When you think of a classic tourist trap, Casa Lucio is the perfect definition. Don't be fooled by the pictures of presidents and celebrities on the walls. We came expecting the very best of Spanish cuisine, and instead got a major disappointment. The potato salad was drenched in mayonnaise, completely overpowering the other ingredients. The entrecôte with fries was even worse--the meat was full of greasy strings, nothing like the clean, tender cut it's supposed to be. The fries were poorly cut, oily, and limp instead of crisp. Even the padrón peppers, which are usually impossible to get wrong, were flavorless. The bread was stiff and hard to bite. Service was just okay, but the atmosphere felt rushed and uncomfortable, as the place is overcrowded with tourists chasing the restaurant's reputation. In short: overrated, overpriced, and absolutely not worth the hype. read more

Casa Lucio - Spanish Near Me - Madrid, M

I was on a search for restaurants loved by the locals. Casa Lucio was bursting with people waiting for a table so of course, I knew I wanted to try it. They said reservations only but we were able to snag 2 seats at the bar. The food was good. Not the best during my trip but good nonetheless. I think I did not order what they're known for however I still enjoyed my meal. read more

Casa Lucio - Spanish Near Me - Madrid, M

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Casa Lucio is popular among the locals & I had came across this restaurant because I was looking for a last minute spot that served suckling pig. Didn't end up making a reservation but we were able to wait ~45 minutes for a table. I didn't realize the inside of the restaurant was pretty spacious & has multiple floors of seating! Very packed the night we went for dinner. So, unfortunately I didn't find the food to be that great, at all. It was pretty much a total let down & prices weren't friendly either to be honest. Also, I think it's important to mention that if you're not a Spanish speaker, the servers will have difficult time understanding & for us, many of the dishes we received were not dishes were intended to order. A couple dishes we ordered did not come either, such as the suckling pig lol. Almost all the dishes we ordered were flavorless, other than the oxtail dish. The oxtail was very tender and tasty but was too salty for my personal liking. The complimentary bread provided for the table was not good. Tasted stale. Not sure if it's supposed to be like that but I don't think so. Eh. I don't feel like this restaurant was worth the long wait & food was not good. I wouldn't come back again, but it was nice to try. read more

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This place came highly recommended by locals, so I went in with my family expecting a great experience. Unfortunately, it was a huge letdown. The bread they automatically brought out was just okay, and they charged €1.50 each for it. The eggs over fries tasted stale and were simply bad. The chicken leg was undercooked, with blood near the bone. The meatball was overly salty--though that was at least edible. Service was also poor. As other reviewers have mentioned, it really felt like they don't care much for non-Spanish guests. The staff came across as unwelcoming, and for the quality of food served, the prices are way too high. Out of all the restaurants we've tried in Spain over the past week, this was by far the worst experience. Definitely not worth the hype. read more

This restaurant was recommended by several locals, so I had high expectations, but was pretty disappointed with my experience. We came here in a large group and none of the dishes the group got was appetizing. The quality was diner-like food in the U.S., but at expensive prices. The tomato and garlic bread tasted stale (1 star off). The fries and eggs were not seasoned and were a sloppy mess (1 star off); one person commented that it was like food for toddlers. The manchego cheese was eatable. The suckling pig was tender, but it was like pulled pork that one can easily make in a Crock Pot (1 star off). The waitstaff recommended rice pudding for dessert. I enjoyed the bruleed top, but the pudding underneath was very watery, almost with soup-like consistency (1 star off). Overall, our meal ended up being 70 euros per person. I have definitely had better meals in Madrid for less than that. The restaurant was packed, so I have no idea what the hype is about...unless they all like toddler food? read more

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Casa lucio has great quality food and exceptional service. Also fantastic wine list . read more

Casa Lucio - Spanish Near Me - Madrid, M

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Very good food , great service, very Español! Will return someday! In the center of La Latina . Good value.

