MADRID - LA CASA DEL ABUELO
LA CASA DEL ABUELO
We returned to one of our favourite bars on our recent trip to Madrid. The original tavern opened on Calle Victoria in 1906 as La Alicantina. During the 1920s and ’30s it became famous for its sandwiches, at one point selling more than 1,500 a day. Following the Civil War, when bread became scarce and was remarkably more expensive than prawns, the family began serving prawns instead. They proved so popular that they became the speciality of the house, a tradition that continues today.
More than a century later, remarkably little has changed. It has passed through four generations of the same family, who have maintained its traditions and authenticity.
The picture below shows the previous prices.
Current La Casa del Abuelo price list – August 2026.
A chato de vino (house wine) is currently €2.50.
They serve all types of gambas and langostinos.
Gambas al ajillo.
Garlic and chilli prawns
Gambas al ajillo (sizzling garlic prawns) are cooked as you walk in by the entrance door. They are served with good bread to soak up the delicious garlic and chilli oil.
Langostinos con gabardina.
Deep-fried battered king prawns.
Gambas a la plancha (grilled prawns): Traditionally, they toss the shells and paper napkins into troughs on the ground. Don’t be shy—all the locals do it!
Preparing gambas al ajillo and langostinos con gabardina at La Casa del Abuelo.
Other prawns available include:
Croquetas de gamba roja de Garrucha (Garrucha red prawn croquettes).
Banderillas de langostino con mojo picón (king prawn skewers with spicy mojo picón sauce).
They will also do calamares a la plancha (grilled squid) if they are not too busy.
They have a good, small wine list, but the star is their own Vino Tinto Dulce El Abuelo (D.O. Toro Crianza), a sweet red wine they have made for over 100 years in their own vineyard in Toro. It has a violet-purple colour, with intense aromas and hints of ripe fruit, blackberry and bramble.
Also available: Cerveza (bottled beer), caña (draught beer), sangria and tinto de verano (red wine and lemonade).
Although more prominent and with a more varied menu, the other bars in the same chain don’t quite have the charm of this small original. An earlier menu showing just how much prices have changed over the years.
Historical picture
We cannot wait to return to La Casa del Abuelo in Madrid. It can get hectic as it is on the tourist trail, so it is not particularly cheap, but there are always plenty of locals there as well.
LA CASA DEL ABUELO
Calle Victoria 12, 28012 Madrid, Spain
+34 91 521 23 19
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