Emma Cocina

Fabulous food, out of the ordinary run of dishes being offered in the area. We really enjoyed the aubergines and the pasta dishes. It’s a hard working bar, and maybe lacking empathy for visitors like us. But worth a visit for the excellent food.

We’ve seen the past reviews and did not know what to expect. But the truth is that the food is really good!! One of the best we’ve had in Madrid! Also, the price is fair, even more considering the location! Recent reviews follow the same trend, therefore: strongly recommended! Will be back!

Chanced upon this hidden gem, Emma Cocina, a small neighborhood restaurant near Plaza San Miguel. It serves Mediterranean cuisine, we had mixed lettuce salad with crispy bacon and avocado, escalivada with frigate tuna, aubergines with cordobesa style, salmorejo (cold tomato soup), chicken tajine and stewed pork cheek with mashed potatoes. The food was tasty and great.

Low key tapas bar that blew our minds. From New York and we have high food expectations. Best tuna I’ve had in my life. Amazing croquettes. Beautiful people and service. Don’t miss out!

This was such a nice experience - the food was great so were the cocktails. Pricing is extremely fair for the quality, the quality is exceptional might I add. The staff was incredibly friendly, I speak Spanish but they also speak English which was nice for my friend as she’s lost in the language. I’ve recommended this place 3 times in 1 day so that says it all i think.

Stumbled upon this place after finishing a walking tour. What struck us was the fact that the staff wanted us to have an authentic Spanish dining experience (they didn't serve Sangria because it is 'too touristy,' love the honesty). Food was very well-prepared and we were full after the meal even though we ordered mostly tapas portions. Great place.

Service was warm and quick. Had the menu del dia (good food at great value) and chose the brandy cheesecake as the dessert, which was absolutely phenomenal. I'm a bit of a cheesecake snob, but this one blew me away. It was so good that I made a point of returning there for dinner the last night of my trip, walking half an hour across town, just so I could have the cheesecake again. I'll probably reminisce about it for the next couple of years.

Very surprisingly good discovery in Madrid. Don't get here if you hate food, but totally do if you love eating fine.

Sooooo fingerlicking goood!! A place locals go to; and if tourists do their homework they are lucky to find. Food: Our favorite was the crispy shrimp wraps. But everything on the menu seemed great. They also have a prixe frixe menu if you choose, that many other tables ordered. Service: Our waitress was so patient and kind with us! Ambience: casual. Locals love it here!

This is the way tapas and raciones are supposed to taste like Small, quaint establishment. The food is what it's all about here. Don't miss it. We didn't have anything that disappointed which hasn't been the case in several restaurants in Madrid.

After wandering endlessly looking for a good lunch spot...we found this delightful little gem. Pro tip: don't eat anywhere with pictures of the food. Our waiter spoke little English, and it was not a problem. We ordered the vegetarian salad that had the most delicious cheese, pears and walnuts, the chicken tajine (a must!), and the oxtail with potatoes (satisfying). Enjoy!

Visuals: it's a small cozy restaurant with a bar area. My cousin and I went during dinnertime and it got pretty packed. Food: if you love breakfast food for dinner, the cod with egg might be a good choice for you. I personally didn't like it. It was pretty much a large portion of scrambled eggs with cod that's topped with potato thin chips. It has a strong fish taste, which I didn't enjoy for dinnertime. I would recommmend the hamburger as well as pesto ravioli! The hamburger dish was very savory. And the pesto ravioli is a MUST TRY! If I come back to Madrid, I want more of the pesto ravioli! SO GOOD! Service: when we were dining, there was only 3 staff members for a full house. The staff was very friendly and attentive. Our food come separately as it was made. Overall, it was a good experience.

Delicious and authentic. The best croquetas. Only one server for the whole restaurant but the food was very good.

CoZy and warm little spot in the middle of touristy madness. Delicious food .. highly recommend pork cheek stew and tuna cubes with tomato confit

Wonderful lunch for only 12.60 Eur within walking distance of most of the popular tourist destinations! We got to choose from a list of 5 starters, 5 main dishes, and a desert or coffee. I suspect there's normally quite a long wait during the busy lunch hours here. We arrived at 4pm and still had to wait 10 minutes for a table! Unfortunately I don't know Spanish very well so translating the menu was a bit difficult, but one of the waiters did know enough Spanish to give us a good idea of what each of the dishes are. We tried the empanadas, potatoes with sauces, chicken and rice, and cod. I'm not too sure what the exact names of this dishes are, but if you know, be sure to let me know! The chicken was nicely seasoned, juicy, and succulent. I really liked the sauce for the potatoes. The orange sauce almost had a chili taste to it and the green sauce was like a pesto mixed with lime. The best dish, by far, was the cod. It came mixed with fried egg and dried onion on top! It was so so soft and had a sweet flavor to it. One of the most amazing things I have ever tasted! For desert we tried the flan and yogurt with berries. Both were excellent. The flan was authentic and definitely something you could probably only get done with well in Spain. The yogurt was similar to what you would get in the US. Still fantastic, but not really unique. Even if you can't read the menu at all, as long as you're willing to try new kinds of food, I would highly recommend stopping by and giving Emma Cocina a try!

