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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
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This isn’t your mom’s French toast.   Austin Bush for Gastro Obscura
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
Inside   Xavixavir / Atlas Obscura User
  Xavixavir / Atlas Obscura User
Torrija and coffee   Xavixavir / Atlas Obscura User
The outside of the tavern   Xavixavir / Atlas Obscura User
Inside   Xavixavir / Atlas Obscura User
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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.

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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

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La Casa de las Torrijas
C. de la Paz, 4, Centro
Madrid, 28012
Spain
40.415465, -3.704235
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