Madrid Small Group Premium Lunchtime Tapas & Vermouth Tour
Description
Explore Madrid's culinary heart during this immersive lunchtime food tour, and discover the tradition of vermouth loved by the locals. This premium 3.5-hour journey takes you through the city's vibrant streets, combining rich history with delicious tastings tailored to the tastes and interests of each group. Enjoy essential Spanish ham and cheese, savor great tapas at local eateries, and conclude with the iconic chocolate con churros. With a maximum group size of 10, this tour offers a personalized experience enriched with insider tips and fascinating stories about Madrid's culture. Perfect for families or those preferring daytime explorations, it provides a unique glimpse into the city's culinary scene. - 3.5-hour lunchtime tour exploring Madrid's tapas and vermouth culture - Visit 4 local bars and eateries, including a century-old establishment - Savor a variety of traditional tapas and finish with hot chocolate and churros - Maximum group size of 10 for an intimate experience
Tour Options
Itinerary
On this lunchtime walking tapas and vermouth tour your entertaining foody guide will take you off to experience Madrid's aperitif tradition while you see some of the city and learn about its history and culture. But it`s not just food, you will learn the ins and outs of Madrid's culinary scene, discover interesting facts on Madrid's history, culture and customs and get ideas for the rest of your stay. You'll visit 3 traditional bars/restaurants to try authentic Spanish delicacies before finishing with something sweet (hot chocolate and churros) You will be told all about the famous Spanish vermouth and the Iberian ham. In each bar your guide will recommend the best regional specialties, while adapting to the tastes of the group.
We will meet betweeen the two metro entrances of Metro Opera in Plaza Isabel II and introduce you to fellow travellers and explain the plan for tour. PLEASE NOTE THIS ITINERARY IS AN EXAMPLE ONLY AS WE CHANGE THINGS AND ADAPT ACCORDING TO THE NEEDS OF THE GROUP ON THE DAY.
We will walk past the impressive Spanish Royal Palace (the largest Palace in Europe) and your guide will tell you interesting facts and stories about the building and nearby area.
First bar: We will stop in a century-old bar and introduce you to the all-important Madrid tradition "La hora del vermut" Here we will invite your to a traditional Madrid aperitif, a vermut (or equivalent of your choice) paired with appropriate delicacies. They might be crunchy ham croquettes, vinegary anchovies, fresh green olives or flaky pastry packets filled with bull's tail... The idea is to get you warmed up and in the mood before exploring some of the main sights of Madrid.
We will tell you all about this iconic square, its buildings, history and traditions.
Second Bar: You will have probably worked up a bit of an appetite by now so we will stop in a bar that is very popular with the locals for its quality price relationship and get you to try that must of Spain - a bit of Iberian ham and manchego cheese, washed down with a cold beer, tinto de verano or soft drink. Your guide will give you a crash course in Spanish hams, how they are made, preserved, cut and eaten!
Third bar: You will then stroll to the next bar, a very traditional Spanish tavern, where you will share various platefuls of tapas. Your guide will tell you all about the traditions of tapas and how tapassing is done Madrid-style. They may well try to expand your culinary boundaries a little and get you to try things you might not otherwise taste! You will try a range of different dishes, it might be anything from little green peppers from Galicia, Spanish black pudding, crispy sticky pork belly, artichoke hearts, steak with figs, bull's tail stew, deep-fried aubergine with a honey sauce, to octopus or baby clams. It is not a fixed, preset, preordered menu but your guide will personalise everything, advising you on the specialties and ordering according to the likes/dislikes of the group on the day.
By now you are likely to be pretty full so we will take a little stroll to help the food go down and for your guide to tell you a few stories and facts about the places you walk past!
We will walk through the Main Square of Madrid and tell you a bit about its history and traditions and make a few insider suggestions on what to see/eat/drink during the rest of your stay.
We will drop you off in one of Madrid's best-known places for something sweet to finish off the tour. Here you can try some of the chocolate con churros . Here your guide will help order before bidding you farewell and leaving you to savour this sweet treat.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries
- Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
- Service animals allowed
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
- Please advise any specific dietary requirements at time of booking
- Minimum numbers apply. There is a possibility of cancellation after confirmation if there is not enough passengers to meet requirements. In the event of this occurring, you will be offered an alternative or full refund
- Please note the legal drinking age in Spain is 18.
- Minimum age is 8 years
- In the summer it can get very hot, please bring a hat, sunscreen and water.
- Please note dishes maybe shared with other travellers.
Reviews(25)
Perfect introduction to our visit to Madrid. James is an extraordinary guide — part food expert, part historian (though he'll deny it), part storyteller — and his enthusiasm for the city is completely infectious. We moved through the city beautifully, grazing on tapas that ranged from the familiar to the genuinely surprising, but what set this experience apart was the context James brought to every bite. Each dish came with a story — about the community, the people, the traditions behind it — and by the end of the tour we felt like we understood Madrid in a way that no museum or guidebook could have given us. We also made a friend! James clearly loves what he does, and it shows. His anecdotes were funny, his tips were genuinely useful, and he provided a perfect afternoon for us. Thank you, James!
So glad you enjoyed it and you for your review. We always try to show people why we love Madrid so much, giving them LOTS of food and drink, some sightseeing, a bit of light history and culture, and a smattering of useful insider advice!! It's always great to meet nice folk and bind over some of Madrid's best tapas and a few stories... Hope to see you back this way again one day soon, we have lots more to show you!
