Tropicalista
Tropicalista
Tropicalista is a Brazilian gastrobar on Calle Desengaño, just off Gran Vía, with a São Paulo accent and a cocktail bar. It deliberately skips the Brazilian clichés for an urban, cosmopolitan look, in an industrially designed room. The carta runs from coxinhas, kibes and pão de queijo to tapiocas, bobó de camarão, bolinho de feijoada and grilled picanha with farofa, and the cocktails include the Bethânia, winner of Coctelsaña 2019. Vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free items are marked.
Social
From bartropicalista on Instagram
Nuestro nombre no es aleatorio. En 1967, en plena dictadura militar brasileña, un grupo de artistas decidió hacer algo peligroso: reivindicar Brasil con orgullo y sin complejos. Lo llamaron Tropicalismo. Caetano Veloso, Gilberto Gil, Gal Costa, Rita Lee — mezclaron bossa nova con rock, samba con so
Septiembre tiene esa cosa de hacer que apetezca todo lo que en verano dejabas para otro día. La picaña — 250 gramos de ternera a la plancha, con mantequilla, tomillo, farofa y vinagreta. De los platos que piden sitio en la mesa desde el primer frío del año. El otoño ha llegado. Y en Tropicalista s
No hay bebida más brasileña que la cachaça. Destilada de caña de azúcar, con siglos de historia y con una variedad que muy poca gente conoce de verdad. En Tropicalista la degustamos como merece — tres cachaças distintas, servidas para oler, comparar y saborear una a una. Salinas Cristalina, Bálsamo
Background
About Tropicalista
The Story
Tropicalista sets out to show a Brazil beyond the clichés: urban, cosmopolitan and diverse. Its menu frames paulista cooking as a mix of European, Asian and African recipes layered onto what the Amerindian peoples already ate, and the kitchen works as a cocina de autor of plates, tapas and raciones with a Brazilian touch, prizing originality and creativity without losing the roots.
The Cuisine
Brazilian, specifically São Paulo. Starters cover coxinha, kibe, risolis, dadinhos de tapioca and pão de queijo, which the menu notes is gluten-free and made with tapioca flour and parmesan. From there it runs into tapiocas, burgers and Brazilian-style sandwiches like the X-Picanha, with rice, beans and farofa on the side.
The Food
The coxinha is the house speciality: potato dough around spiced chicken, crisp outside. The kibe shows the Arab influence on São Paulo, with beef, bulgur and mint. There are risolis, dadinhos de tapioca and pão de queijo made with tapioca flour and parmesan, then tapiocas, bobó de camarão, bolinho de feijoada, a 180 g burger, Brazilian sandwiches such as the X-Picanha, and grilled picanha with thyme butter, rustic chips, farofa and vinagrete, with rice, beans and farofa as sides.
The Cocktails
House cocktails include the Sexy Colada (aged Cacique rum, coconut, ginger, cacao, almond milk and pineapple), the Bethânia (ginger essence, pineapple shrub, mango syrup and a guaraná top), which won Coctelsaña 2019, a Brazilian Martini of cachaça, cacao orgeat, coconut and espresso, and a Tropicalista Spritz.
Highlights
What Diners Say
Consensus
Tropicalista Ratings & Reviews
Diner Ratings
4.7
2129
TripAdvisor
4.4
65 reviews
Tropicalista ranks #530 of 1001 rated restaurants in Madrid. Diners rate it 4.4/5 on TripAdvisor (65 reviews).
Reservations
How to Book Tropicalista
Booking
Book online at covermanager.com (covermanager).
Reserve
Experience
Tropicalista Dining Experience
An industrial-design room with an urban, cosmopolitan feel rather than beach-and-carnival Brazil. It's set up for groups, dogs are welcome, and the cocktails are as much the point as the food.
Navigate
Tropicalista Location & Neighbourhood
Address
Calle Desengaño, 18, 28004, Madrid, Spain
Get directions→Getting There
Calle Desengaño 18, just off Gran Vía, in the Universidad barrio of Centro.
Nearby
Universidad is the student-facing edge of the centre, young and busy and cheap in places, ambitious in others. The eating shifts block by block, from taverns pouring vermut to kitchens doing genuinely contemporary cooking. It runs into Malasaña and Gran Vía, and the mood changes with it.
Nearby landmarks
Landmarks within walking distance of Tropicalista.
Nearby Restaurants
Where to stay nearby
Hotels we rank within walking distance of Tropicalista.
Details
Tropicalista Reservations, Hours & Contact
Opening Hours
| Day | Hours |
|---|---|
| Monday | 19:30–00:00 |
| Tuesday | 19:30–00:00 |
| Wednesday | 19:30–00:00 |
| Thursday | 19:30–00:00 |
| Friday | 13:30–17:15 & 19:30–01:00 |
| Saturday | 13:30–17:15 & 19:30–01:00 |
| Sunday | 13:30–17:15 & 19:30–23:30 |
Tropicalista hours verified 2026-09-18. Contact the restaurant to confirm.
Contact
Good to Know
Questions
Tropicalista FAQ
What kind of food does Tropicalista serve?
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Brazilian, with a São Paulo accent its own menu makes explicit. Coxinhas, kibes, risolis, pão de queijo and dadinhos de tapioca to start, then tapiocas, burgers and Brazilian sandwiches, with rice, beans and farofa as sides.
Does Tropicalista have vegan or gluten-free options?
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Yes. Its own menu marks vegan and vegetarian dishes, including a vegan tapioca and a vegetarian burger, and notes that pão de queijo is gluten-free, made with tapioca flour and parmesan.
Where is Tropicalista?
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Calle Desengaño 18, 28004 Madrid, in the Universidad barrio of the Centro district. Cards, debit and contactless are accepted, and it's dog-friendly.
Can you book a table at Tropicalista?
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Yes, through CoverManager, linked from the venue's own site. Hours aren't listed here, so confirm the sitting when you book.
What are the prices like at Tropicalista?
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Around €20–30 per person. Its own carta lists starters like coxinhas and kibes around €8.90–€12.90, and burgers and tapiocas at roughly €14–€17.
Is Tropicalista a restaurant or a bar?
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Madrid's licensed-premises register classes the address as a bar con cocina (a bar that also cooks), and the menu of snacks, tapiocas and sandwiches backs that up rather than running to full courses.
What dishes does Tropicalista serve?
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Coxinha, kibe, risolis, dadinhos de tapioca and pão de queijo to start, then tapiocas, burgers and Brazilian sandwiches like the X-Picanha with rice, beans and farofa.
Is Tropicalista dog-friendly?
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Yes.
Does Tropicalista serve cocktails?
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Yes.