Trattoria Pulcinella

Wonderful restaurant with excellent food — the tagliatelle alla bolognese was delicious, though a slightly larger portion would have been nice. The décor is charming, and the staff were exceptionally friendly and efficient. Overall, a really lovely experience. Highly recommended!

We stopped into the cute little restaurant for dinner one night. To start, we ordered the bruschette di sorrento y Parmesano. The fresh sliced cherry tomatoes were absolutely delicious with a rich flavoring of simple oil. In the center sun dried tomatoes and cheese on a small bed of greens. This is definitely worth starting your meal with. From there, I ordered the lasagna. It didn’t look all that special considering the plating was basically the lasagna in a bowl, but the flavor was really great. My partner got the Risotto al Frutti di Mare. The plating was really careless. The plate had 3 small shrimp and they were overly salty. When the waiter checked in on us, we told him how salty it was so he offered to replace it since this was such a strong recommendation from him. We went with the Rigatoni All’Indiavolata. This was a much better option. The sauce was nice and light and the guanciale gave it a nice extra flavor. For dessert we had to enjoy the tiramisu as it’s a favorite. It did not disappoint. Although it lacked any flavor of rum, the overall taste was really great. We also enjoyed a small bottle of limoncello on the house which based on looking around seemed to be a standard. All in all a great stop. Cute place that also had a back area so don’t be fooled if it looks full up front. You might be able to get in still.

The place was so cozy and really nice vibe! Loved the decoration. The food came quickly! The lasagna was very nice and the “nutellotti” dessert was amazing. They charged extra for bread that they didn’t ask if we wanted tho.. but it was just 2€ so it was fine🫶🏻🫶🏻

We really enjoyed this restaurant and the food was excellent. Some of the best that Italian that we’ve had in Madrid. The service was also a step up with attention to detail at each opportunity. The only negative was that our table seemed very close to the adjacent table and they kept hitting us. Each dish was cleanly presented and the bread was a fantastic texture and accompaniment. Mussels were prepared properly and flavorful. Pasta was perfect with an excellent truffle sauce. Overall an excellent experience with extremely clean restrooms. We will definitely return. Cheers!

Amazing place and delicious food! The waiters/waitresses are very attentive and kind, 10/10. The ambiance of the place is unmatched, at a central neighbourhood. The price is also good at what they are serving. Thank you so much!

The restaurant was extremely busy and I did not have a reservation. The host went out of her way to help me sit at the bar. It was amazing to see how efficient the staff were at running a small, cramped space that was filled with people. I wanted to try their Neapolitan pizza that claimed to meet Italian (AVPN) standards. It was exceptional. I will say it was very traditional Italian pizza, which means it is a little wetter than American pizzas and should be eaten with a knife and fork. The bar tender recommended the hot oil (Olio Santo). I did not know such an oil existed. It reminded me of a very neutral tasting Chinese chili oil. It paired great with the pizza. I wanted some greens and tomatoes. The menu didn’t really have that. The server just made it happen. Simple. Delicious. All and all, I was impressed start to finish.

We didn’t have a reservation but able to get a table as one of the first people in after opening. The staff is awesome! So sweet, and understanding when we couldn’t communicate well in Spanish. The food is fantastic and they have an excellent wine selection.

This is place is a must to go if you want authentic Italian food. Everything was more than perfect! Food was so tasty, fresh and full of flavour.

Stopped in here without a reservation only had been on a waitlist. The place is cozy and very much like an Italian trattoria. The hostess was kind enough to have us wait only 5 minutes and then place us in a table for two with an added chair to accommodate us. The service was very friendly. We received bread and olives on the house as we sat down. We ordered the pasta with salmon and vodka sauce so yummy, the lasagna and the tortelloni pasta filled with pumpkin. All the dishes were very good and we also ordered a bottle of wine. At the end for dessert we ordered a tiramisu and a cheesecake which were so so creamy and delicious. Once again at the end they gave us some limoncello on the house. Overall a very nice dining experience we will definitely be back!

