Taberna Ilustrada El Capricho is a no-frills Spanish taberna on Calle Doctor Castelo, just off the Retiro, where you go for straightforward tapas and raciones rather than a culinary revelation. The menu leans classic — ensalada de ventresca, croquetas, bacalao — and the kitchen stays open late, which counts for a lot in this part of Madrid. Reviews are genuinely divided: plenty of locals praise the simple, pleasant cooking and good lunch deals, while others find the quality inconsistent and the prices a touch high for what lands on the plate. Go in with the right expectations and you'll have a decent evening; expect fine dining and you'll be disappointed.
Late-night Spanish taberna near the Retiro where the kitchen keeps frying croquetas until 12:30 AM — stick to the classics and you'll leave happy.
Go for lunch to get the best value — the menú del día gets consistent praise, while dinner service can be slow and prices feel steeper for the portions.
Classic taberna fare near the Retiro — come for the late kitchen, not the fireworks
Taberna Ilustrada El Capricho sits on Calle Doctor Castelo, a short walk from the Retiro, and it's the kind of place you stumble into for a quick bite that turns into a longer evening. The menu is solidly traditional Spanish — ensalada mixta de ventresca, croquetas, bacalao al pil-pil, chipirones — and the lunch service gets consistent praise for being good value and pleasantly uncomplicated. If you're after a menú del día in the neighborhood, this is a reliable bet.
That said, the reviews are notably split. On Google, the place holds a respectable 4.2 from over 2,400 reviews, but TripAdvisor tells a tougher story at 3.8. Some diners complain about slow service, inconsistent dishes (a cold, dry tataki de atún here, a bacalao the cook apparently couldn't make there), and prices that feel steep for the portions. Others mention loud music and a rushed atmosphere on busy nights.
The real selling point is the late kitchen — open until 12:30 AM, which is gold in Madrid when most tabernas have already shuttered. Come for a relaxed dinner with friends, order the classics, and don't overthink it. Skip the more ambitious dishes and stick to what a taberna does best: fried things, salads, and a glass of house wine.
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La Taberna Ilustrada El Capricho, calle Doctor Castelo à deux pas du Retiro, c'est le genre d'endroit où tu entres pour une tapa rapide et où tu finis la soirée. La carte est classique et sans surprise — ensalada de ventresca, croquetas, bacalao al pil-pil, chipirones — et le repas de midi est régulièrement salué pour son bon rapport qualité-prix et sa cuisine simple et agréable. Pour un menú del día dans le quartier, c'est une valeur sûre.
Attention toutefois, les avis sont très partagés. Si Google affiche un honnête 4,2 sur plus de 2 400 avis, TripAdvisor descend à 3,8. Certains clients parlent d'un service lent, de plats irréguliers — un tataki de thon froid et sec, un bacalao que le cuisinier ne savait visiblement pas préparer — et de prix un peu élevés pour les quantités servies. D'autres mentionnent une ambiance bruyante les soirs de forte affluence.
Le vrai atout, c'est la cuisine ouverte jusqu'à 12h30 du matin, une denrée rare à Madrid où la plupart des tabernas ferment tôt. Viens pour dîner tranquillement entre amis, commande les classiques et ne cherche pas plus loin. Évite les plats trop ambitieux et reste sur ce qu'une taberna fait de mieux : des fritures, des salades et un verre de vin de la maison.