El Tigre

While working as a tour guide in Europe, this would always be top of my recommended to do list. I raved about the place, and even then I would have passengers telling me it was more than they expected. The drinks are huge, the food seems to never stop and the atmosphere is unbeatable. When you order a drink (I always go for the mojitio, which is delicious!) you get a plate of tapas free - it is perhaps not the most delicate or well presented plate of tapas out there but makes up for it - generally it is tortilla (the Spanish kind), patatas bravas, croquettes and my favourite, the mini stuffed mushrooms. It is generally packed with locals - which is always great, you know you're eating somewhere good when that happens. But is also a plus as it means you get a real authentic atmosphere. It even plays by the Spanish rules of if you have enjoyed your meal - throwing your napkin on the floor to show your appreciation. So don't be bothered by all the napkins on the ground - it only shows the food is good! There are two in the same area (Chueca). One is on Calle de las Infantas and the other is on Calle Hortaleza. The latter is known too as El Tigre del Norte and is a little smaller with less seating room but in every other way exactly the same. in Generally they are both packed and you are lucky to get seats, but I have taken a group of about 15-20 there before and we were lucky enough to get a big table. My passengers loved it and many commented on how hard it is get drunk there - simply because you get served so much food! It is definitely worth checking out when you are in Madrid - it can be slightly difficult to find but it is well known and people will be able to help you find it.

"Whoops, sorry I missed your call- I was busy stuffing my face with this HUGE plate of FREE FOOD at El Tigre" is what I end up telling someone at least once a week. If you order a drink at El Tigre, it will be bigger than you expect, and you will get a free plate of tapas. None of this small-plate-of-olives-or-chips nonsense, the plates of food at El Tigre include an array of the best croquetas in Madrid (in my opinion), patatas bravas, jamón tostados, tortilla and several other delicious homemade tapas. El Tigre is nothing fancy (toss your used napkins on the ground and stand around counters while you eat) but if you're looking for some place that's cheap with great atmosphere and brimming with locals- look no further. There are three El Tigre locations within a block and a half of each other, so feel free to try them all. (Drinks range from 3-10 euros and mojitos are HUGE. Ask for a baseball cap from the bartender for a unique *also free* souvenir.)

If you came to Madrid for the tapas then without question you must head to Chueca for the "El Tigre experience". It's cheap, loud, relaxed and always packed to capacity -- just how every good bar should be. This is where tourists and locals alike come to get the party started before a long night out. at 2,5 euro for a jug of beer one would think it's a bit pricey until the bartender quickly plops down a plate piled high with a mountain of traditional Spanish delicacies. No, it's not the cleanest establishment and in no way what you'd consider fine dining; but who cares, after all this is a bar-- the ultimate tapas bar in terms of getting the most bang for your buck. Head to El Tigre for a great night out, it will not disappoint.

If you like good tapas for a reasonable Price, believe me, this is the place. I have tried many different tapas along my life and I have to say that the ones from El Tigre are amazing. I always go there when I visit Madrid, it is a compulsory stop. The only problem of this place is that it is ALWAYS full of people; at least every time I go it’s crowded. If you go early you will be lucky and will find more space, but event at that time… I told you, the place is worth it ;) El Tigre follows, somehow, the Andalusia tradition. You order one drink and they give you a tapa, included in the price. The price for a beer could be around 2 euros and the wine more or less the same; you can order more tapas if you want! Depending on how much you drink and what you order, you can spend between 6 and 10 euros, a perfect price for the center of Madrid. I highly recommend ordering “patatas bravas” as the quality of the sauce is quite good. But for those who don’t like crowed places to eat, or eating while you are stand up, avoid “El Tigre” because it is, definitely, not a relaxing place ;)

This is a great place to start the night with friends! Order a bunch of beers and they might seem kind of pricey for a bar, until you get served your plates of delicious tapas included with your drink order. Go on an empty stomach and ready to get the night started!

One good way to get the party started in Madrid, economically, is to have the El Tigre experience. El Tigre is a fun, high energy, place to drink a lot and experience lots of free dangerously greasy food. It is always festive, busy, loud and a whole lot of fun. Also, if you need a free meal or are craving a good serving of grease this is your place, as you will be served tapas most generously with your drinks amidst a rowdy crowd. Here it is more than socially acceptable to drink up and let loose! So before your evening out, "T-Up."

