If you asked me in January what a tortilla is, I would have described a round, flat, floppy bread made with corn that’s used to make tacos and all other sorts of yummy things. But if you ask me now, I’ll say one of two things: 

1. A classic Spanish omelette cooked in olive oil, made with eggs, potatoes, and sometimes onions. My new favorite food.  

2. A round, flat, floppy bread made with corn that’s used to make tacos and all other sorts of yummy things.  

After having my first taste of tortilla one of the first days I arrived in Spain, I was hooked. I’m not super into eggs—I am very particular about how they’re cooked and have only begun my foray past scrambled eggs (which I have to make myself) into fried eggs with a runny yolk this year. But the tortilla transcended all my egg pickiness. I liked it runny, firm, with onions (“con cebolla”), pre-made from the grocery store, with mayo, without mayo, in literally every way. I made it a mission to try all I could, and here are my reviews of just a few, in no particular order of favoritism:  

1. Pez Tortilla 

First up is my FAVORITE tortilla place I tried and a Madrid classic. I came here as often as I could because they had so many flavors and I LOVED the way they cooked them. I still think about this place all the time.  

My favorite part about this tortilla is how runny it is. You can see how the inside is spilling over from the more firm, cooked exterior. It really makes it a whole experience—the piece of bread on the side is typically served with tortilla to mop up the runniness of the egg and anything left on the plate, and you get the full experience of being able to enjoy the tortilla and the egg-soaked fresh bread. DELICIOUS.  

Pez Tortilla is always packed, and the first time I went my friend and I had to stand at the counter to eat. They also have a ton of different tortilla flavors that I got to try, like arugula with goat cheese and fig, sun dried tomato with basil and parmesan (my two favorites), blood sausage, and of course the classic. Each flavor is perfectly salty and has the consistency I love, which just kept me coming back.  

One of the many meals I had here. On the left is the blood sausage and on the right is arugula with goat cheese and fig. This picture is from when I took my mom when she visited me (shout out Mom). 

2. Bar-Cafeteria Nicol, in Mercado Maravillas 

First on this list is the tortilla I tried at a stall called Bar-Cafeteria Nicol located in Mercado Maravillas. I actually came here with friends because they were doing a project on the market and I just wanted to tag along and explore. I liked it, and at 3 euros it was definitely worth it. It was more piecey than I’m used to and very oily but the cook on it was really yummy and golden brown. It wasn’t served hot, but that’s how tortilla is traditionally eaten, sort of lukewarm.  

I felt that because this one was more cooked there was nothing really to mop up with the bread. This one felt like a very authentic experience—I was just standing with my friends at a stall in the market, chatting with the older gentleman working there in Spanish, and just enjoying the snack.  

From Mercado Maravillas. I was too excited to eat it and took a bite before taking the picture…phone eats second? 

3. Tortilla Tasting Plate, Mercado de San Miguel 

I really wanted to like this one more but I didn’t. Of all the tortillas I tried, this one was the most disappointing. San Miguel is a very touristy, busy market, more serving gourmet dishes than carrying fresh groceries. This means the food can be hit or miss—either actually really good or just tourist trappy and meh. This dish was tourist trappy and meh. It was straight up cold, which I disliked, the little crackers each bite was served on were positively soggy, and the tortilla itself was rubbery and flavorless. Do not be fooled by the nice presentations and pretty colors. If you are looking to try tortilla, or just enjoy a meal in general, do not get this.  

I did appreciate some of the flavors, like the fig jam and the squid ink, but that didn’t really save it for me. I went out and tried something new and now I know. Stick to the classic way of eating tortilla! 

My tortilla flight was visually appealing but that’s about where it ends.  

4. Homemade tortilla 

I’ll clarify that this was made in a kitchen with the help of professional chefs as part of a cooking class CEA CAPA took us to. This was one of my favorites because we got to see the process behind tortilla making (way more labor intensive than it seems) and cook them ourselves (in way more oil than you think). In the picture attached you can see an entire bowl of olive oil on the table which the onions and potatoes were soaking in before we mixed them with the egg. But really who cares…it was scrumptious. Partly because we got to eat it piping hot and it was the perfect texture, and because it was super fun to make. 

 Spooning the egg-potato-onion mix into a pan full of olive oil, which then gets flipped onto a plate and then coaxed back into the pan. All under the watchful eye of Chef Iñigo, of course, who helped us make the food so good.  

5. The First Tortilla I Ever Tried, Tapa Tapa  

Thank you to CEA CAPA for taking us to a tapas dinner one of our first nights in Madrid and picking out our menu. This is the tortilla that started me on my journey. It’s small, it’s a little deflated, and it didn’t get to shine amongst all the other foods that I tried that night. But it was my introduction, what spurred me to like this dish, and the original tortilla that led to an adventure. While I may not really remember eating you, I will always remember what you did for me. So thank you, CEA CAPA tapa tortilla.  

The tortilla that started it all…