The good food / service / ambience struggle has been real for us here in Madrid which has been surprising. This lovely spot has gotten us out of our Meh food slump!!!! The restaurant is very pretty and the staff is welcoming. We arrived before our reservation and were seated. We had a party of 9 and they were able to give good service despite the large party size. We had some pizza for an appetizer and I had lasagna and my husband had spaghetti bologense . This is the first restaurant that didn't over salt the food and everything came out hot!! The bar serves wine and aperol spritz only so no cocktails to sip here. We did receive some limoncello at the end of the meal which was perfectly chilled. I would recommend this lovely spot in Madrid!

Excellent food. Fun atmosphere for a group. Service was excellent. Definitely will return before we leave Madrid

Wonderful food and a great wine selection in a charming neighborhood. The decor is warm and very Italian. Smooth, prompt service. Our server, Claudia, was so friendly, and seemed to be having as much fun as we were. After finishing our first dinner there, we walked right to the host stand and made a reservation for a second visit. We will absolutely be back on our next Madrid trip!

Fantastic meal, great ambiance and excellent service! We loved every bite. For starters, we had the bruschetta, which was crunchy and salty to perfection. Also the arugula salad with baby tomatoes and parmesan. For entrees, we enjoyed the pizza, penne arrabiatta, and chicken cacciatore - all divine!!! It is a charming place in a great location not far from Parque de el Retiro and with beautiful buildings all around. Service from Claudia was outstanding

What a beautiful dining experience. I feel taken care of. Oh I need 85 characters apparently. Will be coming back

This restaurant is amazing! We ordered the linguine al pesto, the vegetarian lasagna, the gnocchi alla sorrentina, and the four cheese pizza. The pesto could have used a little bit more salt but was delicious nonetheless. The lasagna could have had more sauce but was still good. My favorite was the four cheese pizza. Simple but delicious! Also, our food came incredibly fast and our waitress was very nice and friendly.

A recommendation from a Madrid resident led to a wonderful meal . Started with a charcuterie board , bruschetta and a compana salad .. Then fabulous ravioli , bolognese pasta , and lasagna ..service was friendly and attentive ..a new favorite when visiting our daughter here

Trattoria Pulcinella is near the centre of Madrid but provides one of the best italian experiences we have had outside Italy. The location is heavily decorated (maybe too much?) with Italian themed art decor and other items. The interior of the restaurant has lots of tables but they are separated into smaller segments for better privacy and less noise. Service was top notch - prompt, friendly and flexible as we fitted in our toddler into the table too. Food was fresh and came rapidly. The menu is broad. There is a wide range of dishes, including many kinds of pasta and a broad range of Neopolitan style pizzas with a delicious thin crust. The actual food quality was uniformly great. All our dishes were delicious. My pizza was great. One of my wife's all-time favourite Italian dishes (Provola alla Pizzaiola - aka Cheese Soup) was available here. It is the first time we have found it outside Italy, and it was just as good as she remembered. I would strongly recommend this restaurant. We ended up here because I'd done advance planning and this was the Italian place I thought would be best, and neither of us were disappointed.

We traveled to get to this restaurant and it was well worth the effort. We tried the lasagna as well as the bolognese and both were absolutely delicious. We also had their traditional Cafe con leche,, a perfect cup of coffee indeed.

4.5 stars... It can be difficult to find but was well worth the effort. Caprese salad, fabulous bread, wonderful drink menu, and amazing pastas. At the end of our vacation my bride and I were comparing notes...being foodies we picked our favorite joints from 10 days in Spain, and this was by far my favorite! If we ever return for another visit, we will stop in, because we know it will still be in business... this joint makes the list!

