Café de Oriente, Restaurant at Plaza de Oriente, Madrid, Spain.
Café de Oriente is a restaurant located in the vaulted basement rooms beneath Plaza de Oriente in a 17th-century former convent building. The dining spaces feature stone arches and offer direct views toward the Royal Palace of Madrid.
The building dates to the 17th century when it functioned as part of a monastic complex before being repurposed as a restaurant. The conversion to its current use took place in the 1980s.
For decades, this place attracted Madrid's artists and writers who gathered here to work and exchange ideas. That artistic legacy continues to shape the social character of the space today.
The location is central with good access from nearby metro stations and bus stops in the area. The underground rooms stay pleasantly cool in warm weather, though visitors should allow time to descend and find their way through the basement levels.
Access to the basement dining rooms requires descending steep staircases, making the underground journey feel like an actual adventure. Many Madrid visitors never discover this hidden space beneath the plaza.
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