La Latina was bustling with energy on Friday night. There were a ton of restaurants and bars all packed so it was hard to find a table. We waited almost 1.5 hours for a seat at the bar here. Service was great. We got olives and some anchovies with our drink order. We tried green beans with garlic, Spanish omelette, and croquettes for appetizers followed by lamb chops and suckling pig. Everything was really good. The server even gave us a complimentary glass of cava at the end of the meal. read more

Casa Lucio - Green beans with garlic - Spanish Near Me - Madrid, M

Really good local spot. Very busy, there was a line to get in at opening. Make sure you have a reservation. The food was very good. Service was very professional and they handled the initial rush very well. A mix of locals and tourists. Very good wine list. read more

It was good Spanish food, not great Spanish food. They messed up my order as well. It was very busy with many families coming and going. read more

Casa Lucio - Spanish Near Me - Madrid, M

Recommend by a friend who visited Madrid often, we were able to booked a last minute dinner at this very popular restaurant. They open at 8:30PM and people WITH reservations were already lining up at the front door. A very traditional looking Spanish restaurant with very friendly staff. The food was rather good especially the egg omelette. We tried their roasted suckling pig and found it to be just as good as Casa Botin. Their clam dish was very tasty and one can eat a whole dinner with just the bread dipping in the clam sauce. 3 course Dinner with 3 drinks for two was under $90. Not bad at all. Their menu was rather extensive so one could comeback to try their other dishes. read more

Casa Lucio - Roast suckling pig. - Spanish Near Me - Madrid, M

Don't bother going here if you care about anything but the marginal food. If you aren't Spanish and aren't fluent in Spanish, be prepared for an unwelcoming experience. It's a clearly popular restaurant with Spaniards, but if you aren't Spanish, even trying to converse in Spanish goes no where and you are immediately meant to feel an outcast. I think it is their aim to keep outsiders away because of the popularity with locals. Why bother treating tourists with a local experience if it makes no difference to the bottom line? We made reservations well in advance, arrived on time, spent large, were respectful by trying to converse in Spanish, but the wait staff was cold to us and very different with the Spanish patrons. We felt like they wanted us to feel like outsiders. We were one of the first guests and were seated in a crappy, dark, corner location. No discussion of specials or recommendations, no concern about drinks up front, no welcoming small talk, but those conversations were very animated and clearly happening with the tables around us. The plastic laminated "tourist" translated menu felt insulting compared to what Spanish patrons received when welcomed to their tables. Why not make a similar leather-bound menu with the same translations? We understand enough Spanish and have been to quality restraints enough to know what to expect and this was a disappointment on many levels. It's hard for the food to salvage a bad experience once it happens, The food was not worth the recommendation, but it was the least worst of the experiences. A friend recommended this place however, they went with Spaniards so their experience was clearly not the same. We travel internationally and always do our best to be respectful by working with the local language first, after all, we would appreciate the same. It felt like a local diner where everyone knows one another and the dining experience depends heavily on that relationship. Unwelcome Madrid is served in grand fashion to outsiders at this place. Enjoy. read more

For a good meal in a nostalgic atmosphere, you'll want to check out Casa Lucio. It came recommended by a local, so we headed over. We did not make reservations and got super lucky on a random weekday, with three seats at the bar. The decor is fitting for the ambiance they are trying to convey. Upscale casual. White table cloths and linens, without the stuffy vibe. On a rainy Spring day, the white bean stew was just perfect. Creamy, without being heavy. The mixed vegetables were fine. Nothing fancy and I would maybe not order it again, but after days of jamón y queso, my body needed a vegetable. Lastly, we had the beef brisket stew. Flavorful and well prepared. read more

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Food was fantastic. I had the cod and it was perfection on a plate. The sirloin was amazing too. Service was very good and we had a great time there. Lighting let you see the food. :-) I always appreciate that. read more

Extremely aggressive head waiter. A turnoff at the very start. Wasn't a pleasant experience at all. Food 5 of 10. Overpriced. read more

