Casa Amadeo Los Caracoles

15 Best Tapas Bars in Madrid | Condé Nast Traveler

"“Who wants some snails! The finest snails in Madrid!” bellows Amadeo Lázaro, the 89-year-old owner of Casa Amadeo. He's been hawking his famous garlicky gastropods to to the masses since 1942, which makes him the oldest tabernero in Madrid. Known colloquially as "Los Caracoles" ("The Snails"), this sliver of a bar on Plaza de Cascorro fills up on Sundays, when the nearby Rastro flea market is in full swing. Even squeamish travelers should try Amadeo's famous caracoles—they're a Rastro-morning rite of passage. Other highlights include endangered old-school tapas like gambas en gabardina—battered "shrimp in raincoats"—stewed trotters, and boiled crayfish." - Benjamin Kemper