Casa Alberto

Bar-counter vermouth in the Barrio de las Letras

Casa Alberto opened in 1827 on Calle de las Huertas, and a City Council plaque in the floor of the entrance records it. The present building was put up on top of one from the 16th century in which Cervantes lived. In front you have a metal bar and shelves of bottles up to the ceiling; behind, a small dining room, of about thirty covers, with walls full of pictures and bullfighting and theatre memorabilia.

The midday plan is the bar: house vermouth, which they bottle under their own brand, and something from the tapas menu. A slice of omelette costs €5.50, the squid bocatín with alioli €7 and half a portion of ham croquettes €7.50. If you stay to eat, the stews are the reason: Madrid-style tripe (€17 for a half portion at the bar), braised oxtail, snails, veal meatballs or the Madrid-style salt cod in the dining room. The house reckons between €30 and €45 per person at a table.

Closed on Mondays and Sundays at midday only

The tavern is open Tuesday to Saturday from 12:00 to 23:00 with no break, and on Sunday from 12:00 to 16:00. The dining room has two sittings, from 13:30 to 16:00 and from 20:00 to 23:00, and on Sunday serves lunch only. It does not open on Mondays. It also closes the first week of January and three weeks in August: in 2026, from the 2nd to the 24th.

They accept customers without a reservation, but at weekends it is wise to book a table on its website or on 914 299 356. The venue is not adapted for wheelchairs.

Getting there without a car

Antón Martín, on L1, is five minutes down Calle de las Huertas, and Sevilla (L2) is a similar distance. If you come by car, there are the Santa Ana, Las Cortes and Jacinto Benavente car parks.