James did an outstanding job in Madrid where we took the Small Group Lunchtime Aperitivo and Tapas Walking Tour. He was very knowledgeable, upbeat, interesting, and patient. Highly recommended.
So glad you enjoyed it and thank you for taking the time to write us a review. It is always fun to introduce people of all ages and backgrounds to Madrid and its foody culture and we always try to adapt what we do to the needs and interests of each group. Do join us again one day as we have lots more to show you!
A must do in Madrid!!! This was the highlight of our trip. Myself, my husband, my elderly parents, and my 20 year old son went on a tour with James to several restaurants/bars. We tried various types of food and drinks that are common in Madrid. James explained some history and background about the city and all the food and drinks. It was perfect for all ages and a lot of fun! Highly recommended!!
Thank you for taking the time to write us a review and delighted you enjoyed it. We always say that what we do is an ageless activity and all about having a fun and filling experience exploring Madrid, its history, culture and above all its food and drink. Do join us again one day!
Our family had a great time today with James! Our group spanned 3 generations and James customized the experience so everyone had something to enjoy. We tried tapas and drinks that we never would have in Madrid, unless we were on his tour. James also added the perfect mix of history and culture to make it well rounded experience. I have one last things to say…churros with hot chocolate!!!
So glad you enjoyed it and thank you for your review. We try to mix in a bit of light history and culture with some great food and drink and a bit of local advice for the rest of your stay... and hot chocolate and churros is always great!!!!
Awesome time! James was the best, very informative, and a great personality!
So glad you enjoyed it and thank you for your review. It's always good to meet such nice people and to share a bit of Madrid and its culinary scene. Do join us again one day ther eis lots more to discover.
James was an excellent guide to the Madrid food scene, with great tips on where to go, how to order, and when and how much to tip. He was fun and interesting to talk to, and included information about historic places we passed along the way.
So glad you enjoyed it and thank you for your review. We aim to mix in a bit of light history and culture with some great food and drink and a bit of insider information for the rest of your stay. Do join us again if you are ever back this way as we have lots more to show you.. !
Our family of 8, brothers with spouses and their two adult children, went on the lunchtime food tour with James. It was phenomenal. James leads you around the city and gives you some historical tidbits, then we stop and eat. And drink. And eat some more. I don't eat meat and James was very conscious of this to make sure that I got something I enjoyed while also ordering for the rest of the family. The Russian salad was delicious and we had a wonderful time. Thanks James!! You made our trip to Madrid truly memorable. Do not miss it.
So glad you enjoyed it and thank you for your review. It was great to meet the family and show you all a bit of the Madrid. It's a great way to see some of the city, get in a bit of light history and culture while you eat and drink really well!! Hope you enjoyed the American football game and do join us again if ever back in Madrid as we have lots more to show you!
We normally book a food tour when we go to new city and this was one of the best we have done. Unique in that you pay for the tour first drinks and a selection of tapas, you then can either pays as group of individual . If you pay as group you get to try more different tapas . Expect to pay 25 to 35 euro per person in addition . We tried 12-13 different tapas and 4-5 drinks. James was a very good host with the right amount of informative information and humour.
So glad you enjoyed it and thank you for your review. We try to mix a bit of sightseeing, light history and culture with some great food and drink. Our pay-as-you-go system where the food and drink in the first bar (min 1 drink and 3 tastings) is included in the tour price and thereafter clients pay for what we order, allows us to personalise things according to the likes/dislikes of each group. We always say to expect to spend between 35 and 40€ pp on food and drink on the tour and you will go home very full, but this can often be less!!!! *Since this review was written we have changed to an all-inclusive system to make things easier for clients and ensure they can fully concentrate on eating and drinking on the tour! However we still maintain our flexibility and do not have a fixed or pre-ordered menu, but continue to tailor what we order together with guests and adapt to the likes and curiosity of the group on the night. This means every night is different and feels more like a night out with a friend than a commercial activity.*
Charlie was a wonderful guide and kept us entertained and fed us well! Highly recommend the nighttime tour to truly experience the dinner culture.
Thank you for taking the time to write us a review and so glad you enjoyed it. We aim to get you straight to the heart of Madrid and its culinary scene, giving you a fun evening out full of food, drink, history and culture and a bit of local advice! Do join us again one day, there's lots more to discover.
We live in Madrid and decided to do a tour for our nephew who was visiting us for the first time from U.S. Even though we’re locals, Charlie showed us a whole new side of the city! His deep knowledge of Madrid’s iconic landmarks helped us discover interesting facts and places we’d never known before. He took us to some truly fascinating spots for tapas, and we were especially grateful for all the helpful tips he shared about where to go for food and drinks. The tour was both informative and relaxed—Charlie made it really enjoyable with his friendly, casual conversation style. Our nephew had a fantastic time on his first trip to Spain, and we couldn’t have asked for a better guide to introduce him to the city. Thank you, Charlie!
So happy you enjoyed it and Charlie will be delighted. It is always good to share some of our favourite local bars with people and to get them trying some new dishes, whilst giving them some snippets of history and culture and some local advice as we go... Thanks for writing us a review and so glad we managed to show you a different side of the city!!!
