Taberna La Dichosa

Photo of Chupa chups by Javi Martínez

I don't know how it's possible that I haven't written a review of Conde Duque's Taberna La Dichosa before now. This friendly neighborhood restaurant and tapas bar has become one of my go-to places in Madrid for delicious food and a great selection of wines in a relaxing atmosphere. The owner, Eva, exudes a sense of no-nonsense pride and passion for good food that is demonstrated in the traditional, yet innovative dishes on her menu, all of which are prepared with an enormous attention to detail and focus on good quality products and ingredients. The Ventresca (tuna loin) salad has house roasted red peppers; the croquetas change frequently and might have anything from wild mushrooms or artichokes to jamón, among other things; the pulpo (octopus) is grilled to perfection and served with a fresh mango puree; the chupa chups (named after the lollypops) are in fact quail drumsticks which have been covered in a perfectly spiced light batter and fried to perfection, and the list goes on and on, with everything homemade and prepared with a clear love for good food. On top of all this, the prices are fantastic.

In choosing a wine, the best thing to do is put yourself in Eva's capable hands for a recommendation. Her wine list represents a truly astonishing variety of Designations of Origins and she delights in stocking bottles from lesser known regions such as Ribeira Sacra and Utiel Requena. This is one of my own personal passions as well and I love the fact that her wine list never ceases to be both interesting (at the very least) and very reasonably priced.

La Dichosa has a simple but pleasant dining area with low stools and benches and a lovely bar area, both of which make it the ideal place to enjoy a glass of wine or a full meal.

I usually end up doing both, and often.

Taberna La Dichosa
calle Bernardo López García, 11
91 541 88 16
e-mail: eva@ladichosa.es