Casa Lucio

Casa Lucio is one of the best-known traditional restaurants in Madrid and a fixture of the Cava Baja, the old street of taverns in La Latina. It opened in 1974 in the premises of the centuries-old Mesón El Segoviano, where its founder, Lucio Blázquez, had started working as a boy. The restaurant has remained a family business, and it has long been a favourite of politicians, actors, royalty and visiting celebrities, as well as Madrid families out for a long lunch.

The dish everyone orders is huevos estrellados, fried eggs broken over a plate of hand-cut chips so the yolk runs into the potatoes. It sounds simple, and it is, but this is the version many people consider the benchmark, and it has become famous well beyond Spain. Beyond the eggs, the menu is traditional Madrid and Castilian cooking with good ingredients: croquetas, Iberian cured meats, ensaladilla, roasts and grilled meats, fish, stews, seafood and soups, followed by classic desserts such as flan, rice pudding and natillas.

The restaurant has a bar at the entrance and dining rooms over two floors. It suits couples and groups who want a proper sit-down meal of Spanish classics, and families with children are welcome. Vegetarians can manage with the eggs and a few starters, but meat and fish dominate.

Casa Lucio serves lunch and dinner every day. Lunch runs from 13:00 to 16:00 and dinner from 20:00 to 23:30, which is typical of Madrid hours, so plan on eating late in the evening. The restaurant closes for the whole of August and on a few evenings around Christmas and New Year. Booking is strongly recommended, particularly for dinner and weekends, and can be made by phone or WhatsApp.

The Cava Baja is in the heart of La Latina, and La Latina metro station on line 5 is around five minutes away on foot. The Plaza Mayor and the Mercado de San Miguel are a short walk north, and the rest of the Cava Baja is lined with tapas bars, so it is easy to start the evening with a drink nearby before sitting down to eat.