Three hundred metres, six taverns, a whole afternoon. Cava Baja is best explored on foot, from number 8 to 34, with a beer at every bar. This is the route.
There are streets in Madrid and then there is Cava Baja. A cobbled lane in the heart of La Latina where, in the time it takes you to walk its length, you stumble upon more taverns than in entire neighbourhoods. Here, eating is not a rushed affair done standing up: you graze slowly, bar by bar, letting the afternoon stretch out by itself. Tripe stew, croquettes, broken eggs, hand-carved jamón, draught vermouth. From no. 8 to no. 34, the street is lined with storied houses and kitchens that have been at it for decades. Here are six you cannot skip: Cava Carbón, El Schotis, Tita Pepa, Cava Baja 17, La Chata and Los Castizos.
Taverns for a tapas crawl through La Latina
The choice is overwhelming, and that is part of the fun. On the same pavement you find the most careful charcoal grill, age-old stews and vermouth poured straight from the tap. Each tavern has its own character, but they all share the neighbourhood feel that defines La Latina. Where to start? Here are three stops that whet the appetite like few others.
Taberna Cava Carbón: what the grill does with the produce
Number 8 opens the street — Cava Carbón — and it does so with fire. Here holm-oak charcoal rules everything, from aged meats to rice dishes. What you absolutely must order? The charcoal-grilled octopus with truffled patata revolcona, the grilled king prawns and a 750-gram aged beef rib chop served at the table to share. There are also mixed grills for several people, acorn-fed jamón, fish off the grill and creamy rice dishes for two. Quality produce and well-handled fire, with that smoky depth that only holm oak gives. The place is a real tavern, no pretension — exactly what Cava Baja calls for.
El Schotis: old-school Madrid through and through
El Schotis, at no. 11, is one of the historic establishments on the street. It has been serving authentic Madrid cooking for decades, and it shows. The menu is long and moves effortlessly from tapas to rice dishes. To start: jamón and spider-crab croquettes, salmorejo, Russian salad, fried squid rings and hand-carved jamón. Then the serious stuff: charcoal-grilled octopus with purée, Madrid-style tripe, braised oxtail, carrilleras in oloroso sherry and broken eggs. Genuinely hungry? Entrecôte, roast ribs, beef chop or cachopo. And if you fancy rice, there are three — with carabinero prawn, with sirloin and senyoret. Old-school tradition, served straight up, no frills.
Tita Pepa: the home of vermouth
Taberna Tita Pepa, at no. 15, is all about traditional cooking and vermouth in good company. Their staples are Madrid-style tripe, braised oxtail and broken eggs, with homemade croquettes that stick to the same recipe as always. And that is not all. Wild asparagus on the plancha, Galician-style octopus, choice tinned goods, Denomination of Origin Iberian products and fresh fish round out the bar. It is a textbook aperitivo stop, with the warm, close service of a neighbourhood tavern and a kitchen that tastes of how things used to be. You sit down for a moment and end up staying for two.
Where to eat classic Madrid dishes in La Latina?
Slow-cooked stews are the soul of Madrid cooking, and Cava Baja is their finest showcase. Tripe, oxtail, broken eggs, croquettes: they appear at bar after bar, and each house defends its version to the death. Comparing them is half the plan. These three taverns keep honest, neighbourhood cooking alive — the kind that needs no tricks to fill your plate and your afternoon.
Cava Baja 17: hand-rolled croquettes, every day
At no. 17, Cava Baja 17 presents itself as a tavern with soul, faithful to traditional recipes. Its pride and joy are the croquettes, hand-rolled each morning in three versions: Iberian jamón, oxtail and baby squid. Alongside them, broken eggs with Iberian jamón, another house classic. The menu crosses land and sea, from Galician-style octopus and griddled king prawns to slow-cooked tripe and oxtail. For nibbling while you wait, a dehesa board of acorn-fed jamón, cured meats and aged cheeses. And to drink, draught vermouth and wines with purpose: white Rueda, Albariño, Rioja, Ribera and a well-chilled fino from Jerez. A short menu, but each dish nailed.
Taberna La Chata: old-Madrid tapas from top to bottom
La Chata, at no. 24, is one of the most recognisable spots on the street. The tiled façade gives it away, and the kitchen is lovingly old-fashioned. Its menu is a tour of all Madrid tapas. Starters? Hand-knife-carved jamón, broken eggs, Burgos black pudding, Soria pork scratchings, potato omelette, homemade croquettes, patatas bravas, Padrón peppers, artichokes with romesco and jamón, crispy aubergine with honey. The stew and meat section is equally strong: Madrid-style tripe, oxtail, rib chop, sirloin, carrilleras in oloroso. From the sea: fried squid rings, griddled octopus, battered salt cod and clams in garlic. For dessert: homemade flan or cheesecake. All of Madrid's cooking in a single bar.
