At number 17 Cava de San Miguel, a few meters from Plaza Mayor, there is a tavern that has been serving the same recipe with stubborn fidelity for six decades: grilled mushrooms, stuffed with chorizo, garlic, parsley, a touch of salt, sunflower oil and a squeeze of lemon squeezed by hand. Nothing more. Nothing less.
Mesón del Champiñón has become an absolute classic of Madrid tapas for tourists (and the few locals who can afford to live in the vicinity of its location), and it is no coincidence that, according to one of its waiters, even the current emperor of Japan, Naruhito, visited the place before ascending the throne. The same waiter says that a ton of mushrooms are sold every week – which, according to our calculations, is equivalent to about 400 portions a day.
A taste unchanged since 1964
Originally founded on Radio Street in the Carabanchel neighborhood by the Nieto family, the mesón was born with a simple idea: to make the best mushrooms in Madrid. Over time, and seeing the success of their recipe, they decided to move to the heart of the historic center. Today, the second generation is at the helm: Pablo Nieto, son of the founder Ángel, runs the business together with his cousin Francisco Barrera, who has been behind the bar for 40 years.
The place, small, traditional and always crowded, has not changed its essence one iota. The portions, which are around 12 to 14 champis, are served for 8.90 € and are eaten as tradition dictates: with two chopsticks, one in each hand and in one bite. The reason is not only aesthetic: this way the juice and the chorizo are kept inside the mushroom, without staining or losing flavor on the plate.