Tiger, tiger, burning bright… There are two tigers prowling the Chueca area, one on Calle de las infantas and the other plonked on Calle de Hortaleza. Both bars offer the same heady cocktail of enormous drinks and cascades of tapas, piled onto plate after plate with a simple motto: more is more. Forget care and attention, it’s all about the quantity. You won’t find menus. If there is a time saving method that could be used, it’s been employed. You ask for the size of beer you want: big, bigger or biggest and get down to business. Free food accompanies the drinks and although the grub may not have gourmet credentials, it doesn’t disappoint. All the Spanish staples are here, from croquetas to jamón, surrounded by mountains of spuds and generously doused in sauce. Have more than a couple of drinks and you’ll be stuffed to the orejas, waving the food away. The locals seem happy enough to graze here with the students and tourists, and the atmosphere gets lively once the alcohol is flowing. Drinks are reasonably priced and come big enough to drown in. For €6 you can get the best part of a litre of beer, which makes El Tigre a perfect venue for warming up for a night out. While the raucous mood may be too much for a romantic meal, those looking for lashings of food and cheap alcohol will find El Tigre a hard bar to fault. Haute cuisine it is not, nor are the mojitos of the best quality, but when you want a good night in a young, vibrant, Spanish atmosphere there is nowhere better. Everything this bar does is without nuance and big and bulky, made without care and all in capital letters.

These guys completley changed my whole veiw of this Tapas concept, i didn't get it- why have small portions of food if you can have normal portions?! i didn't get it cause i didn't go to El Tigro.. There i got it! you order a drink and get piles and piles of food. Paella, Spanish Omlets, wings, patatas bravas tons of Jamon. All for the price of one drink. The staff is jolly and friendly it is allways nice and packed (Sadly mostly with tourists), and it is open till very late. DO NOT MISS A VISIT! It is close to Gran Via, so there really is no reason to miss it. I love the Sangria, it comes in a giant cup and it's Yummy as hell. Viva la El Tigre!

A short and sweet visit to Madrid took me to El Tigre on a recommendation, and I was not disappointed. The amount of people pouring in and out of this modest sized bar is astonishing and is a credit to the casual vibe, the accessibility and the value for money. Where else can you get a free dinner with your drink? Isn't it supposed to be the other way around? Great quality, satisfyingly full and varied plates of tapas with each drink, it really seems to good to be true. Thankfully it's not, and this is a unique and amiable place where you could come as a lone traveller and easily make friends with locals if your Spanish amounts to more than a quick "hola chicos!", or with the large numbers of worldly travellers enjoying the same experience. It's rare to find a place which attracts both locals and tourists, which just goes to show that this bar has got it all- if what you're into is good food, good beer and good fun. Who could ask for more?

Cheap, packed, giant, lines to go in, and the unsettling feeling that you don't want to eat more but have to. El Tigre is not a fancy spot, but sure is a popular one. The regular tourist will misunderstood the uncleanliness of the place, but those who lived in Spain know that the dirtier the floor the better! I went to this place with no expectations whatsoever and there are a lot of places better to eat taps, that's for sure, but as a Spaniard you have to see the bigger picture, times are difficult, economy is a bummer, youngsters are jobless, and a cheap, delicious place where you forget about your problems is just the place everybody need. El tigre is just that, a restaurant where the idiosyncrasy of Spain and Madrid lives on, is a great place to meet people and experience another Madrid the outcast one. At the end of the day this is the kind of place where you can experience good food, and throw your napkin on the floor without any guilt whatsoever. Enjoy a caña, the sheep cheese and just go with it!

When coming to Madrid, it is inevitable that you will hear about El Tigre. Although it has become probably the most "touristy" of the tapas bars and you will hear English even more than Spanish, it is worth checking out. The best time to go is before hitting the clubs on a night out and it is generally ALWAYS packed in here, but that's part of what makes it a such great time. Once you have a few drinks, you'll get past the general "uncleanliness" of the place itself. The drinks are cheap and with a drink purchase, they'll bring you a massive plate of tapas that are actually really delicious so come hungry and you can save money on dinner for the night. I recommend the mojitos - only €6 and HUGE! Overall a friendly and rambunctious atmosphere to hang out with friends and also a great place to mingle and meet new people. I guarantee that you'll walk out of El Tigre with more friends than you came in with!

