Casa Labra
A 5-minute stop for two croquetas and a caña. Don't sit down — there isn't anywhere to. This is what a tapas bar is supposed to be.
Madrid's oldest tapas bar (1860), a stand-up bacalao (salt cod) croqueta specialist near Sol. A Goya-era time capsule that still serves one thing brilliantly.
Mercado de San Miguel · Plaza Mayor de Madrid · Bocadillo de Calamares
At a Glance
- — You can't stand up while you eat
Tucked into a Goya-era corner near the Puerta del Sol, this historic bar has one purpose and does it well: the salt cod croqueta. Stand at the narrow counter among Madrileños, order a pair of the golden, crisp morsels, and wash them down with a cold caña. There's no seating, and none is needed. It has run this way since 1860.
How it got here
Founding in 1860 aligns with the expansion of the Puerta del Sol as the central hub of Madrid. This period marked the transition of the city from a medieval layout to a modern capital with wide thoroughfares designed for public movement and commerce. The bar occupies a building that survived the intense urban transformations of the twentieth century. It maintains a continuity of service that mimics the dense social patterns of the traditional Madrileño tavern. The focus on salt cod speaks to the historical reliance on preserved Atlantic fish transported inland through established trade routes that supplied the capital with staples before the advent of rapid refrigeration.
Where it sits
The bar sits in the narrow streets adjacent to the Puerta del Sol, where the original radial roads of Spain meet. This grid consists of stone-clad buildings and tight alleys that catch little sunlight during the winter months. Pedestrian traffic surges here throughout the day as commuters and residents move between the metro station and the central squares. The surrounding stone walls absorb the heat of the summer sun, keeping the interior cool and dark. Even in the peak of winter, the density of the surrounding architecture protects the thoroughfare from the biting winds that descend from the Sierra de Guadarrama.
What to eat and drink
Bacalao is the primary product. This salt cod, sourced from northern coastal waters, arrives preserved and undergoes a process of desalting before reaching the fryer. The croqueta consists of this flaked fish bound with a thick béchamel, coated in breadcrumbs, and fried in olive oil. A cold caña, a small glass of light lager, provides the necessary acidity and carbonation to cut through the richness of the fried fat. The pairing relies on the traditional culinary pairing of preserved Atlantic seafood and the crisp, industrial beers brewed in the central plateau.
Madrid: the whole region
Madrid is a province with one great city in it, and that city is worth three or four days on its own: three major museums within a few hundred metres of each other, a working market culture, a nightlife that starts late and does not stop,…
Minimum 3 days · better 5-6 days · deep 8-10 days
Pair It With
In Madrid
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Cooking classes and food tours worth booking ahead
- 100% Hands-on Cooking Class Paella Tapas Sangria in Madrid5.0 (1,460)4 hrsFrom €85
- Madrid Tapas & Taverns Small Group Food & History Tour4.9 (3,745)From €63
- Madrid: Paella Cooking Class with Bottomless Wine Pairing5.0 (1,096)2.5 hrsFrom €119
- Madrid Tapas & Wine Tasting Food Tour – Small Group Local Bars4.9 (5,517)3 hrsFrom €79
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