A Sunday in La Latina

Or perhaps a Thursday, or a Friday, or—of course—a Saturday. Any day is a good day to explore one of Madrid’s most authentic neighbourhoods, which is also a popular place where friends get together to enjoy good food. La Latina has it all: tabernas, casual eateries, sophisticated restaurants and more, not forgetting the fantastic atmosphere that’s always guaranteed

Published in esMADRIDmagazine in April 2024

You’ll find this neighbourhood in the most authentic heart of the city, occupying a large portion of Madrid de los Austrias (Hapsburg Madrid), just a stone’s throw away from Lavapiés. Popular but also populous, the area gets especially busy at weekends, at aperitivo time (just before lunch), and in the evening. Its narrow streets and large squares, which are are chock-full of bars, restaurants and leisure and entertainment venues, offer a glimpse of how the city was laid out in medieval times. It almost certainly takes its name from the hospital which was founded in the area in 1499—next to what is now Plaza de la Cebada—by Beatriz Galindo, who was a teacher to Queen Isabella I. Born in Salamanca, she was very well-read and had a particular interest in Latin, which she spoke, read and translated fluently. She thus went down in history as La Latina. We remember her today as we explore this area in the oldest part of the city, where the history is still palpable, yet the atmosphere is vibrant, dynamic and carefree. With a glass of wine and some tasty tapas, life just tastes so much better.

CASA LUCIO

Cava Baja, 35. LA LATINA. Tel. 91 365 82 17 / 91 365 32 52

It’s impossible to talk about Madrid’s food scene without mentioning Lucio Blázquez, who has gained legendary status in our city. At the tender age of 12, he began to work at Mesón El Segoviano, which was located on the site which now holds this uber-famous restaurant, now run by his children María del Carmen, Fernando and Javier. At the heart of their cuisine lie first-rate ingredients, which the team uses to prepare traditional dishes we hope will always be part of our lives. Take for example their irresistible huevos rotos (“broken eggs”, fried eggs served over chips), which have been enjoyed by celebrities from all over the world since the restaurant opened its doors in its current incarnation in 1974. You can’t call yourself a true Madrileño if you haven’t tried them! They do, however, lovingly serve up other traditional Madrid fare such as cocido (meat and chickpea stew) and chickpeas with tripe.

CORRAL DE LA MORERÍA

Morería, 17. LA LATINA. Tel. 91 365 11 37

“Combining the world’s best tablao (flamenco venue) with haute cuisine is a stroke of genius and it’s a truly thrilling concept”, says David García, the chef of the restaurant in the renowned Corral de la Morería, which has earned a Michelin star. A staunch supporter of organic garden produce, controlled-environment agriculture and top-quality fare, his cuisine rooted in local tradition stands out for its bouillons, broths and gravies, which are made with natural, first-rate ingredients. Diners can order the Tasting Menu, but there are also other set menus with more rhythmic names honouring different flamenco styles: Soleá, Alegrías, Taranto (vegan) and Bulerías (gluten-free). They all include delectable dishes like the scallop carpaccio with tomato tartare, dates and coconut ajoblanco, the tender veal with sauteed porcini mushrooms and mashed potato, and, for dessert, the crunchy rice pudding with cinnamon ice cream.

POSADA DE LA VILLA

Cava Baja, 9. LA LATINA / TIRSO DE MOLINA / SOL. Tel. 91 366 18 60 / 91 366 18 80

Back in the 17th century, the capital’s only flour mill was on Calle de la Cava Baja, which, in 1642, became the first inn for the royal court. Protected by the Muslim city walls, it provided food and lodging for all of the travellers arriving in our city. In 1980, ravaged by time and in danger of falling into ruin, it had to be rescued by Félix Colomo. After two years of painstaking restoration, he managed to save it and turn it into a grill house. Today, the menu is full of Madrid and Castilian fare, with options ranging from traditional suckling lamb roasted in a wood-fired oven to Madrid cocido stew cooked in a large pot over a low flame—the two main house specialities—to Madrid-style tripe, stewed oxtail, and hen in pepitoria sauce. It’s an all-time classic on the city’s culinary scene.

