Madrid is gearing up for the next big event: the 2026 World Cup, but there’s one place that’s going to add a special touch with a taste of Mexico. La Lupita, one of the city’s pioneers of authentic tacos, is reinventing itself and launching a new chapter as La Lupita Cantina, featuring giant screens, over 30 live matches, and a complimentary giant margarita to celebrate every goal.
When La Lupita opened in 2014 on Villanueva Street, ordering Mexican food in Madrid was still, more often than not, synonymous with a half-hearted attempt at Tex-Mex, but without the authentic flavors. They arrived with an idea that was simple yet radical for the time: corn nixtamalized daily in their own kitchen, carefully selected agave spirits, and a taco that wasn’t just a Tex-Mex prop, but a taste of the real thing. Twelve years later, that taquería sign doesn’t do it justice.
2026 World Cup: La Lupita becomes a “stadium cantina”
With the 2026 World Cup as the catalyst, La Lupita has completed its transformation. The tournament—co-hosted by Mexico, the United States, and Canada— kicks off on June 11 with a Mexico–South Africa match at Azteca Stadium (now Banorte Stadium), the first stadium in the world to host three World Cups (1970, 1986, and 2026). From that opening match to the final on July 19, La Lupita’s four locations (Salamanca, Justicia, Chamberí, and the Corazón de Maíz tortilla shop) will transform into a network of bars with giant screens, stadium-quality sound, and long tables to enjoy more than 30 matches.
Out of the 104 matches in the tournament, they’ve selected about thirty: all of Mexico and Spain’s games, plus the big showdowns from Argentina, Brazil, France, Germany, Colombia, and Morocco, as well as the quarterfinals, semifinals, and final. Everything is booked match by match through their own website: lalupita.es/mundial, and you can follow the schedule on their Instagram.
What’s changing at La Lupita: menu, bar, and atmosphere
The change isn’t just a simple facelift. In this new phase, the taco remains the centerpiece, but it’s no longer the sole star. The menu expands to include appetizers, ceviches, slow-cooked moles, tlayudas, and dishes designed for sharing and extending the after-dinner conversation. Among the new additions this season are summery treats, including the Bomba Chilosa, that viral lettuce snack topped with chamoy, lime, peanuts, and Tajín; a watermelon carpaccio in thin slices with worm salt; thin slices of watermelon with chamoy and Tajín; grilled ribeye tacos with cheese, and some “broken” chilaquiles—with egg or beef—made to last through long games.
Behind the bar, agave reigns supreme. The restaurant builds its cocktail menu around tequila and mezcal from small producers, with a special focus on Tequila Cascahuín—a family-run distillery in El Arenal (Jalisco), made without additives and ground in a stone mill—which is almost impossible to find in other restaurants in Spain.
Promotions and how to enjoy the games
The soccer experience comes with specific promotions, especially at the locations they define as “cantina”—namely those in Salamanca, Justicia, and Chamberí: tables for up to 4 people: a €100 food and drink minimum and a complimentary Giant Margarita to share. Each additional person adds a €25 food and drink minimum and includes a complimentary shot. For groups of 7 or more, they promise custom promotions.
At Corazón de Maíz, their tortillería on Calle Alcalá converted into a private box, they’ve created a unique setup: a private room for 15 people, with its own screen and sound system, a €500 minimum spend, and a complimentary bottle of Cascahuín Tequila. Ahead of the final on July 19 (9:00 p.m.), there will be the regular menu, an optional set menu, and a Cascahuín tasting for anyone who wants to wrap up the World Cup with a tequila tribute. And if you just want to drop by to watch part of the game, you can also enjoy drinks and margaritas at the bar, with no commitment to a long table.