Great find! This place is sort of more gourmet version of many Spanish tapas and they do it well. Super friendly and helpful staff. This was a nice departure from the standard stuff we'd been having on our trip and the wine and rink list is impressive.

This place is a fantastic find. It is right behind the Plaza Miguel market. The food offerings are varied and delicious. Our favorite is the Eggplant with Honey and Sesame Seeds - fantastic!! Also, the mini hamburger is not that mini and is super delicious with great caramelized onions. Service is great and prices are very reasonable. Oh, and the Sangria is very tasty. You've got to eat here!

We found this great little tapas bar during a February snow storm. We arrived at 1:45 - right before the 2pm rush! Recommend the beef kebabs, the scrambled eggs and of course Manchego cheese and Jamon! We didn't love the tuna dish but everything else was perfecto!

Liked this place. Super Madrid summer hot night need a cool spot to rest, had a vino blanco and my date tried a sweet vermouth (great). We order this amazing manchego cheese plate grilled w a crisp and a sweet and savory pair of sauces to go with it. Then a 1/2 portion of oxtail stew which also was incredibly good. Try it you'll like it.

Very good food, very friendly service. We sat comfortably and enjoyed a late (normal time for Spain) lunch. Everything we had was tasty. My favorite was the tuna with grilled vegetables. We also had the eggplant with sesame seeds and honey. Clean restrooms. The only bummer is they brought and charged us for olives (€4,5) that we didn't order/want.

We were in Spain for a week and loved this place so much the first time we tried it that we went back for our last night there. Somehow this restaurant avoids the tourist crowds while being just a few doors away from some major tourist attractions. That made it convenient and surprising. This is a place to go when you want to spend a few hours trying a variety of tapas and good wine. If you are in a rush it is probably not for you. We ordered a couple of tapas early, and then more after we started working through those. They come out at a nice leisurely pace. The ham and cheese croquettes were our favorite in Spain. They were small and light and melted in your mouth. We also enjoyed the kofta, the eggs with shrimp, and other items like the cheese platter and eggplant were good. Would love to go there again on our next trip.

Don't miss it. Perfect churros, hot chocolate and coffee con leche! Simply perfect. Chocolate is not too sweet but oh so decadent.

I agree with other reviewers - this place has the best tapas in Madrid. Dishes were flavorful, clean, and high quality. The tapas portions were so large, I thought we accidentally ordered full portions! After having a mediocre meal at the popular Taberna del Chato, I didn't expect much at Emma's. But I was really impressed with almost everything. The gazpacho was amazing! A must order. 5/5 The hamburger with caramelized onions was also delicious. 5/5 The morcilla in a pastry puff was also good. The bed of sautéed peppers was the star though. 4/5 The tagine of lamb was authentic, flavorful, and delicious. 5/5 The potatoes look simple but the 2 sauces are amazing! 5/5 The oxtail wasn't great but not bad either. It's a little heavy and lacking something. 2/5 The tuna tasted way too fishy. Wouldn't recommend. 1/5 I wish I found Emma before our last night in Madrid, but we did get to try many dishes (more than we could finish)! 7 dishes and 2 drinks only 34 euros!!!

Really tasty and accommodating. The fried eggplant with honey and sesame seeds was fantastic; we also enjoyed mushroom croquettes. Hake and shrimp meatballs were good, but a bit different with a brown gravy. Generous wine pours at very fair prices. It almost feels like Spain just doesn't want to charge 3x retail fora glass or bottle. Short walk from the Palcio Real, hidden behind the San Miguel Plaza Market....go find it.

The thinly sliced fried eggplant was to die for! Who would have thought something so simple could be so good! We actually ate here two nights in a row, going back because we liked the food so much. it also didn't hurt that it was raining, and just steps from our apartment on Calle Mayor. It's hidden on the little street behind Mercado San Miguel. Other highlights: the salad with bacon & avocados, the simple boiled potatoes with the two sauces, the "crunchy" spinach (they were little fillo filled triangles) and feta. Beware the portions are BIG. We ordered too much the first night -also getting the stacked shrimp (curry) which was excellent, and the carpaccio - which is not what we expected, but good none the less - it was made with dried cured beef- much like the cured Ham so common in Spain. Excellent wine list - we had an excellent Spanish Chardonnay and Pinot noir mix - called Absom. The dishes came one at a time, in a relaxed and easy manner. Definitely put Emma + Cocina on your list when in the Centro area!