A friend that lives in Madrid recommended this place. I'm a huge fan of "huevos rotos" and he told me that here I would find one of the best if not 'THE BEST' in town. Of course I had to try them, so last time I went to Madrid I pay them a visit. Is located in "La Latina" the hipster/cool neighborhood. It could be hard to get a table specially for big groups, so I suggest to book in advance. I didn't had a reservation so I got seated at the bar as a walk-in. The place felt like an old classic Spanish restaurant that has the same employees since it opened many years ago. I'm saying that in a good way. I started talking to the server behind the bar and he told me some interesting stories about the history of the place and the owner LUCIO! He's been working there for more than 20 years. I ordered a 'tinto de verano' a cold, wine-based drink popular in Spain and the famous "huevos rotos". The egg was perfectly made, runny with some crunchy corners, easy to break on top of the fries. Delicious. It felt like an authentic home made meal. The lady seating next to me ordered the sucking pig, which is also a pretty famous dish here and it looked amazing. I'm definitely coming back for that. read more

Casa Lucio - Huevos Rotos - Spanish Near Me - Madrid, M

Huge disappointment. Definitely worth skipping if you're someone who loves fine Spanish food and service. The elegance and professionalism I expected was totally missing. The wait staff is rushed and unfriendly, with multiple waiters constantly coming by asking us the same thing over and over - it felt like they were poorly trained and lacking in coordination. We made reservations weeks in advance and confirmed an hour before the restaurant opened, yet though we arrived fourth in line we were put in a side room, with a table facing the wall. All that wouldn't be so bad if the food were better! The soup was cold, and the steak was very fatty. I can't think of a good thing to say. read more

Casa Lucio has an elegant dining space on Calle de la Cava Baja. Huevos Rotos is a simple dish with French fries, sunny side fried eggs, and salchichón sausage. The crispy potatoes go well with the runny egg yolks and savory sausage bits. It is with this dish where we learn how to "mojar" the bread in the sauce to mop up the flavors. It is perfectly acceptable in Spain to take a hunk of bread and dunk it in the communal plate. They have a great dish with mushrooms coated with foie gras. The flavors are so rich and creamy. read more

I have been coming to this restaurant for over 45 years, I came here five years ago and it was still great so I have recommended it many times to friends who visit from the US. We had lunch there last week and the food could only be described as awful. We ordered the fillet, the Entrecôte, eggs over French fries, the green bean, and the flan. The meats were tough, the entrecôte was simply not edible, it was more like tough rubber, the eggs over French fries were completely tasteless and the green beans were overcooked and tasteless. The flan also had a funny chemically taste to it. I think after the father retired and they gained fame with the tourist community, they decided to cut costs and maybe buy cheaper meat and probably don't have the same great cooks anymore. Sadly, this was the last time that I will visit Casa Lucio. read more

This is one of those old classic restaurants that has enjoyed a good reputation for serving fresh quality foods. Located near Plaza Mayor, but not so close as to be considered a "touristy" restaurant, this place is worth a try. The service is great and the pricing is affordable. If you find yourself in the area, I would highly recommend this restaurant. read more

Some good food some asi asi. Service ranged from jerks to nice. Wine was stellar (Cune reserva), beef tail and artichokes were bland. Eating at bar brought lots of drama from staff read more

Como siempre, una excelente cocina. El servicio muy bueno. Excelente para la gente extranjera. Puedes probar las delicias españolas. Felicidades!!! read more

We had lunch at this very busy restaurant on our last day in Spain. The restaurant reportedly has lots of history, it has the feeling of an old school tavern with the servers all wearing white jackets and the dining room separated into smaller areas. We made reservations well in advanced and we recommend doing that since they get booked up. The food was ok, but the service was a bit off, our server was kind of standoffish and not very attentive. The suckling pig was just a piece, kinda like a quarter, and it was definitely delicious although I would have liked a few more potatoes served with it. read more

