Centro / Sol-Gran Vía

The historic core around Sol and Gran Vía is the dense, tourist-heavy heart of Madrid, which raises the bar for what is worth a visitor's time: here only the genuine institutions earn their place. That means Botín, the world's oldest restaurant, the standing counter at Casa Labra, the belle-époque dining rooms of Lhardy and the gourmet stalls of Mercado de San Miguel, plus a handful of serious rooftop rooms. The crowds are real, but so is the history.