miam - didn't go here, but the brunch food looks legit.
maleducat - probably the best meal i had in barcelona.
amar - nice fine dining restaurant. can't go wrong with this one.
madrid
streetxo - the best meal i had in spain. if you pick one restaurant, make it this one. this is the sister restaurant to the 4th best restaurant in the world (as of this posting) – diverxo. make sure to make a reservation.
el retiro park - really nice place to walk around. i was running at the time and pulled a muscle here.
barracuda - after a walk in el retiro, go to this place for some of the best mexican food ever.
honest greens - spain is notorious for not having vegetables in their cuisine. this is a good place to get a salad. you can order via their app for pickup or delivery. nice vibes at this location.
mercado de san miguel - really great food market. make sure to get a beer along with all your food.
álex cordobés - you can get basque cheesecake here. be prepared for a line. it moves quickly though.
alma bakery - didn't get to go here, but looks really good.
café bar bilbao - nice tapas place. there are a lot of different places in nueva plaza. fun place to spend time and bounce around all the different shops.
salmon guru - didn't get to go here, but really good cocktails.
la cuchara de san telmo - this was by far the best meal i had in the city. the indoor area is extremely cramped, but they have seating outside. there's always a line here. make sure to get txakoli with your meal.
la viña - this is the home to the original basque cheesecake. it's good, but i think the basque cheesecake at ernest in san francisco is that much better.