Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All Spain Madrid La Casa de las Torrijas
AO Edited Gastro Obscura

La Casa de las Torrijas

Kingly French toast comes soaked in milk or red wine, then drizzled in a citrus-perfumed syrup.

Madrid, Spain

Added By
Austin Bush
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
CAPTION
This isn’t your mom’s French toast.   Austin Bush for Gastro Obscura
Sweet, fortified muscat wine makes for a lovely accompaniment.   Austin Bush for Gastro Obscura
Red wine stains the French toast a dark purple.   Austin Bush for Gastro Obscura
Grab a seat for one of Madrid’s sweetest treats.   Austin Bush for Gastro Obscura
When soaked in milk, the dish has an almost ethereal lightness.   Austin Bush for Gastro Obscura
Every day is French Toast Day.   Austin Bush for Gastro Obscura
Little has changed about the exterior over the years.   Austin Bush for Gastro Obscura
The restaurant’s official name is El Anciano Rey de los Viños, “The Ancient King of Wines.”   Austin Bush for Gastro Obscura
The joint has been in business since 1842, although its torrijas only dates back to 1907.   Austin Bush for Gastro Obscura
Torrija and coffee   Xavixavir / Atlas Obscura User
The outside of the tavern   Xavixavir / Atlas Obscura User
Inside   Xavixavir / Atlas Obscura User
  Xavixavir / Atlas Obscura User
Inside   Xavixavir / Atlas Obscura User
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

Its official name is El Anciano Rey de los Viños, “The Ancient King of Wines,” but everyone knows this Madrid restaurant as La Casa de las Torrijas, “The House of French Toast."  

Torrijas, stale bread soaked in milk or other liquid, dipped in eggs, fried in olive oil and sprinkled with sugar, is a dessert typically associated with Semana Santa, a spring holiday in Madrid. But this restaurant is one of only a handful of places in town that has traditionally served the dish year-round, something it’s been doing since 1907.

At La Casa de las Torrijas, the eponymous dish takes two forms. Torrijas de leche, the version most closely associated with Semana Santa in Madrid, are soaked in milk, emerging from the kitchen with a paper-thin crispy exterior and an interior that’s almost omelet-like in its softness and richness. 

An order is served sprinkled with sugar supplemented with a pinch of cinnamon, and is drizzled with a honey-like syrup given a pleasant fragrance via citrus zest. Torrijas de viño are soaked in red wine and are drizzled in a fragrant, slightly tart, purple-hued wine syrup. Either of them is likely to make you reassess your mom’s French toast.

Related Tags

Restaurants Wine Breakfast Dessert

Know Before You Go

During Semana Santa, torrijas are traditionally paired with a glass of sweet, fortified muscat wine.

Community Contributors

Added By

Austin Bush

Edited By

Xavixavir

  • Xavixavir

Published

March 20, 2024

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
La Casa de las Torrijas
C. de la Paz, 4, Centro
Madrid, 28012
Spain
40.415465, -3.704235
Visit Website
Get Directions

Nearby Places

The Still Automatons of Teatro Albéniz

Madrid, Spain

miles away

'El Barrendero'

Madrid, Spain

miles away

Kilometre Zero

Madrid, Spain

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Madrid

Madrid

Spain

Places 123
Stories 2

Nearby Places

The Still Automatons of Teatro Albéniz

Madrid, Spain

miles away

'El Barrendero'

Madrid, Spain

miles away

Kilometre Zero

Madrid, Spain

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Madrid

Madrid

Spain

Places 123
Stories 2

Related Places

  • Introducing the real breakfast of champions: grilled lamb chops and beans.

    Barcelona, Spain

    Cal Boter

    Start your day with a Catalan-style “fork breakfast”—complete with booze—at this rustic restaurant.

  • Meet Catalonia’s answer to crème brûlée.

    Barcelona, Spain

    Granja M. Viader

    Sink your spoon into a luscious crema Catalana at this former urban dairy farm.

  • This “bomb” is really a deep-fried, golf ball-sized globe of mashed potatoes with a minced meat center.

    Barcelona, Spain

    La Cova Fumada

    Behind this unmarked facade lies the original bomba—a crunchy orb of fried mashed potatoes stuffed with minced meat.

  • In this salad, rice gets topped with pinches of toasted coconut, dried fish, finely-sliced herbs and vegetables, bean sprouts, a tiny knot of noodles, crushed black pepper and dried chili. 

    Yala, Thailand

    Thai-Islam Phochana

    Start your day with sticky rice sweets and aromatic curries at this classic Thai-Muslim breakfast spot.

  • A blowtorch makes for an exquisitely caramelized crust.

    Porto, Portugal

    Semea

    Rabanadas, the Portuguese answer to French toast, are reborn here with a glassy sugar crust and a center as light as whipped cream.

  • Look for the two unmarked doors on a graffiti-splattered building.

    Athens, Greece

    Diporto

    With no menu and no sign, this 130-year-old taverna doles out affordable home cooking.

  • Harry Waugh’s Dessert Room features decadent desserts like the popular peanut butter truffle.

    Tampa, Florida

    Harry Waugh Dessert Room at Bern’s Steak House

    At Bern's Steak House, there's always room for dessert—it's just upstairs.

  • Exterior of The Parson’s Table, still showing its church roots.

    Little River, South Carolina

    The Parson's Table

    Dine on superb local staples in a converted historic church.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.