Chains rarely earn a place in our rankings. This one does, because on a match night in the center of Madrid it solves a real problem: screens, seats and cold cañas, two minutes from Sol.
Cañas y Tapas is a Spanish tapas franchise, and the Plaza Celenque, 1 location is the one that matters for visitors. It sits just off Calle del Arenal between Sol and Ópera, in a part of town where most bars are too small, too crowded or too indifferent to show the game properly. The chain's own football page promises giant screens and lists LaLiga, the Champions League, the Copa del Rey and the Supercopa on the broadcast calendar, and the Celenque branch delivers exactly that.
The room
The format is big, bright and built for groups. Long tables, a bar for solo drinkers, and screens sized so the back row still sees the offside line. It opens at 08:00, which means breakfast coffee turns into pre match vermouth without anyone moving tables. On weekend match nights the room runs loud until 01:00, and the mix tilts between madrileño families, office groups and visiting fans hunting a screen near their hotel.
It will not pretend to be a temple of gastronomy. The point is the formula. The chain runs a 2 for 1 caña promotion year round across its locations, which keeps tabs honest for a city center address, and the kitchen serves a long card of tapas and raciones from morning to close.
What to order
The sartén de huevos rotos is the signature, a skillet of broken eggs over fried potatoes with ham that Tripadvisor reviewers name more than any other dish. Round it out with croquetas and a ración of patatas bravas for the table. Drink cañas, in twos, because that is the deal. There is sangría for those who insist, but the name of the house tells you what to hold.
Who it is for
Groups who need guaranteed seats for a Champions League night without trekking out of the center. Travelers staying around Sol who want one dependable screen within walking distance. Mixed tables where half want dinner and half want the derby. Purists hunting Madrid's most atmospheric tabernas should look instead at our picks for hidden gems in Madrid and treat this as the utility player.
Best time to go
Arrive an hour before a Real Madrid or Atlético kickoff to hold a long table. Weekday lunch is the calm window. After the final whistle, the surrounding streets are the real prize: walk five minutes for a sherry at La Venencia, a classic vermouth at Casa Alberto, or keep working through the rest of Madrid's best sports bars and our full Madrid guide.
Sources
Verified June 2026 against the chain's official football page, Tripadvisor and Yelp.