Taberna Los Castizos: the coldest beer in the neighbourhood
At the top of the street, at no. 34, stands Los Castizos. Traditional home cooking in a rustic space with wooden beams, stone walls and a set of copper barrels behind the bar that claim to serve the coldest beer in the area. What tends to land here: broken eggs with jamón, a board of Iberian charcuterie, fried squid, Galician-style octopus, croquettes and bravas. The atmosphere is lively — the kind that suits the local regular and the first-time visitor equally — with a broad wine list to match. A great spot to round off the route with a properly poured draught beer.
How to do the perfect tapas crawl along Cava Baja?
A good route calls for a little strategy and a lot of appetite. The advantage here is that the street is short: from one tavern to the next is four steps, just enough to make room. Start in the mid-afternoon, when the bars are buzzing but there is still space to breathe, and work your way up from no. 8 to no. 34 without rushing. One or two tapas per stop, no more, or you will not make it to the end. Remember what this is about. Madrid-style tapas is food, yes, but it is also street life, conversation and not watching the clock.
The route, from 8 to 34
The logical route begins at Cava Carbón, no. 8, with something from the grill to start strong. You move on to El Schotis at no. 11 and Tita Pepa at no. 15: two classics where tripe, croquettes and broken eggs always feature. Further up the street, Cava Baja 17 stops you in your tracks with its hand-rolled croquettes, and La Chata at no. 24 rolls out the most complete old-Madrid tapas spread in the area. The finale at Los Castizos, no. 34, with an ice-cold beer from their copper barrels. Six taverns, three hundred metres, a perfect afternoon.
Vermouth — that sacred moment
Vermouth is back to stay, and Cava Baja is one of Madrid's best places to pay it homage. Tita Pepa and Cava Baja 17 serve it on draught, accompanied by the classic aperitivo tapas. Having one in the middle of the street on a Sunday lunchtime, with a slice of omelette or a freshly-made croquette, sums up pretty well why Madrid lives the way it does. Here, truth be told, this tradition never quite went away. We just had to wait for it to come back into fashion.
Croquettes, broken eggs and tripe: the comparison game
There are dishes that appear on almost every menu on the street, and that is where the fun lies: comparing them. The croquettes from Cava Baja 17, rolled fresh every day, go head-to-head with the homemade ones from Tita Pepa and La Chata. Broken eggs are done brilliantly at El Schotis, Tita Pepa, Cava Baja 17 and Los Castizos, each in their own way. And Madrid-style tripe? It is not missing from El Schotis, Tita Pepa, Cava Baja 17 or La Chata. Every house adds its own accent. Deciding which one wins you over is your call — and the only way to know is by trying.
Where to eat rice dishes and charcoal-grilled meats in La Latina?
Tapas are all well and good, but sometimes you want to sit down to a proper rice dish or a serious cut of meat. For that, Cava Baja delivers too. Some of the street's taverns have put the grill and rice dishes at the heart of their menu, with hearty plates for a full sit-down meal.
Cava Carbón and holm-oak charcoal
Cava Carbón is the street's reference point for charcoal-grill cooking. The holm-oak charcoal leaves a smoky aroma that embraces aged meats and creamy rice dishes for two alike. Their 750-gram aged beef rib chop and charcoal-grilled octopus with truffled patata revolcona are among the most-ordered dishes. It is the option for anyone who wants quality produce and that honest smoke flavour, without giving up the atmosphere of a genuine Madrid tavern.
El Schotis's rice dishes
El Schotis rounds out Cava Baja's rice offering with three worth trying: with carabinero prawn, with sirloin and senyoret. A great choice for stretching the meal beyond tapas and sitting down to a proper fork-and-spoon dish. Added to its meat options — from entrecôte to roast ribs or cachopo — El Schotis becomes a full meal destination within the route. One of those places you enter for a nibble and end up booking a table.
Aged meats and sharing plates
Cava Carbón, El Schotis and La Chata have something in common: meat designed to be shared at the table. Rib chop, sirloin, entrecôte, ribs. This is the street's most substantial side, made for groups that want to go beyond small portions. With a good local wine in front of you, any of these cuts crowns a meal on the most old-school street in Madrid.
Why is Cava Baja the best street for tapas in Madrid?
Few streets bring together such variety in so small a space. From the grill at Cava Carbón to the cold beer at Los Castizos, through Tita Pepa's stews, Cava Baja 17's croquettes, La Chata's tapas and El Schotis's traditional cooking, Cava Baja delivers a complete experience for anyone who loves food. And all within walking distance of the Plaza Mayor, in the heart of La Latina. Eating tapas here is a glimpse into the Madrid of always, where the tradition of the bar is just as alive as it was a hundred years ago. You already know where to start: number 8, and work your way up the street.
Guide compiled by the team at Taberna Cava Carbón · Cava Baja, La Latina, Madrid.