Known as <\/span>nochebuena <\/span><\/i>in Spanish, Christmas Eve is a night of magical festivities and family fun. Many <\/span>madrile\u00f1os <\/span><\/i>will spend the evening gathered around a table piled high with all kinds of festive fare and surrounded by the people who matter most. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

And while Spaniards may favor the Three Kings over Santa Claus, that doesn’t mean that Christmas Day gets completely shoved aside. There may not be as many presents (some families exchange gifts on December 25, but the majority wait until January 6); however, holiday cheer is still in full swing. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

So what does all of that mean? On Christmas Eve, it will be a bit harder to find restaurants that are open. It’s not impossible, but given the limited availability, we highly recommend calling ahead to reserve your spot in advance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Surprisingly enough, it’s more common to find eateries open on December 25 than it is on the previous day. While not every place in the city is open, there’s more variety than you’d expect. Again, we recommend booking in advance to guarantee that you get a table.<\/p>\n\n\n\n