Madrid is in many aspects the perfect city to live in for international students. The international community is huge and there are always a lot of fun things to do. Madrid is also not very expensive, which is very convenient, especially for students. You can see and do many things for little or no money. Going to a restaurant or to a bar can be very cheap in Madrid as well, luckily, because the dining and nightlife in Madrid is very prominent. To give you some inspiration on eating out for little money, here we have gathered three restaurants in Madrid that are cheap and have good food!
Takos el Pastor
If you like Mexican food and you are near Gran Via, then Takos el pastor is the place to go. Takes the pastor has also been chosen as travellers’ choice in 2021. Their specialties are mainly the tacos on the menu which are only 1 euro each. The most popular tacos are the pastor, Suadero and Tinga de pollo. In addition, they also have tortas or quesadillas, the prices of which are all under 5 euros. The quality of the food and service is excellent. It is therefore certainly a must to go here with your friends. For an evening meal, 5 to 6 takes are enough to be full for a person.
El Tigre
The next restaurant that is quite cheap is el Tigre. This restaurant is known for one of the best tapas bars in Madrid. The concept goes as follows: you order a drink, and you are served free tapas. For each drink you will be served a different tapa. The bar is always very atmospheric and is therefore often very busy. So, you must be on time to get a spot. The prices are mainly low, due to the free tapas with a drink. For a drink you pay about 5 euros. It is therefore very nice to go here with friends to share different tapas snacks. The tapas that are served are typical Spanish dishes including patatas bravas, jamón or Spanish omelette.
Calle Fortaleza 23, Chueca, 28004, Madrid
100 Montaditos
This restaurant can be found almost on every corner of Madrid and many international students meet here. 100 Montaditos is known for its cheap drinks and small sandwiches. For example, the sandwiches are topped with ham, cheese, huevo, tuna, chicken and much more. You can get a very large glass of beer or tinto de Verano very cheaply here. Besides that, there are also special discounts on Wednesdays and Sundays, when almost everything from the menu is 1 euro. After ordering about 5 sandwiches, you have eaten more than enough, and you certainly do not have to order more. Lastly, there is also plenty of choice for the vegetarians among us!
And if you want to know more about Spain in general, you can always read one of our other blogs here.
By: Chelsea Harnas, The Hague University of Applied Sciences ’21
