Casa Dani — Restaurant in Madrid

We stumbled into Casa Dani without knowing what it was, so we had no idea it was known for its Spanish omelette. The food was good, but the service was absolutely atrocious. We ordered Gambas al Ajillo (Spanish garlic shrimp), chicken, and cuttlefish. Instead, the waiter brought out a giant Spanish omelette (“tortilla”) without any explanation. Since it was our first day in Madrid and in the U.S. “tortilla” means bread, we assumed it might be the chicken dish (which the male waiter who said he spoke English didn’t explain well) and each took a bite—then immediately realized it wasn’t what we ordered and told them so. They still insisted we pay for it.

Ironically, this restaurant is clearly known for its Spanish omelette, yet the waiter never even recommended it when I asked for suggestions. They also forgot the shrimp entirely. One kind English-speaking staff member—a woman who was so beyond nice—assured us we wouldn’t be charged for the omelette or shrimp, but the boss angrily intervened. Even after we had already been given the check (which correctly did not include the omelette or shrimp) and were offered dessert and coffee, he demanded we pay for the shrimp, claiming the kitchen was now making it. He even made me go downstairs and pay him directly, unlike every other table.

Only after a tense back-and-forth using Google Translate did he finally drop it, but the entire experience felt hostile and embarrassing, with staff gossiping about us to other tables. Other customers even sided with us, which says a lot. The food itself was good, but the service ruined the meal.

Would not recommend this place to tourists who don’t...

So mercado de la Paz is our last spot in Madrid before we catch a night train to Barcelona. We're mulling whether to grab something to eat from inside the market or find a sit down spot nearby with outdoor seating. This place came up in both ChatGPT and Gemini as a "do not miss", "quintisential" experience to have in the mercado de la paz neighbourhood... So walk upto the waiter and ask for a place for 2..... Thankfully for us, a couple had just got done and was vacating their space so we were accomodated there, otherwise even at 6.45 PM which is very early for dinner in Madrid, the place was completely full

We heard that this place was famous for its spanish omlettes and had options that satisfied both factions of the debate "con/sin cebolla"... Being firmly on the "con cebolla" side of the debate, we got the with onions option or course

Their omlettes are a bit on the runner side... But that was fine by us... We got a "half omlette" which was a huge portion and in hindsight a quarter (also on the menu) would have done just fine too 😅😅 the tortilla was great ... I am still more partial to the one I make at home but I will give these guys the silver medal 😝

We also got a plate of croquettes with tomato mozzarella which had a very consistent and smooth filling and a crunchy exterior. Very balanced and great as bar food....

Service was quick and prompt... the place is clearly a local favorite and that's always a strong stamp of approval that...

Best Tortilla Española I have ever had! They have a reputation for making the very best one and I can't disagree. I would go back for this dish alone... it was rich, juicy, and flavorful. The shrimp in garlic/olive oil was also excellent (best I had in the restaurants where we tried in Madrid and Barcelona.) My kids loved their ham croquettes. Their potatoes were great as well. Prices were very reasonable.

The only thing none of us liked was the chorizo. That was a surprise...

The location we ate at isn't inside the little food market, but on the outside. We hadn't realized that there were tables in the back of the location indoors and thought it was just bar stools. We found out afterwards when we went to wash up in the bathroom indoors. There were three Casa Dani locations in and around the market. It was very cold and windy outside so we would have much preferred to eat indoors but there was no room.

The real disappointment was in that while the waiter was great, the manager would not allow us to combine tables to accommodate 6 (3 adults and 3 kids). So they were okay with single patrons using a table but we had to cram 6 together while there was an empty table beside us. It's just common sense and good service and would have also kept the space between...