La Montaña is the kind of no-frills Asturian tavern that Chamberí locals keep coming back to — honest home cooking, generous portions, and zero pretension. You come here for the heavy hitters of northern Spanish cuisine: a serious fabada, a cachopo that demands to be shared, and croquetas that hold their own against any in the neighborhood. It's not trying to be trendy, and that's exactly why it works.
A no-frills Asturian tavern in Chamberí where the cachopo is enormous, the fabada is rich, and the croquetas keep locals coming back.
Order the cachopo to share — it's too big for one person — and go at lunchtime when the atmosphere is at its liveliest.
Honest Asturian cooking with a cachopo worth sharing
If you're craving proper Asturian comfort food in Madrid, La Montaña delivers without fuss. The cachopo is the star — a massive breaded steak filled with jamón or cecina, and it's genuinely too much for one person, so plan accordingly. The jamón version is the milder, more crowd-pleasing choice; the cecina hits harder and is better as a second-round order if you're going heavy. The fabada is rich and properly stewed, and the croquetas are consistently good — reviewers mention them repeatedly, and they're right to.
The vibe is straightforward: a neighborhood spot in Chamberí/Gaztambide that fills up with locals at lunchtime, not a destination restaurant trying to impress you with plating. Service is friendly and efficient, and the menu leans into classic northern dishes — lentejas, callos, fish like rodaballo — done the way you'd expect from a kitchen that's been at it for years. Prices are reasonable for the portion sizes, which are generous even by Spanish standards.
It's not a place for a romantic date or a light salad. Go hungry, go with people who like to share, and order the cachopo. The Google rating of 4.3 across over 500 reviews tracks — it's a solid, reliable spot that earns its repeat customers by doing the basics very well.