Posada de la Villa — Restaurant in Madrid

Very traditional experience, in some ways not to be missed on a visit to Madrid as they serve almost all of the local specialities. Unfortunately not a great experience overall. Service not friendly or helpful (whilst speaking we were in Spanish), in a city which is generally very welcoming to visitors especially those making efforts to speak some Spanish. The Cocido Madrileño (Madrid Stew) which is what the restaurant is best know for (alongside the roast lamb), is, for some reason, it only available on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays. Even then it needs to be ordered a day in advance. We weren't warned about this when we booked and arrived expecting to order the special - no luck. Then we asked why the waiter explained that it was cooked in a wood fired oven. It's still not clear to us why that means it needs advance orders. As a tip, if this happens to you, order the rabbit and chicken stews instead. Both are very good, but lack the experience of the Cocido, which is traditionally served in three parts (vuelcos) "The first vuelco is to separate the stock of the cocido and served with noodles. The second vuelco consists of chickpeas and vegetables. The third vuelco is the meat dish." After that disappointment the service was overall fairly lacking. When we asked what exactly that" Posada dessert" is, the waiter rattled off an explanation quickly in Spanish and then seemed annoyed when we asked him to repeat it. Looking back, maybe we should have asked him to explain in English, but that didn't seem kind (although maybe reasonable). The dessert we ordered, Requeson de Queso con Mielo (roughly "cottage cheese with honey) wasn't a big portion, and might actually have had more Membrillo (the quince jam popular with cheese courses in Spain) than anything else. See photo. Come, but arrive knowing what to expect. Sadly a missed opportunity for a great experience at one of Madrid's oldest most traditional restaurants where anyone not in the kitchen is apparently just...

Some tips you should have in mind before you go there. Read this to keep your guard up!

TL:DR - Unprofessional attitude and price per value is not good (35€ for a very basic meal + 1drink per person). Do not recommend, especially since my wife got very sick after eating there.

Ask the waiters if the stuff they are bringing to your table is going to cost you! They gave us stale bread when we were getting ready to order, which is pretty standard, right? However. They tried to charge us 3 euros each for the bread, when we were getting the check. They took it out when we argued, but this almost feels like a scam. Especially from something you'd consider a "high end restaurant".

Also the waiter was very rude and sharp with me and my wife. We had to ask twice to get the wine list and maybe it was because we didn't speak Spanish, but it made our experience quite diminished. We got a glass of red wine each ad I have never seen as much sediment from red wine in my glass in my life. Like a scoop from the bottom of the barrel of the organic wine. We asked about it and got very rude responses.

My wife got the salmon, which didn't taste so good. She tried to ask the waiter why it tasted so strange, at which point he stormed off mid sentence and then returned and pretended not to speak English any longer. Afterwards my wife got really sick and vomited. I sincerely hope this was a isolated incident.

I got meat myself which was pretty ok, but I would have expected more from a restaurant that looked like this. The place itself looks beautiful and is very scenic though.

Again. Hope this was an isolated incident and everyone there was just too tired to be professional, but I do not...

An unforgettable medieval journey

I’m a Madrid native but I have been first time recently to Posada de la Villa, and it was incredible. The moment you step in, you feel like you’ve travelled centuries. It’s a three-floor wooden gem, originally an inn from 1642, now a restaurant that feels like a medieval time capsule 

I visited in a group of three and we shared a quarter roast lamb — their signature dish —and it was cooked in a traditional wood-fired oven just like they’ve done for ages. Crispy on the outside, tender and juicy inside, pure perfection . We had it with potatoes and salad, and even skipped starter extras—but the complimentary croquetas were a very welcome surprise. After coffee they served some tejas biscuits too, sweet little treats that rounded it all off.

For dessert we went with the combo plate. The leche frita and milhoja stole the show soft and rich, just heavenly. And when we left, they gave us a small decorative key thick stamped paper, a handwritten receipt such lovely touches that felt special.

Full disclosure: it’s a bit on the pricey side. For tourists it’s no big deal, but as locals we felt it. Still, it’s totally worth it for the experience: embracing old Madrid, both in the space and in the food. The hearty, warming menu is perfect in winter, maybe too heavy for a hot summer day unless you’re very hungry.

If you’re looking for one of the most atmospheric, historic eating experiences in Madrid, this place delivers, every detail makes it memorable....