The five best Italian restaurants in Madrid

There’s no doubt that Italian chefs know how to make guests enjoy with the most famous dishes of the country, as well as those that are not that well known. It’s not necessary to travel to the bootshaped country to taste their bucatini with amatriciana sauce, spaghetti carbonara or pizza margarita. Today we are going to tell you about the five best Italian restaurants in the city, suitable hideouts for the most exquisite palates where you simply can’t leave without being fully satisfied

Mercato Ballaró

Located in calle Santa Engracia 24, the Southern Italian cuisine is greatly represented in Mercato Ballaró.

It’s as if you could taste the ports in Sicily in this restaurant by Angelo Marino. This establishment has two levels with different settings and ambiances. The lower level has a more informal character and is oriented to serve raciones. The upper level is more like a normal restaurant. It has a menu with tasteful sea dishes, a great part of them combining  sea products with fresh pasta. You should also try their risottos.

Don Giovanni

The burrata with tomato sauce is a star dish in Don Giovanni (Paseo Reina Cristina 23).  A place widely known for the people that have frequented it. Behind this successful restaurant you can find Andrea Tumbarello, a former economist who turned into a restaurant owner. If you decide to go, you will be able to choose between over 70 different types of home-made pasta, truly a luxury for Italian cuisine enthusiasts. In addition to the burrata, try the truffle tagliatelle, the cold meat brought directly from Calabria and their select wines.

Don Lisander

This restaurant’s strong suit is without a doubt their trattoria-style pizzas. In Don Lisander (Infanta Mercedes 17) they have over 30 of all kinds: from the most traditional ones like the margarita or the napolitana to the most modern ones like calamari pizza. You can also ask for pizzas in halves. And last but not least, the quality-price ratio is great.

Anema e Core

Simplicity is the essence of the Neapolitan burners in the pizzeria-restaurant of Anema e Core (Donados, 2). As a matter of fact, the most succulent ones are the most simple ones. Sometimes there’s really nothing like a classic. Anema e Core also has a wide variety of tasty antipasti for you to feast on.

Casa Marco

Everyone that goes to this cute restaurant wants to eat one of its home-made delicious pastas. Either if it’s combined with sea or earth products you surely will enjoy it. Risottos are also greatly welcomed. The price relates to its quality, but its not exorbitant.