The ham croqueta that won Madrid Fusión 2026 is at Salino, on Calle de Menorca 4 by the Retiro park: chef Alejandro Cano won the twelfth ham croqueta championship at Madrid Fusión 2026 with it, and the menu Salino publishes sells it at €2.90 each or €17 a plate. A croqueta is a thick béchamel mixed with ham, fish or stew meat, rolled in breadcrumbs and fried. Near Puerta del Sol, Casa Labra has served salt-cod croquetas since 1860 and Lhardy, open since 1839, charges €4 for its cocido croqueta. Arzábal and Taberna Pedraza make creamy versions near the Retiro and Recoletos.
Where are the best croquetas in Madrid? Salino, by the Retiro, serves the ham croqueta that won Madrid Fusión 2026, at €2.90 a piece. For a historic bar near Puerta del Sol, Casa Labra does salt-cod croquetas at a zinc counter, and Lhardy serves a cocido croqueta for €4. Arzábal and Taberna Pedraza make creamy, chef-driven ones.
How to order croquetas without overdoing it
Spanish menus sell croquetas three ways: by the piece (unidad), as a half plate (media ración) or as a full plate (ración). If you want to try several places in one afternoon, go for single pieces: Salino and Taberna Pedraza charge €2.90 each and Lhardy €4.
Arzábal is the exception: its croquetas, according to Arzábal, only come as a half plate at €9 or a full plate at €18, so it works best for two people sharing alongside another dish. In Madrid, croquetas are ordered and paid for, not handed out free with a drink; the custom is explained in what free tapas Madrid bars owe you.
The award winner, and the creamy chef-driven ones
Salino, run by the Aparicio brothers, puts the award straight on the first line of its menu: «la mejor croqueta de España en Madrid Fusión 2026», made with Sánchez Romero Carvajal ham. Book on +34 912 14 16 82; the nearest Metro is Ibiza (L9), about 130 metres away.
Arzábal Retiro, about 110 metres from Salino on Avenida de Menéndez Pelayo 13, makes Ibérico croquetas with Latxa sheep’s milk. It opens Monday to Wednesday from 12.30pm to 1am, Thursday to Saturday until 2am and Sunday until midnight; reservations on +34 914 095 661.
Taberna Pedraza, on Calle de Recoletos 4, lists «croquetas cremosas» that Carmen makes every day at €2.90 each, with a flavour that changes, so ask which one is on. It is a cocido and grill house, closed on Mondays, serving lunch from 1pm to 4.30pm and dinner Wednesday to Saturday from 8pm to 11.30pm.
Two historic bars near Puerta del Sol
Casa Labra, on Calle de Tetuán 12, has been open since 1860. The house is known for salt cod as fritters and croquetas, according to esMadrid, served at a zinc counter, and the tavern opens every day from 11.30am to 3.30pm and 6.30pm to 10.30pm. You eat standing at the bar; the sit-down dining room costs €16 to €30 a head.
Lhardy, on Carrera de San Jerónimo 8, is a different experience: historic dining rooms and a €4 cocido croqueta on its classics menu. It opens Monday to Saturday from 1pm to midnight and on Sunday for lunch only. If the stew itself tempts you, see where to eat cocido madrileño.
What one croqueta costs at each spot
Lunch in Madrid usually starts later than 1pm; what time Madrid eats explains the rhythm, and the Metro single ticket covers every stop on this route (which Madrid transport ticket to buy). For two people trying two croquetas each, that is €11.60 at Salino or Taberna Pedraza and €16 at Lhardy. Tipping is optional in Spain; how much to tip in Madrid has the local habit.
Where they are
All five fit into a walk of about 3 km: start at the bar of Casa Labra, walk up Carrera de San Jerónimo to Lhardy, cross the Paseo del Prado towards Taberna Pedraza and finish at Salino or Arzábal by the Retiro.
For a longer tapas night in the centre, the Huertas tapas route starts next to Lhardy, and where to eat in Madrid covers the rest of the city.
FAQ about croquetas in Madrid
Where can I find the best croquetas in Madrid?
The ham croqueta that won Madrid Fusión 2026 is served at Salino, on Calle de Menorca 4 by the Retiro, at €2.90 each. For creamy Ibérico croquetas go to Arzábal Retiro or Taberna Pedraza; for history, Casa Labra on Calle de Tetuán 12 and Lhardy, both a few minutes from Puerta del Sol.
How do you order croquetas in Spain?
Croquetas come by the piece (unidad), as a half plate (media ración) or as a full plate (ración). Salino, Taberna Pedraza and Lhardy sell them by the piece, so you can order one each; Arzábal only does half plates at €9 and full plates at €18, which suit two or more people.
Are croquetas a free tapa in Madrid?
Not at these places. In Madrid a free tapa with your drink is a custom, not a rule, and croquetas are ordered and paid for. Expect €2.90 to €4 for a single croqueta and €17 to €18 for a full plate at the spots in this guide.
Which croqueta spots are near Puerta del Sol?
Casa Labra, on Calle de Tetuán 12, is about 220 metres from Sol and serves salt-cod croquetas at the bar every day from 11.30am to 3.30pm and 6.30pm to 10.30pm. Lhardy, on Carrera de San Jerónimo 8, is about 150 metres away and serves a €4 cocido croqueta.
Try one award-winning croqueta at Salino first, then decide whether you want the plate.