Was so thankful to read these yelp reviews as we decided to eat there for dinner tonight - wonderful food and tapas! It's tucked in a quiet street right behind San Miguel Market. Arrived at 8:30 PM and it was not busy, Roasted potatoes with 2 sauces: 5/5 - large portions Fried Eggplant with sesame and honey: 5/5 - large portions Tuna with tomato and lime soy sauce: 5/5 - 2 pieces Stewed oxtail: 5/5 - 3 pieces comes with homemade fresh potato chips (dipped the bread in the stew sauce and ate the whole loaf - so good!) Hake and shrimp meatballs: 3/5 - 2 pieces comes with rice Try it - food here is delicious!

Words cannot express how happy the food made my stomach feel and my wallet. I ordered the croquetas - had them mixed and I ordered the eggplant. The food was spectacular the service was above par. Thank fellow yelpers for the tip.

Lovely tapas bar near plaza mayor. Perfect reprieve from crowds here in Madrid for the Champion's League Final.

Excellent service, the staff was very friendly! The pesto raviolis were amazing. The cod melted in your mouth, everything was really delicious. We will be back on our next visit to Madrid!

The other reviewers were spot on. This place has great food at reasonable prices. Good wine as well. We had the eggplant as recommended in other reviews. Do not leave without ordering this. 5/5 Tangine of lamb. Excellent. 4/5 Hamburger: good but a little plain 3/5 Green salad with tomatoes onions and olives: good as could be as it is a simple salad: 4/5 I wish I could remember the wine but we asked for a more full bodied red wine and she recommended something from the Catalanya area. It was the best wine we have had so far in Spain so I believe the wine selection is thoughtful.

Love the atmosphere and food here. We tried oxtail, eggplant, avocado salad with bacon, and berries with yogurt. In total was about 50 including 4 glasses of summer wine, they don't have sangria here. Food tasted very healthy and fresh. Oxtail was so soft it just melted in my mouth. Waiting is a bit long but the waiter is very friendly and fluent in english. Bacon was like rock though, probably the only problem of this place. Great place next to the madrid palace and will definitely try here again.

Not sure what the hype is around this place. We were the first to arrive (and it was obviously our first time), yet the owner wasn't very attentive to us. We tried two things which were average: 1. Ham with a hard boiled egg dip. It was cold and the portion was humongous. 2. Eggplant chips with honey drizzled on top.

This was the best meal of our stay in Madrid. We ordered the ox tail, tomato salad, and sliced beef. The salad was perfect. The place was completely empty at 630 to be expected. Friendly service and fair prices for the portions.

This was a real gem! We enjoyed the menu of the day for 13 euros. The quality of food was stellar. Service was prompt and accommodating English speaking tourists. The ambiance was also nice.

This is the best food in Madrid and at a great value! Amazing tapas and plates to shares. The roasted potatoes with sauces are spectacular! Everything we ordered was delicious. The chef/owner Emma was very friendly. We loved her dishes so much we went to the sister restaurant "Según Emma" a couple of days later. If one restaurant is full of customers try the other, they are just a block away from each other. This is a MUST visit when in Madrid.

Located centrally close to the market of San Miguel, welcoming and picturesque, this is wonderful place to grab a bite if you're hungry. The dishes are quite abundant so if you wanna try more take them as half portion or tapas. Fabulous the salmorejo!

Our party of 4 had a nice lunch today at Emma Cocina. I had never eaten stewed oxtail anywhere so today seemed as good as any. My generous portion came with a rich red wine sauce that was very satisfying. Several in our party had the lentil soup, also a hit. I rarely comment about the cost of our food dining out. But the four of us had a total bill (including a bottle of wine) of €56. Seems cheap for good food, great service, and an hour with friends in beautiful Madrid.

Great olace, friendly staff. Their tapas are the best. The salad with avocado tasted great and the chicken with couscous and Kofte were delicious. Definitely a place to go and visit when you are in the area.

Great place, pretty quiet. Defiantly worth checking out when visiting Madrid.

Great find. We intended to go to the Mercado San Marco for dinner, but it was packed and stuffy. We stumbled on this restaurant behind the market. The food was very delicious and reasonably priced. The waiter was very friendly and helped answer questions in English. Mostly locals but friendly to tourists.

Large portion! Very good fried eggplant. We also ordered a salad with blue cheese and smoked cheese. Very good!

Great food and price. In the middle of " el Madrid de los Austrias". Gorgeous fried eggplants with honey, salmorejo and gnocchi with gorgonzola and pistachio sauce.

As soon as we got to Madrid, it was lunch hour and we wanted to go somewhere to eat! This place is great they have a torilla española they bring out while you are waiting for your food! I got a cava and my bf got a beer on tap! We got 4 types of foods! Two tapas and two to share! Everything we ordered was delicious and would definitely come here again! The place is small but adorable !

Good food at a good price. The Spanish omelette, and tuna are superb. Service could be better and faster. The place is a bit small, making it a loudy place. It's a solid 3 stars, but the food makes it a 4.