Casa Lucio - Suckling pig - Spanish Near Me - Madrid, M

I heard about this restaurant about 2 years ago while watching a TV show but did not make a note of what show. However, I bookmarked it on Yelp. That turned out to be a really great idea, on our recent visit to Madrid, Spain. It was worth the cab fare. The waiter guided us into not over ordering ( this is always a big + in my book). We had a delicious lettuce and tomato salad that needed no seasoning. Two small spinich epinadas, and the most delicious soft eggs lightly chopped over potato fries. All of this went nicely with the bread that was waiting on the table when we sat down. By the way, the waiters are all pro's with starched white jackets and ties. Very smart looking. We arrived for lunch around 1 PM and by the time we left the place was full. (Seemed like all locals) read more

Casa Lucio - Front of restaurant. It looked closed but was open at 1PM for lunch. - Spanish Near Me - Madrid, M

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Old. School. Madrid. I have heard that Penelope Cruz and the King of Spain have dined here. I don't doubt it. Walking into Casa Lucio, you step back in time, when restaurants are a series of communal brick-lined caves and the waiters wear white jackets. The ancient Lucio himself greeted us. (Born in 1933, still kickin' it.) All the tables were full when we arrived, so we were invited to stand at the bar. We ordered drinks. My fiancee had the best sangria we've ever tasted. They make each glass fresh, right in front of you. In accordance with a dying custom, we were given a free tapa with our drink orders. I believe our first was a plate of cold anchovies. I HATE fish. And I really hate raw fish. And I really hate raw fish that has scales on it. And I really hate seeing the outline where the fish's spine used to be. But this is Spain and we were given this cold plate of fish for free and Lucio and the bartender were looking at me so I plastered on a smile and bit down on this salty, oily thing. I took one for the team. I would normally never order this, but I'm not going to be all American about it and turn my nose up, even though seeing that nasty thing triggered my esophageal fight-or-flight reflex. Thankfully, our next drink order came with manchego cheese and bread. We gladly scarfed that down. Soon, our table was ready. (Luckily, the waiter brought our disgusting plate of cold fish so we could continue not eating that at our table.) The prices are very high at Casa Lucio, but I enjoyed the food. I had the solomillo plancha (grilled sirloin steak). Not a ton of steak for 25 €, but it was cooked perfectly medium rare. The crowd is interesting. We sat next to one table that looked like the cast of the Spanish version of "The Sopranos," while the other table had three pretty young Asian women fawning over a long-haired Caucasian guy with terrible BO, a man bun and a tank top. Please, dress a little classy when you come. Lucio is old and he deserves respect. They do have English menus available and our waiter was patient as we stumbled in Spanish and English. Our final bill came to 69 €, which should have been higher, but my fiancee only ordered two small dishes. Why is the asparagus 14 €? (It also doesn't look like asparagus. It's huge and the skin was taken off and I'm going to shut up because there's probably a very good old school Spanish reason and I don't want to be an ugly American.) I recommend traveling back in time to Casa Lucio. It appears to be a national treasure. Note: According to their website, Casa Lucio closes down for the entire month of August. Weird. read more

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Casa Lucio es un lugar encantador. Menú lleno de platos tradicionales y es todo una institución en Madrid

My husband and I got a couple different recommendations to come here and it did not disappoint; it was the highlight of our trip to Madrid. The food and wine were absolutely delicious, the ambience of the restaurant was wonderful, and the service was incredible. A perfect end to a great day out exploring the city. read more

Casa Lucio - Sea bass and roast sucking pig - Spanish Near Me - Madrid, M

This place is overpriced and overrated. The space has character and it has an old school taberna feeling that is attractive. But the food is mostly quite below standards. The huevos rotos taste like frozen fries with not well done fried eggs. In a city where fried eggs with "puntillas" reached the category of an art, these eggs are a sacrilege. There are much better tabernas in Madrid, this became a trap for misinformed foreign turists. read more

A friend who had been to Madrid highly recommend this place so even before arriving to Madrid I email the restaurant and made reservations (strongly suggest you have reservations). We arrived about half an hour before our reservation time so we decided to go have a drink across the street which was a great place. Exactly at 9pm (Spaniards eat pretty late) we crossed the street and were seated immediately on the second floor. From the minute we walked in to after we pay the bill the service was excellent. We started with revuelto which doesn't sound or look amazing but trust me it is. It's scramble eggs, mushrooms and shrimp. It was delicious and a very generous serving. I got to try the pork and steak and they were both delicious. Everything here was great and you won't be disappointed read more