This never-ending restaurant goes opens up more and more as you continue to go inside and is home to hungry and thirsty college kids with a light wallet. For 6 euros you can get a large 16 oz cup full of beer, sangria, mojito, or anything else you can imagine. Hungry? You buy a drink they give you an entire plate piled with Tapas including patatas bravas, pimientas de padron, croquetas, ham and tons more. If you are picky tell them what you want and they'll give it to you. The large drunk crowds and mounds of food causes a disregard for a sanitary environment. The place is littered with empty and half eaten plates, cups, napkins and the like. The small staff either does not or cannot keep up with it while serving everyone more so cleanliness takes a back seat to partying. Come here for a pit stop to a club or spend the whole night there with friends drinking and eating in large portions. Even the shots are triple the normal size! Not that I'm complaining. There are three locations all remotely near each other in the Chueca district of Madrid with the main Tigre located on 30 Calle de las Infantas. Check it out on the next visit and don't be afraid of the food. Its actually good!

Though more touristy than most tapas bars, El Tigre is a guaranteed great time where you will stuff yourself silly with beer and tapas. Though the beer size is pretty standard, the food (tapas) they serve you goes above and beyond any other bar in the Madrid area. Heaping plates of jamon y queso or some odd omelet spread abound. The bar can get somewhat crowded but that only leads to better and funnier interactions with the other people stuffing themselves.

This bar is a really great time and is a Madrid staple. Traditionally, tapas bars give you tapas for free with your drinks. This is a tradition that has all but died in the major cities in Spain but is still alive and well at El Tigre. Firstly, when you walk in, the bar is always completely packed, so you know that must mean something. It means good prices for good drinks and food! You order a few drinks and the tapas come with them, which is great. And they don't skimp you either, you really get more food than you can eat. We usually made this our dinner before going out, but that was because we didn't mind the crowd. This is definitely a place to check out in Madrid.

When coming to Madrid, anyone with enough friends will eventually experience El Tigre. El Tigre is your typical tapas bar encompassing food and drink, together as one. It holds true to the reputation that it is both very cheap and rewarding, (the tapas recieved with two beers, at €2.50 each, is enough to sate even the hungriest of souls). It´s a very valid reason for it´s popularity. However don´t be misled, with cheap prices comes cheap service. When busy, it´s a complete scramble for attention, and as mentioned above there are consequences for littered floors. I literally stared face to face with a cockroach. I won, of course, causing the cockroach to scuttle around my plate, as opposed to over it. The food and price is worth it, especially when equally inebriated. However next time, I may not be so lucky.

Known as the pre-pregaming "dinner" spot before a night on the town. This place is always packed shoulder to shoulder but a good place to round up friends and prepare your stomach for a night of drinking

I don't trust an empty bar any more than I trust a skinny chef, which is why El Tigre is a place to be trusted. The place get so packed they recently had to open a second location only two blocks away. Although I don't think I've ever been lucky enough to find a place to sit, the good-looking, too-friendly, all male staff makes up for it when they serve me that huge plate of tapas overflowing with croquetas, jamon, patatas, jamon york, peppers. The deal is you order a drink, (canas 2e, strongest mixed drinks of Madrid for 5) and the plate comes with, but everyone really just goes for the tapas and the drinks are an added plus. Good place to go with friends, not good for an awkward first date where you have to repeat "what?? I can't hear you??" 10 times every question because it does get quite noisy.

The decor is pretty much non-existent (unless you count all the napkins littering the floor), and the bar tends to be crowded and noisy, but don't let that stop you from having a great time! The prices are extremely good, and the portions are enormous. Even though you get free tapas with your drinks all over Madrid, here you really get a full meal when all you pay for is a 2 euro wine, beer, or sangria. A great place to go with friends for a full tapas experience, especially when you're on a budget!

When you walk into El Tigre it seems like an unassuming bar. Then you ask for "una caña" and you pay 2 euro for your beer and they hand you a plate full of tapas. There are stand around tables and some sit down tables in the back. The tapas aren't the best you can find in Madrid, but they are good and filling. You can also ask the bartender for specific tapas, don't be shy if your vegetarian. Once you are done with your first caña, order another and get your second course of dinner. I got full by ordering two beers and had dinner for less than 5 euro. It gets full after 8pm, but go whenever you want if your in need of some food and beer.