The most iconic 100-year-old bars, restaurants and cafés in Madrid, Spain

Madrid is a historic capital that has witnessed a succession of monarchs, revolutions and artistic movements. Vestiges of this storied past can be found in the city’s centenarios – restaurants, bars and cafés more than 100 years old.

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Venturing into any of these centenarios (restaurants, bars and cafés more than 100 years old) is like stepping back in time to share the spaces where kings and merchants, writers and artisans, priests and assassins once wined and dined. These establishments stand the test of time, still offering excellent traditional Spanish dishes and drinks. A little morsel for urban sleuths: look for the commemorative bronze plaques at the doorstep of these heritage spaces, designed by the famed Spanish cartoonist and writer, Antonio Mingote.

Here’s a rundown of our favorites:

Bodega de la Ardosa (1892)

Vibes: Faded sepia photographs and dusty wine bottles line the bar shelves of this beautifully aging wine cellar in Malasaña.
What to try: Housing the oldest Guinness beer tap in Spain, this is a great place to kickstart your tapas hop with a glass of wine, excellent vermouth and European beers, served on wooden barrels-turned-tables. Their tortilla de patata (potato omelette) tops many “Best Tortilla” lists among locals and food critics, while their salmorejo (creamy cold tomato soup) could possibly be the best one you’ll ever try in town.
Cost: Average price for a plate of tapas and drink: 10 euros

Lhardy (1839)

Vibes: Since opening its doors in 1839, this historic restaurant near the Plaza de la Puerta del Sol had survived many revolutions, wars and the Franco dictatorship. And then in 2021, the lockdowns of the Covid-19 pandemic nearly shut it down completely. Thankfully, it was saved from the brink of bankruptcy by a popular Madrid culinary group, which gave the iconic restaurant a makeover, while retaining much of its original decor, including its ornate, 19th century chandeliers.
What to try: What’s also been preserved for nearly two centuries is a pair of its most famous menu items: cocido madrileño (chickpea stew) and callos a la madrileña (beef tripe and sausage stew).
Cost: Average price for meal and drink: €40-50

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Posada de la Villa (1642)

Vibes: The earliest incarnation of this nearly four hundred year old establishment along the historic Cava Baja street in the La Latina neighborhood was a flour mill, the only one in existence in Madrid back in the 17th century.
What to try: A majestic wood-fired oven is the restaurant’s centerpiece, still cooking its speciality – roast lamb – after more than three centuries.
Cost: Average price for meal and drink: €40

Posada del Dragón (1868)

Vibes: This refurbished historic inn retains its traditional corrala, a traditional Madrid working class housing style dating from the 18th century, with balconies and narrow corridors arranged around a central interior courtyard. It also houses a local secret: just like its neighboring fellow centenario, the upscale Posada del León de Oro on Cava Baja, you can see the remains of the 12th century Christian wall through the glass floors of its indoor restaurant.
Cost: Average price for meal and drink: €35

Sobrino de Botín (1725)

Vibes: The world’s oldest restaurant according to Guinness World Records has had some famous regulars in its storied history, including Hemingway, Truman Capote and Goya, who once worked here as a dishwasher.
What to try: It is famous for its sumptuous cochinillo asado (roast suckling pig) and cordero asado (roast lamb) cooked in its original cast-iron wood-fired oven. Don’t forget to visit the basement, which houses  a gloriously dusty 16th-century wine cellar.
Cost: Average price for meal and drink: €40; Botín menu with suckling pig, starter and dessert: €59

Café Barbieri (1902)

Vibes: With its high ceilings, checkered floors, wrought iron columns and intricate moldings Café Barbieri is a classic café that has preserved the Old World feel with its vintage trappings. This iconic meeting point of Madrid’s multicultural Lavapiés neighborhood has a rich history staging cabarets and zarzuelas (traditional Spanish musical theater), and providing refuge to intellectuals and surviving soldiers of an uprising against King Alfonso XII in the late 19th century. Continuing the tradition of staging live performances, they host live jazz bands on weekends.
What to try: Try their excellent carbonara! 
Cost: Average price: €10- 20

Casa Alberto (1827)

Vibes: Among the framed newspaper clippings and black and white photographs on Casa Alberto’s wall is a plaque commemorating Miguel de Cervantes, who wrote Don Quixote in the same building.
What to try: The wolf’s head water fountain and vintage tap are a marvel to behold while savoring classic tapas like Iberian ham or patatas bravas (fried potato wedges with a spicy sauce), and their house specialty, rabo estofado (stewed oxtail).
Cost: Average price: €25- 35

Bodegas Ricla (1867)

Vibes: The wine cellar of this quaint little bar just off Plaza Mayor was once used as an air-raid shelter.
What to try: Today, it’s a great place to seek refuge amidst its hefty wine vats while enjoying excellent tapas such as boquerones (white anchovies), chorizo and Manchego cheese, washed down with a good vermouth or glass of wine.
Cost: Average price for tapas and a drink: €10-20

Chocolatería San Ginés (1894)

Vibes: Over the years, this spot has expanded substantially and now occupies an entire block. The good news is if you wish to avoid the crowds, you can head to their satellite branch in Prosperidad neighborhood, just outside the metro stop.
What to try: Prepare for some long queues – this tourist hotspot near the Teatro Real is famous for its churros con chocolate (fried dough pastry with hot chocolate), served fresh 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
Cost: Average price for churros with chocolate syrup: €7-10

Taberna Antonio Sánchez (1787)

Vibes: Established in 1787, this iconic tavern was once a meeting ground of intellectual heavyweights in literature, art and tauromachy (bullfighting). It’s a dramatically dark enclave paying homage to the bull: decorated matadors and imposing bull heads are immortalized on its painted walls, lit by its original gas chandeliers.
What to try: This is a great place to taste classic Spanish fare, like tortilla de patata, chipirones (baby squid), and torrija, an Easter dessert similar to French toast, which is served all year round.
Cost: Average price for meal and drink: €25-30

Casa Ciriaco (1897)

Vibes: This turn-of-the-century tavern was the backdrop to the near-assassination of King Alfonso XIII on his wedding procession in 1906. A photo capturing that attempted regicide hangs on its wall.
What to try: Casa Ciriaco has been serving its house specialty for more than 100 years: gallina en pepitoria, chicken served with a wine, egg and almond sauce.
Cost: Average price for tapas/meal and drink: €10-20