Lhardy

Just off the Puerta del Sol, Madrid’s Times Square, this was Madrid’s very first true fine-dining restaurant (back in the day, it was mostly taverns and bars with a rustic, casual atmosphere). In 1839 Frenchman Émile Lhardy imported a concept then in vogue in Paris: a fixed menu, proper tables, and a rather elegant ambiance meant to seduce the bourgeoisie seeking refined fare and long after-dinner conversations; it also became the salon of royalty, aristocracy, politicians, and sundry celebrities throughout the decades (historic decisions were taken in its Japanese Salon).

Lhardy perfected classic local recipes such as cocido madrileño (a hearty chickpea stew with a variety of meats and other vegetables) while also offering a selection of French and other Continental dishes like confîts, vol au vent, and fine pastries (which you can still buy at the shop on the ground floor), playing an important part in turning Madrid into a cosmopolitan capital. Although cocido is the top house speciality, other famous ones worth try are glazed venison with pear confit and rabo de toro (wine-braised oxtail).