Taberna La Bola
La Bola's red front and golden ball are on a corner of the Calle de la Bola, five minutes from the Royal Palace. Inside, the cocido, Madrid's great stew of chickpeas, meats and broth, is cooked in clay pots beside a wood fire.
- What it is
- Tavern
- Opened
- 1870, as a restaurant: the house sold drinks from 1802
- Area
- Ópera
- Nearest museum
- Royal Palace of Madrid, 400 m
Madrid this week
What Taberna La Bola is known for
The cocido
Each pot is cooked separately, warming at a big wood fire that scents the rooms. The broth comes first, then the chickpeas, meats and vegetables.
The Verdasco family
The family, from Asturias, turned the old drinks shop into a restaurant in 1870 and has run it ever since.
The rooms
Three dining rooms decorated in the style of the end of the nineteenth century.
What to know
- Opened as a botillería, a drinks shop, in 1802, and became a restaurant in 1870
- Newspapers of the time describe three kinds of cocido served through the day, for workers, for lunch and for the rich
- Book ahead at lunchtime
Where Taberna La Bola is
Address
Calle de la Bola 528013 Madrid, Spain
Nearest station
Santo Domingo, on line 2, or Ópera, on lines 2 and 5, each about five minutes away
Museums and sights nearby
- Royal Palace of Madrid400 m
- Plaza Mayor550 m
- Temple of Debod750 m
- Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum1.4 km
- Museo Nacional del Prado1.7 km
Distances are in a straight line from the restaurant.
A drinks shop that became Madrid's house of cocido
The house opened in 1802 as a botillería at the corner of the Calle de la Bola, which gave it its name. In 1870 the Verdasco family made it a restaurant.
It became popular for serving cocido in individual clay pots, and has done so, generation after generation, ever since.
Taberna La Bola: common questions
- Where is Taberna La Bola?
- At Calle de la Bola 5, in the Centro district of Madrid. The nearest station is Santo Domingo, on line 2, or Ópera, on lines 2 and 5, each about five minutes away.
- Which museums and sights are near Taberna La Bola?
- Royal Palace of Madrid is 400 m away, Plaza Mayor is 550 m away, Temple of Debod is 750 m away. Distances are in a straight line from the restaurant.
- What is Taberna La Bola known for?
- The cocido, The Verdasco family, The rooms. The red-fronted tavern near the Royal Palace where the Verdasco family has served cocido madrileño in individual clay pots since 1870.
- When did Taberna La Bola open?
- In 1870, as a restaurant: the house sold drinks from 1802. Opened as a botillería, a drinks shop, in 1802, and became a restaurant in 1870.
What visitors say about Taberna La Bola
Rating from Google
Tickets and tours near Taberna La Bola
Things to do near Taberna La Bola
The nearest of this site's best things to do in the city. Distances are in a straight line.
- 15Take the guided tour of the Descalzas Reales convent400 m awayChurch, 1 to 1.5 hours, ticket
- 2Walk through the state rooms of the Royal Palace400 m awayMonument, 1.5 to 3 hours, ticket
- 6Walk from the Plaza Mayor through Habsburg Madrid550 m awayWalk, 1 to 2.5 hours, free
- 12Walk the Gran Vía and stand at Kilometre Zero in the Puerta del Sol700 m awayWalk, 1 to 2 hours, free
Artists to see near Taberna La Bola
The museums nearest to here, and the most famous artists on show in each.
Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum, 1.4 km away
Museo Nacional del Prado, 1.7 km away
Hotels near Taberna La Bola
The five-star hotels closest to it, of those this site lists in Madrid. Distances are in a straight line.
- Palacio de los Duques Gran Meliá4.7Five-star hotel, Ópera50 m away
- Barceló Torre de Madrid4.6Five-star hotel, Plaza de España500 m away
- Four Seasons Hotel Madrid4.6Five-star hotel, Canalejas900 m away
- JW Marriott Hotel Madrid4.6Five-star hotel, Canalejas950 m away
Where to eat near Taberna La Bola
The nearest of the famous tables this site lists in Madrid. Distances are in a straight line.
- Chocolatería San Ginés4.3Chocolate shop, Puerta del Sol500 m away
- Casa Labra4.3Tavern, Puerta del Sol600 m away
- La Mallorquina4.1Pastry shop and café, Puerta del Sol600 m away