MARMITÓN

Aguas, 6. LA LATINA. Tel. 91 013 81 75

“Eat, that’s why you came”. This clear, candid message welcomes us to a restaurant which also reminds us that “by sharing a dish, you share a day”. Marmitón is a bistro with sit-down table service which brings back classic recipes but gives them a twist to surprise diners. The menu changes often because they use seasonal products which are sourced as locally as possible. To give you an idea, however, here are some suggestions: corn and jalapeño pepper croquettes, warm lobster tartare with ají amarillo chili pepper and a crunchy nest of straw potatoes, and bluefin tuna galete (the back of the cheek). For dessert, how about some churros and hot chocolate sauce with vanilla ice cream and bitter orange compote? The owners also run Barmitón (No. 13 Calle de la Cava Alta), which is the perfect place for tapas or, as they say here, for short drinks and long post-meal conversations.

TRÈSDE

Cava Alta, 17. LA LATINA. Tel. 679 16 09 40

Tudela chard and artichoke stew, venison tenderloin, marinated sea bass, pears in verbena syrup... Everything is delicious at this restaurant owned by Aitor Sua, Lucas Fernández and Miguel Vallés, three lifelong friends who went from playing together in the schoolyard to running their own business. Check out this modern eatery which has a French feel to it.

MALACATÍN

Ruda, 5. LA LATINA. Tel. 91 365 52 41

Since 1895, four generations of the same family have been serving one of the best cocidos in Madrid. Here, the meat and chickpea stew comes in three courses and although the recipe’s a secret, they have told us this: the broth is made in nine pots, with the flavours left to mix together over five hours. But there are lots of other options on the menu, like the sautéed mushrooms topped with a fried egg.

LA GILDERÍA

Calatrava, 17. LA LATINA / PUERTA DE TOLEDO

As a nostalgic, true-blue Madrileño might still say, this place is para flipar pepinillos (literally, “to freak out over pickles”, a slightly dated expression which means “mind-blowing”). Welcome to the house of the gilda, a snack-sized skewer of pickled ingredients which is currently one of the trendiest pinchos in Madrid. It’s named after the famous character brought to life on the silver screen by Rita Hayworth. Here, they make them with salmon, octopus, prawn, smoked tuna...and even shrimp and quail’s egg. You won’t be able to say no at aperitivo time!

LOS HUEVOS DE LUCIO

Cava Baja, 32. LA LATINA. Tel. 91 366 29 84

The traditional face of Madrid has changed a lot since Lucio Blázquez opened his first restaurant, but its essence remains strong in this taberna, a little sister to Casa Lucio. Diners here eat as if they were at home, mopping their plates clean with bread and savouring every last drop of wine. Naturally, they serve huevos rotos (in addition to the classic version of chips topped with fried eggs, you can order them with bacon, ratatouille or chistorra sausage), but they also have options like artichoke confit, grilled octopus and tuna tataki.

BIPOLAR

Calatrava, 6. LA LATINA. Tel. 91 896 59 84

This place describes itself as a modern version of a traditional eatery, offering a fantastic daily menu featuring dishes such as lentil and vegetable stew or Thai chicken with coconut milk and lime. Its à la carte menu presents a fusion of options, from "Limited Edition" dishes like prawn hagkao and char siu pancetta to neo-classics like calamari strips and fried pork crackling.

TOGA

Juanelo, 23. LA LATINA / TIRSO DE MOLINA. Tel. 91 041 44 39

This little restaurant with a modest façade has become a can’t-miss culinary experience in Madrid. It serves up new takes on classic Latin American and Asian dishes, but with a twist. This is clear on its menu, where potatoes with huancaína sauce are found alongside noodles with kimchi mayo. It also has a sister restaurant: Toguita (No. 3 Calle de la Cava Alta).

JUANA LA LOCA

Plaza de Puerta de Moros, 4. LA LATINA. Tel. 91 364 05 25 / 91 366 55 00

Here, they’ve been committed to preparing flavour-based, authentic, no-frills food for twenty years. This approach has resulted in the taberna offering tasty dishes like ravioli stuffed with porcini, truffle and egg yolk, and pintxos like the potato omelette with caramelised onions—one of the best in all of Madrid.