When researching Madrid restaurants, I found something that suggested Trattoria Pulcinella had the best pizza and focaccia in all of Madrid. I believe that is correct. We arrived shortly after they opened, which was lucky because within minutes, the place was *packed* with people waiting. No, they don't have an English menu, so you'll be ordering Italian food described in Spanish. Buckle up. (The Google translate app isn't much help since it's so dark inside. One waiter spoke English, while the others seemed to be Spanish only.) We began with focaccia, which was not what you'd normally think of as focaccia. It's basically a pizza without melted ingredients. We got the Caprese (€ 13.90) - it had arugula, cold buffalo mozzarella and Sicilian tomatoes (also cold). The crust was nice and chewy, but it was essentially a flatbread situation. I'd skip this. We moved on to the diavola (spicy salami) pizza (€ 12.50) which was AMAZING. Chewy crust, slighly sweet sauce, tasty diavola. We opted out of the black olives because those are disgusting. We followed that up with the Tris Sorrento (choose three pastas to try, € 13.50 per person, minimum of two people). My fiancee loved her tagliatelle alla bolognese, while I think the strozzapreti al pesto was best. We both thought the gnocchi alla sorrentina was a misfire, since the already heavy gnocchi seemed a bad fit with the melted cheese. Because we are giant Americans careening toward morbid obesity, we also ordered dessert. I got the peccato al cioccolato (€ 6.25) - a small chocolate souffle with a side of outstanding vanilla gelato. It was fantastic. Because we basically ordered half the menu, they served up some complimentary lemoncello. Add four glasses of wine and two bottles of water and our total tab was € 81.90. Not a cheap night out, but it was definitely a highlight of our trip.

I am in Italy when I eat here. You are truly embraced in the Italian experience with the food. The individual pizzas are the great and I love the lasagna. Wait,,, Bolognese Sauce , I buy and take home Tiramisu too!!!!

I have two favorite Italian restaurants in Madrid. This is the go to place for casual elegance. They have white tablecloths and the service is ... Well .... Slow! On the other hand, you are not rushed through your meal and it really is a great place to take a date. I say that even though I have never taken anyone here! The food is phenomenal. They actually cook the pasta perfectly and the salads are lightly dressed and vibrant. I had the arugula and tomato salad and it was very cold and refreshing. A great start to my mean ... Oh, I forgot to mention that they give you olives, bread and a huge portion of what I believe is philly cream cheese! All I know was it tasted great. My go to Tagliatella Bolognese is the best in Madrid. There was nothing more I could say ... Bellissimo!!!! After dinner they give you effectively 4 shots of limoncello per person. Deserts are always good ... Absolutely a can't miss for Italian in Madrid.

Very good good and friendly service! The rigatoni pasta with bacon and red spicy sauce was so delicious. They serve you bread, breadsticks with cream cheese, and olives to start which was a nice surprise. Pretty decor and great ambience. It was a nice change to have Italian food in Spain. Highly recommend!

Excellent food in a charming and cozy restaurant. I appreciated how attentive Claudia was to my food allergy.

Excellent food! We had antipasto, grilled veggies, pasta, and lasagna. The service was not only efficient, but the servers were multilingual and charming. A quaint and romantic spot, but it fills up quickly.

Just stopped to drink a few beers with friends but ended up having a pizza. We picked the diavola pizza which was great and beer never fails. The host and manager were wonderful and beautiful ladies which treated us to some limoncello shots; they hit good after the pizza.

As good, if not better, than the restaurants I've eaten at while in Italy. Highly recommended, reservations are a must.

Very nice restaurant. Romantic atmosphere. Food was amazing! We ordered a couple small appetizers and mushroom stuffed ravioli and seafood pasta for our entrees. Everything was seasoned well and very flavorful. The staff is very friendly and hilarious. We had such a great time here! When we go back to Madrid this restaurant will definitely be on the list of places to go!

To my experience, it is the best traditional napolitan pizza in Madrid...in a traditional tratoria atmosphere. The other dishes are OK, but I recommend only ordering pizzas. All pizzas are made with fresh mozzarella and that's what makes the difference.

My husband and I were were visiting from LA and wanted to try something other than tapas after a 2 week stay. We had such a lovely meal! We had some burrata to start, I had their pasta with pesto as an entree and my husband had a very rich and sweet tortellini. We ended with tiramisu and cappuccino. The prices were very reasonable and the service was very attentive.