down) for their drink order and never came by to greet us or take our order. Very disappointing to say the least as this was our first night in Madrid. Luckily, after deciding to spend our money elsewhere, we found a great place around the corner with great service & food.

Had the croquettes and a bottle of wine. Not cheap, but food was good and it's a nice view of the Royal Palace!

Excellent food and waiter service with an amazing choice of wines. Eat outside and see the view of the plaza while people walk by. Its an ideal setting for a romantic dinner for two and while a little pricey its worth every euro. Would definitely go again.

The service was discourteous and slow, when bringing us the food the plates were just placed at the side of the table as he continued on to serve other tables. They got one of our orders switched up. The food was ok at best. We had the shrimp and mango salad which was ok, the creamy risotto with seafood starter was good. The black cod main and the beef burger main were abysmal.

Best ham and cheese! Great gaspacho! Good beer cocktail!

What a lovely spot for a lunch while exploring around the center of town. It is absolutely gorgeous inside the main dining room. It looks like from another world. We had a delightful 3 course prix fixe menu and were served bread and olives upon arrival. Has a great cafe to start and then a nice rose to accompany my lunch. I would definitely recommend this for a nice lunch.

Amazing views, delicious cafe con leche, and great service!

Went for breakfast at 9 waited for ten minutes for coffee. Breakfast was good but service was not. Staff was able to walk through room and see no one!!! Worst service in Madrid so far. Shame, nice spot and pretty dining room with comfortable seating. Good thing because you will be here a while!

Nice view of the palace and good atmosphere with a piano player on the outside terrace. Food is better than average for tapas. Tortilla espanola was just OK.

Worst service I received in Spain. Avoid this place. I expected it would be overpriced for mediocre food and coffee but I was there for the nice view. I couldn't even enjoy that because the waiter paced around me like a caged animal the whole time and took my plate away before I had even put the fork down. I don't know if he was afraid I would leave without paying, or if he was bored because I was the only customer, but his behavior was very disconcerting and I left soon after without getting to enjoy the nice view.