What a 5 star exterior had at lunch today. From start to finish the food was excellent and the service warm and welcoming. We ventured out trying their famous egg dish fir a starter and we were so glad we did. We had a fresh green salad pork and lamb. It was an extvalue and a memorable experience. 2 friends traveling from California this was one our favorite adventures. The house wine was an excellent pairing with our meal. read more

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We walked to La Latina district on this, our third evening in Madrid, hoping to come upon some street musicians (Ataca Paca) we had watched entertain a large crowd the day before near Corte Iglesias--a large shopping mall in central Madrid. Unfortunately, we did not find them. However, we came upon Casa Lucio, a restaurant that had been recommended to us by the staff at our hotel, and--of all people--a clerk in a nearby pharmacy. We had been told we would probably need a reservation, but since we were already there, we decided to give it a go. To our good fortune, they were able to seat us. First and foremost, our waiter (José) was superb. While we made our appetizer choices based on what we had learned from our tapas tour two days earlier, he guided us through our main course menu selection. We enjoyed boquerenos en vinagre (anchovy fillets in vinegar), huevos con patatas (fried eggs over easy on French fried potatoes), and churrasco, which in our case was a large grilled ribeye. For desert we shared Spanish flan, with ice cream, and espresso. During our meal, we also polished off a bottle of 2011 Mugo Rioja Soleccion Especial Everything was prepared and served to perfection! ¡Muchas gracias a José, y Casa Lucio! Very well done!! read more

Casa Lucio - With our waiter extraordinaire, José - Spanish Near Me - Madrid, M

This is one of the classic Madrid eateries. We had a nice tapas dinner. Service was attentive and all the different tapas were quite tasty. They are known for the "fried eggs over French fries" and what a nice combination. While there are thousands of excellent tapas options in Madrid, this should be on your list of places for the history of the restaurant. read more

This is the kings restaurant and most US President went in town do Make it a point to visit this palace of gastronomy, I been coming here since I was a very young GI in the US Army station in Germany and this Restaurant never ceases to amaze me, the prices are very affordable, great service with a smile at this historic Madrid institution. Dress confortable your here to have a great meal And not to impressed any one. Best of Madrid. PS. Do make. A reservation in advance read more

One of the best restaurants around. This is the place to get carrillada...a very tender meat dish as well as huevos estrellados which was invented here!! read more

Quick tip: Make reservations! Located on a side street is this traditional rustic Spanish restaurant. Don't get it confused w/ another as many of them have similar names. For foreigners, this might be a little confusing to locate but hey, if you want to dine w/ the locals, this is one of the restaurants to go to. Once we arrived, we were seated at our table. Service is a little slow but the food is impeccable. The must-get dish? The suckling pig! Tender moist meat entrapped by a layer of crispy pork skin. A nice perfect crunch with every mouthful of delicious meat. This was the dish that made my night. Don't expect a quick bite - enjoy your dinner in beautiful Madrid! read more

Make sure to get a reservation as soon as possible! If you are able to go, this is a wonderful dining experience in Madrid. The ambiance is cozy and wait staff is helpful and friendly. Our group ordered 6 different dishes and each one was perfectly seasoned and delicious. Everyone seems to get the Huevos Estrellados Lucio dish and, although you may not think the idea of runny eggs over French fries sounds appetizing- this dish is surprisingly delicious and flavorful! The oxtail stew was rich and savory, the ham and potato croquettes were crunchy on the outside with a delicious creamy center, the fried fish (rape fish) was delicately fried and seasoned so that the moist flavors took center stage- overall great experience. Wines and sangria were delicious as well. read more

