Casa Alberto, the iconic tavern in Madrid

Almost 200 years of history on Calle Huertas is Casa Alberto, one of the most iconic taverns in Madrid, which opened its doors in 1827 and still to this day continues to serve with fidelity, good cooking and purism to all those who come to it. Porticoed by a classic threshold in which one would think time has stopped, Casa Alberto welcomes, from its tin hand, its recording machine (not a box) and its onyx bar, to Madrid, tourists and the curious who enter this gastronomic museum where pages of history of been written in Madrid.

Rooted in Segovian origins, as much of the rural exodus that Madrid received in the nineteenth century, Casa Alberto soon filled its menu with classic references like the tripe to Madrid, the tail of bull stew or the tortilla goyesca, dishes that at present, the public continues to demand but that coexist in a menu that has also been able to adapt to the new times, sedicing the customer looking for something more sophisticated.

In two levels, bar and restaurant, Casa Alberto begins its journey every day ay twelve in the morning, perfect hour for the aperitif, where the vermouth-tap and the cane become the protagonists, well seconded by temptations like snails, Cervantine eggs or stewed ear. Preamble of what awaits us inside the room, completely framed by photographic memories of friends and clients who are and have witnessed the story that Casa Alberto tells. Once up, the menu opens before us, tempting us with classic recipes but also with certain innovations. The person responsible for this is the chef Mario Pilar, the man who saved traditional dishes with a certain reinvention like the Cervantine eggs but that embroiders the art of the classical kitchen. The necessary tripe is joined by veal cheek, the cladodes of Madrid, the battered cod -in the Pavía style- or the mollejitas with garlic. In innovation, where there is no lost trick, we find starters such as the marinated partridge salad or pumpkin cream with scallops, which makes a preamble to, for example, the cod with their own tripe or the Iberian prey with red fruit sauce. The auction, also very Madrid, invites the French toast with cinnamon sauce or fried milk with custard cream.

All this becomes a mixture of old and new times where the clock seems to stop, which facilitates the table, talk and coffee. Casa Alberto was a meeting place for actors and people of the theater, making it the perfect place to get to know firsthand what was being premiered, criticized and extolled in the city. Over time these conversations mutated, transforming into one of the most emblematic bullfighting corners of the city, where critics, fans and aspiring bullfighters met. Names like Manolete, Juan Belmont or the Dominguín family were regulars of their low tables but also contemporary personalities, like the mayor of Tierno-Galván, or even more historical figures, like that of Miguel de Cervantes who lived in the building that today is Casa Alberto.

All this is collected in a book that the restaurant itself edited, Casa Alberto 1827-2012, commissioned by Alfonso Delgado, manager of the premises, containing the names that have contributed to elevating this restaurant, cultural heritage and witness living in the city of Madrid that even today opens its doors ready to continue writing stories through good cooking and friendly customer service.