Bodega de la Ardosa
The bar pours a vermouth on tap that a producer blends for this address and no other.1 Rafael Fernández opened a run of taverns under the name La Ardosa in 1892, and the one on Colón still has its engraved glass sign and its tiled skirting.4
Why go
Time Out dates the opening to 4 January 1892, and the engraved glass sign and the tiled skirting have survived every decade since.1 The tourism office credits the bar with the oldest Guinness tap in Spain, and the tap you actually want is the Pilsner Urquell.41 The house counts out a fixed number of potatoes and cuts them to one size. They go into egg and onion, and the tortilla comes out soft in the middle.2 The family owns three more addresses within two streets: Casa Baranda and Bar Sidi on the same block, and Casa Hortensia round on Farmacia.4
Order this / avoid
- The tortilla de patata, which Lori Zaino says to order instead of reading the menu.2
- The salmorejo, thicker than gazpacho, with chopped egg and mojama on top.3
- The house vermouth, which exists only here.1
- Grilled artichokes and the croquettes, if you are staying for a second round.1
- Avoid a table. There is a small dining area at the back and you reach it by ducking under the bar counter.2
What locals & experts say
- Time Out Madrid gave it four stars in February 2019 and put the age plainly:
La Ardosa was founded on January 4, 1892: with over 125 years of history, our minds reel just thinking of some of the people who have been there at one time or another.
1 - Lori Zaino, for The Infatuation, on what kind of night this is:
The experience at this lively Madrileño tavern from 1892 isn't for anyone who wants a quiet meal in a comfortable seat.
2 - Vivian Herzog and Andrés Galisteo, in Time Out's tapas guide, on the salmorejo:
With a bit of bread, garlic, good olive oil and excellent tomatoes, the centuries-old La Ardosa does it right.
3 - esmadrid.com, the city's own tourism site, on the beer:
Among its numerous awards, it has the oldest Guinness tap and is also considered to be the best Pilsen beer garden in Spain.
4 - I have not found a critic's judgment of the kitchen beyond the tortilla and the salmorejo.
Good to know
- Walk in. No bookings, and it fills from the middle of the day.2
- Standing room at wooden barrels, with a few stools.2
- The door is Colón 13, a few minutes off Gran Vía, metro Tribunal.1
- Hygiene: I have not read a Spanish inspection record for this bar, so I have nothing to report either way.
Verdict
could-visit — The vermouth is blended for this address and nowhere else, and that is the thing to stand at a barrel and drink. Eat the tortilla and the salmorejo with it. I have not found a critic's judgment of the kitchen past those two plates, so give it a stop on a Malasaña crawl and not an evening.