The Captain Alatriste Tavern is located in the center of Madrid, in a historic space with a carefully curated decoration set in the Golden Age.
Its various rooms are located in ancient caves and walls that evoke the essence of the past, creating a unique environment where you can enjoy Madrid's gastronomy and traditional Castilian cuisine.
In this restaurant in central Madrid you can taste typical dishes of the city, as well as enjoy a pleasant evening on its outdoor terrace, in the heart of Habsburg Madrid.
Once known as the Turk's Tavern or Caridad la Lebrijana's Tavern, a famous establishment in early 17th-century Madrid, Captain Alatriste's Tavern stands in the heart of the Habsburg Quarter, at the intersection of San Bruno Street (its 18th-century name, having previously been known as Flour Weight Street or Arquebus Street) and Grafal Street (the name that replaced the old Azotado Street in 1747). The building's ground floor, which retains its original stone and brick walls, includes intact, centuries-old 16th-century cellars in its subsoil. These cellars were constructed using materials from the Moorish wall, which were also used to build neighboring houses and fill in the city's old defensive moat, already obsolete by that time. The layout of these walls and moats, now vanished, gave rise to the current names of nearby streets such as Cava Alta and Cava Baja.
As detailed in different chronicles such as the well-known Papers of Second Lieutenant Balboa kept in the National Library (*), Lebrijana Charity Tavern was located between Toledo street, the Villa Inn and other traveller inns at Peso de la Harina Square in Cava Baja street. The Lebrijana Charity Tavern was a popular place in the Villa and Court frequented by soldiers, ruffians, poets and swordsmen. It was in the heart of a fascinating and dangerous city of narrow and not well lit back streets, convents, taverns, brothels and fire dives in king Felipe IV times when Madrid was still the capital of the biggest empire on earth.
Spain was arrogant and proud as evidenced on documents of that time. Life had often to be earned by the sword. That was the occupation of Diego Alatriste y Tenorio, nicknamed Captain Alatriste. He was a soldier of the “Tercio de Flandes” and an on-salary swordsman whose legendary adventures had these streets for scenario. Diego Alatriste lived in a room rented to Lebrijana Tavern together with young Iñigo Balboa, a comrade’s son who die in Flanders.
Diego Alatriste met with friends and neighbours such as the poet Don Francisco de Quevedo ( the greatest poet at that time and maybe of the Spanish language together with his enemy Luis de Góngora ), master Pérez ( a priest of the nearby church of the Jesuits Imperial School in Toledo street ), bachelor Calzas ( a lawyer in the nearby Provincia Square, today Santa Cruz ), former soldier Juan Vicuña ( a proprietor of a fire dive in San Miguel street ), one-eyed Fadrique ( a pharmacist in Puerta Cerrada ), and officers like lieutenant of bailiff’s Martín Saldaña (a regular of Plaza Mayor).
Those characters and the turbulent and exciting Spain to which they belonged can still be felt in these streets and places immortalized by poetry, theatre and literature. If you take a walk around the old district of the Austrias it is easy to imagine that you will see the thin and taciturn silhouette of Captain Alatriste and the shining sword of his mortal enemy, the Italian Gualterio Malatesta. Maybe you can hear the Andalusian accent of painter Velazquez on his way to the Royal Palace or listen to comedians reciting Lope de Vega or Calderon verses behind Principe or de la Cruz courtyards. These theatre performances sometimes ended in thrusts. You may find Francisco de Quevedo composing ballads about brave men and ruffians seated at one of these tables between love or sword affaires, and wine bottles. A source of special pleasure for anyone is to remove boundaries between History and fiction, combine gastronomy with fantasy, culture and memory. This place, this neighbourhood and this Madrid are good proof of it.
(*) Second lieutenant Balboa papers in Rocroi. Don Iñigo Balboa Aguirre, Captain of Felipe IV Royal Watch memoirs a hand written chronicle of 478 pages, auctioned at Claymore Auctions in London on November 21, 1951. At present in the National Library, Madrid.
The Captain Alatriste Tavern is located in the center of Madrid, in a 16th-century palace, with a carefully crafted decoration set in the Golden Age.
Its different rooms are located in the same caves and walls that reflect the past, creating a unique space where you can enjoy Madrid's gastronomy and traditional Castilian cuisine.
In this restaurant in central Madrid you can taste typical dishes of the city, as well as enjoy a pleasant evening on its outdoor terrace, in the heart of Habsburg Madrid.
The cuisine at Taberna del Capitán Alatriste is based on a carefully selected range of typical Madrid and traditional Castilian dishes. Among its specialties are roast suckling pig, the Captain's T-bone steak, and grilled meats and fish, all prepared with respect for the ingredients and tradition.
The menu is completed with dishes such as migas from Lebrijana or Flemish cake, along with a wide selection of wines with more than 100 references, designed to accompany each gastronomic experience.
From 12:45 pm to 15:45 pm and 19:45 pm to 23:30 pm
Mondays Closed
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