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Image by Nikko Hinderstein
I love the gregarious waiters at Casa Mingo – some of whom have been working there for over 25 years, while the restaurant was established in 1888. They help set the jovial mood of this sprawling restaurant which gets even bigger in warmer weather with a sidewalk and rooftop terrace.
Casa Mingo is famous for its home-brewed (sweet, apple, alcoholic) € 5.50-a-bottle cider which comes from the Asturian region of Spain, but everyone will tell you that the real house specialty is the roasted chicken. The menu only has a handful of options for sharing like the whole roasted chicken, tortilla de patata (potato omlette), “cabrales” cheese (like blue cheese) and delicious cider-cooked chorizo sausage. For dessert they even have a cider-made cheese cake, but I prefer the almondy Tarta de Santiago which also comes from the North of Spain.
Of note, they only accept cash and they don’t take reservations. Casa Mingo is a bit off the beaten path, a 10-15 minute walk from the Principe Pío metro stop, but the economical and tasty meal is worth it. For an added bonus, don’t miss the Ermita de San Antonio de la Florida (check the Ermita de San Antonio article) next door with Goya’s frescos and tomb.
Casa Mingo | Restaurants (Asturian) | Whole roasted chicken € 10.30
Paseo de La Florida, 34 | +34915477918
11:00 – 00:00 daily
This is just a lovely spot! As a chicken lover this should be your temple, because it is mine!!!
Thanks for the comments. I do agree that salads in Spain can be lacking, the one at Casa Mingo is akin to something you might be served on an airplane, so your best bet here is to focus on the rest of the menu. I have sampled numerous roasted chickens in Madrid, however, and the flavor and price at Casa Mingo is more than reasonable – each chicken serves at least 2 people and is always cooked to perfection…that’s what they do best! If you need a really good salad, try EcoCentro, I can’t get enough of their self-serve salad bar.
We went to Casa Minga last week but to be honest apart from the Cidre which I thought was delicious and morish I thought this restaurant was very over rated and over priced. €10.50 for a medium sized chicken! €5.50 for a bottle of Cidre and the salad was very basic (the bulk of which was lettuce leaves and tomatoes). Don’t believe the hype! We found much better restaurants elsewhere.
We were there several years ago and had one of the best meals in Spain In fact I remember it as the best. It is in a nice neighborhood
Casa Mingo has informed me that they sell bottles of wine for 3.70€ but they don’t ship anywhere. I also called ICEX (The Spanish Institute of Commerce in the Exterior) and they directed me to this link which lists a lot of purveryors who export wine and cider to the US. You’d have to write each one to ask if they export cider. It might be easier to just come visit again!
Hi. I attended high school in Madrid ages ago and spent many great evenings with friends at Casa Mingo. Would anyone happen to know if the cider served at the restaurant can be purchased in the US or imported, perhaps? Thanks very much.