Restaurante La Chata

The food was great, the place looked great, I had to read the other reviews to know why this place has 3.5 stars but it was mainly about the service. Which its right it has some delays and maybe cannot acommodate a big group of people. But other than that for a one time dinner with friends its a good place to eat when you visit Madrid. We just ealked on the street and liked how it looked from the outside and it was great on the inside also. So for us it was great.

Dogshit service and average food – don’t bother. We arrived at about 7:20pm on a Sunday. From the street, the restaurant looked appealing and was about half full. There was a chalkboard outside advertising tapas with pricing. As a group of five, we were directed to a small table by the window — roughly 0.5m x 0.5m. Not ideal, but manageable for sharing tapas. Several other tables were still free, including a nearby double table. We ordered drinks with the intention of ordering tapas. We received our drinks but were not given any menus, despite clearly stating we wanted to eat. I had to ask multiple times before we were handed one. When we finally got it, the menu didn’t include the tapas listed on the board outside — so I went out and took a photo of it (see attached). I then attempted to order tapas for the table but was told that because it was the weekend, we could only order from the full menu. I pointed out the tapas board outside, but was met with a flat “no” and no further explanation — the waiter walked away at that point. Half our group had just landed in Madrid that day and were jetlagged, and we’d already received our drinks — so we felt trapped. Reluctantly, we ordered a few raciones. Given we were seated at a small table and had just ordered numerous larger plates, we asked if we could combine two tables to accommodate the plates we had just ordered. Between five people, four dishes, drinks, cutlery, and plates, space would be tight. We were told no. We then asked if the dishes could be brought out one at a time instead so the table wasn't overly full. Again, we were told no. At this point we were really irritated. There was zero accommodation for our group — no flexibility, no interest in helping. I can understand wanting to maximise capacity during a busy weekend, but to completely disregard guests who are already seated and dining is plainly bad service. Overall, we felt taken advantage of — pushed into a no-win situation despite trying to work with the staff. We regretted not walking out while we had the chance. The waiter’s attitude throughout was cold and indifferent — though, unsurprisingly, he had no issue taking our order. Unfortunately I didn’t catch his name. I absolutely would not recommend this place, no matter how it appears from the street. The food was very average, and there are better restaurants within 20 metres (I’ve eaten at a few). Echoing what many other reviewers have said: the service here is what really ruins it. Spend your money elsewhere.

Some places try too hard. They faff about with deconstructed patatas bravas, drizzle balsamic reduction over everything, and serve you tapas on a slate like it’s a GCSE art project. La Chata is not one of those places. It’s a proper Madrid tapas joint, on a proper tapas street, doing exactly what you want it to do—pouring cold beer, serving great food, and letting the atmosphere take care of itself. The Padrón peppers arrived glistening with olive oil and a dusting of coarse salt, blistered to perfection. One in every ten has a surprise kick, but that’s half the fun—like culinary Russian roulette, but the worst outcome is just reaching for another drink. The noise of chatter and clinking glasses fills the air, conversation flows, and for a brief, glorious moment, I almost felt Spanish. No pretension, no gimmicks—just beer, food, and the kind of effortless conviviality that Madrid does so well. What more do you want?

Love this place for its delicious olives and tapas, and of course it’s traditional decor. Alway a nice tapas or olive when you order drinks (as most restaurants do in Spain). We were here twice during our stay in Madrid. 20230706.

We stumbled upon this tapas place while casually strolling on the street. Sure enough, we did make a great choice. Not only Vermouth and sangria were top notch, tapas were good as well. I highly recommend this place. Patata Bravas is must !

This was a great place to start our journey through tapas in Madrid. Excellent value and very tasty food and Sangria. Engaging atmosphere inside with an eye catching mural on the street to draw you in.

Tapas/pintxos bar with viga ceiling, painted antique ceramic tile, big hanging copper beer barrels, marble bar (where we sat, as usual), and excellent pintxos and wine. Stop 2 out of 3 tonight. Loved it. Los Gatos and La Chata in the same day. Hmm. Seemingly related but not really. Auspicious? Maybe. John Hornick/YouTube’s Chef’s Apprentice

Went in here on a whim with my friend. We thought the food and atmosphere was great. It was a little loud, but we didn’t mind that. The food was really good and the workers were very friendly. The crab croquettas are to die for. Bravas were also good. We got the aubergine with tempura also, which we didn’t like. It was too sweet and lacked seasoning. However, all in all it was a great meal and we enjoyed.

Great tapas. Potatoes, calamari, bell pepper, toasts, were all great. We came in real late at night and they still accommodated well. Food cans out timely. Definitely would recommend to anyone!

Busy!! One of the few bars that was still up and busy at midnight on a weekday. We shared some cheap beers and appetizers. This is one of those non-hipster bars that does the typical Spanish tapas (salty peppers, croquetas) The staff are nice! It's fairly clean. And you throw your garbage to the ground like a typical Spanish person at a bar (it's true!!) The food was good. Good place! Vanesa R. took me here, thank you!!!

Very good food at great value. Bright, clean, authentic --- good service & they deliver the standards well. Calamari, Lamb Chops, Salmon Toast, Rice Pudding --- all on target, served with heart & pride.