Casa Alberto
What to order: at the bar, a house vermouth with a slice of omelette or the squid bocatín; in the dining room, tripe or braised oxtail
geocalia
Day itinerary · 40.42° N · 3.70° W
Weavers at the loom in the morning, Goya next and tripe for a late lunch.
A guided visit to the workshops of the Real Fábrica de Tapices with the weavers at their looms, the Prado Museum and a late lunch at Casa Alberto, a tavern dating from 1827.
Leaving from
Part of MadridUrban experiencesWalkable CitiesClassical music and opera in EuropeClassic film locations
Add to my trip
Total time6 h
By car0 min each way
Tapestries45 min guided
Prado2 h 30
Spend€55–80 pp
Getting aroundOn foot
BookingTapestries, by email
The plan
The day at a glance
Any part can be swapped for another without spoiling the day.
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1
Guided visit to the workshops of the Royal Tapestry Factory
45-min guided tour · €6, reduced €5 · book by email
+34 914 340 550
- 15 min on foot
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2
Prado Museum, with a ticket or in the free last two hours
€15, reduced €7.50 · buy the ticket online
- 12 min on foot
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3
Casa Alberto
tripe, oxtail and cod · closed Mondays
Calle de las Huertas, 18, 28012 Madrid · +34 914 299 356
Restaurant €€€Book
Approximate cost
About €40–65 per person
Adds up the activities and meals in the plan at their published prices; travel and accommodation not included.
The route
Guided visit to the workshops of the Royal Tapestry Factory
A plan for a grey weekday. At the Real Fábrica de Tapices the looms are still worked by hand, the Prado keeps the cartoons Goya painted as models for his tapestries, and Casa Alberto has been serving tripe since 1827.
From the loom to the table
11:00 · Real Fábrica de Tapices. On Calle Fuenterrabía, in the Pacífico district between Atocha and the south of the Retiro. The guided visit takes 45 minutes through the historic workshops, where tapestries are woven and rugs knotted by hand with the staff working in plain view. Wear closed shoes: you walk through working areas. It costs €6, or €5 reduced, in Spanish and English. Book by email with your name, ID number and phone number and pay by bank transfer, so do it several days ahead. On Mondays at 10:00 it is free.
12:15 · Prado Museum. Twenty minutes on foot, down Alfonso XII beside the Retiro. Entry is €15, or €7.50 reduced. Look for the Goya rooms: you will see on canvas what you have just seen in thread.
15:00 · Casa Alberto. Twelve minutes to Calle Huertas. A late Madrid tavern lunch: tripe, braised oxtail, salt cod. Open Tuesday to Saturday from 12:00 to 23:00 and on Sunday until 16:00.
Why this order
The Real Fábrica tours run in the morning, except the 16:00 one, which only goes ahead with eight people. That is why the looms come first, the museum next and the meal last, at the hour when Madrid eats late.
Time45 min
Where to eat
Where to eat?
Lunch is half the plan: book before you set off.
Casa Revuelta
What to order: a slice of battered salt cod with a small beer or a vermouth; if you stay, a half portion of tripe and some croquettes
La Casa del Abuelo
What to order: garlic prawns and a chato of the house sweet wine; if there are more of you, langostinos in batter and red-prawn croquettes
Café de Oriente
What to order: before the performance, rabas and croquettes to share; afterwards, the pintxo-style hake or the creamy rice, and the house torrija
Taberna La Bola
What to order: the cocido, which comes in two servings (soup first, then chickpeas, vegetables and meats); if there are two of you with small appetites, one cocido and some tripe
Map
The stops, in order
With where to park at each one.
What to do
Eat
88 €Stay
Services
Getting there
By car or without one?
When to go
When to go to Madrid
Tuesday to Friday: the Real Fábrica de Tapices only shows its workshops on weekdays and Casa Alberto is closed on Mondays. A Monday works if you eat somewhere else, and the 10:00 visit that day is free.
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Best timeGood timeLow season
Tips
Worth knowing first
- 1Book the Real Fábrica a week ahead
The bank transfer needs a few days.
- 2Decide beforehand what to see at the Prado
Two and a half hours is enough for Goya and not much else: don't spread yourself thin.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
Do I have to go on a weekday?
Yes: the Real Fábrica de Tapices only offers visits from Monday to Friday.
How much does it cost?
€6 for the tapestries, €15 for the Prado and between €35 and €60 for lunch.
Can I go with children?
Yes. Under-18s pay the reduced entry at the Real Fábrica.
More plans like this
Other days of walking and good food
geocalia.com/en/spain/community-of-madrid/madrid/itineraries/rainy-day-madrid-tapestries-prado-tripe
Prices, opening hours and times are approximate: check them before you go. Each place has its own page on Geocalia.