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DISCLAIMER: My review is pretty biased, given that my friends and I basically stumbled upon this restaurant after not being able to get seats at another place. This place is known for its ox tail. I shared the steak & fries and ox tail with another person. We were definitely more than full, but both plates didn't taste amaaaaaazing; they were just alright. I personally liked the steak better than the ox tail, as the latter missed its flavor from the stew. Maybe we didn't order the right things again, but I really didn't see the hype. Although we all agreed that this was the most 'tame' meal we had in Madrid and it helped balance all the fried stuff we were eating everyday. Caught a glimpse of Lucio on the way out. Seemed like a really friendly, sweet man. Happy that there's good hospitality here. read more

This is a long and overdue post for Casa Lucio--overdue by about two weeks since i'm usually a lot faster at posting my reviews and I'm hoping that if I take my time I'd do this place justice. I see this place on top places to eat in Madrid and looking at the $$$$ it requires to eat here, i decided that it wasn't going to be worth my cheapness gene and wasn't very interested in coming. Nevertheless, when we were walking around the la latina and unable to decide where to eat, we came across this place and thought we'd give it a try. Apparently President GW Bush and his first lady dined here. Ambiance: Waiters dressed in uniforms and serving you with the old-school poshness and civility made the young couple (that would be us) a bit uncomfortable since we were dressed like young tourists. The place appears small, but there is a section in the back of the ground floor that is surrounded by bricks, making it quite romantic. We were led upstairs to a less romantic dining area but still had the dim lighting and dark wood. Every table has a huge round bread that will cost you about 4 euros. Service: If I generally rated service on its own, i'd give it a half of whatever it's worth because we had a fantastic server who was friendly and helpful, and then other servers who threw us a spanish menu (they had an english version) and didnt want to even talk to us. Was it good or bad? Depends on your luck of the draw. Food: We ordered the oxtail and veal and their house redwine (NOTE: THEY DON'T HAVE A WINE LIST), which was 16 euros for the bottle (reasonable) and quite good! The veal was fantastically tender and flavourful and cooked just right - bright pink throughout but no blood dripping. The oxtail was flavourful with a tomato base. The meat fell right off of the bone. I did not love the pearl onions that accompanied the dish, however. Their desserts were FANTASTIC. The flan was good but the RICE PUDDING, as recommended by our good server was phenomenal. I don't know where else in the world i'll be able to find it again. Price: The bottle of wine, the bread, the water, the veal, the oxtail, the flan, and the rice pudding did a damage of 77 euros. Not too bad. Overall: My boyfriend would give this place a 5-star but too bad he's not writing his own review ;) It's not a place i'd come on the regular or boast about to tourists. But it does have traditional expensive madrid cuisine thats fit for business dining. read more

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The staff wear the white jacket and ties like many good steak houses in the U.S. There are two levels. We were seated on the second level. We sat near back and it was really stuffy and got filled with smoke from the steaks. You should make a reservation. Food: Entre portions are a lot, especially eating the eggs with potatoes. (After sharing one order) Eggs with French fries it was surprisingly tasty. There is a bread at table its really hard. They charge 3€ for it. It was a waste just took a bite and it was thrown away. Hake fish with green sauce. Steak had it done medium rare and they provided a hot plate to seer steak. The steak was already cut into pieces (reminds me of how they do it at Peter Luger's in Brooklyn. We didn't finish our fish or steak. It was simply too much food. This was an experience similar to Capital Grill or Peter Luger's in NYC. If you're in Spain and have been to steak houses, I recommend you stick with tapas, no need to come to Madrid to get this experience. read more

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My fiancé remembers coming here as a child with his grandparents then later with his parents for special occasion dinners. On a whim early one evening we walked in without a reservation and was fortunate enough to be seated. He was thrilled to be able to now share this wonderful place with me. The meal was perhaps one of the best formal meals I've had in Madrid. I had the peas to start followed by the merluza (hake) while my fiancé had the sopa marisco and the solomillo (steak). Everything was cooked to perfection and the wait staff was friendly and helpful. I feel very lucky to have been able to dine at this very special restaurant. No wonder statesmen and kings dine here. It truly was a meal fit for a king. read more

Casa Lucio - Memorable meal! - Spanish Near Me - Madrid, M