They are not fine, they are not healthy, but you have to try them. Torreznos are a strip of bacon that, with skin included, is fried or sautéed in a frying pan or grill to make it crispy. So Castilian, so popular, so simple that even UNESCO has recognized them as gastronomic heritage of humanity, a distinction that rarely has a specific dish, as it is usually given to gastronomies in general. An example of how intricate they are in gastronomy and how old they are is that they are clearly referenced in Lazarillo de Tormes.
1. Los Torreznos
Los Torreznos had to start this list for obviousness and good work. Few dishes here omit the protagonist that gives the restaurant its name: there are classics, with broken eggs, with scrambled potatoes, or in tacos with pico de gallo. The torreznos make here a bit of chips, always accompany, never leftover.
They have been serving them since 1956, when José Luis Blázquez came to Madrid from his village in Ávila, where they are typical.
💸 €€€€€
alonso Cano Street, 69 (Ríos Rosas); López de Hoyos Street, 149 (Prosperidad) and Goya Street, 88 (Goya)
2. Treze
One of the essential restaurants in the Salamanca neighborhood is Treze. Some people discovered it thanks to its menu of the day -which they now serve at Terzio- and continued to go for its well-executed classic dishes. On their website they explain that after more than a decade they have been readjusting their menu, but they do not touch the dishes that work, the torrezno is a clear example of this. They embroider the stews and marinades, but they know how to give the exact crispy touch to the torrezno, which only needs a good product and the right amount of heat and salt.
💸 €€€€€
📍 Calle del Gral. Pardiñas, 34 (Salamanca district)
3. Roostiq
The proof that torrezno is timeless is that it has been in trend for 5 centuries and trendy restaurants as Roostiq have it on the menu and they embroider it. The grill is the forte of this restaurant of which Dabiz Muñoz made his pizzas famous thanks to an article in El Español although in reality its specialty is the dish that concerns us here.
To bring it closer to its finest version, they propose in their social networks that you accompany it with champagne, as if this dish had been born north of the Pyrenees. It may have been known worldwide as a delicacy if it had been.
💸 €€€€€
📍 Augusto Figueroa, 47 (Chueca)
4. Lakasa
Lakasa’s menu changes with the seasons and adapts to what the market has to offer, that’s why, since November, its dishes include the calçots while in summer they go for the bonito. But they always serve a dish that knows no season: torreznos. It is usually served on a small plate with artichokes, almost like a starter or a tapa.
Chef Cesar Martin is at the helm of this restaurant that maintains a balance in which the product is excellent, but the average price is not prohibitive.
💸 €€€€€
📍 Plaza Descubridor Diego de Ordás, 1 (Ríos Rosas)
5. Tirso’s 5
Have a drink in the Tirso de Molina square among the flower stalls and the diversity of the beginning of the Lavapiés is almost a classic of Madrid’s terraces. El 5 de Tirso is the bet of the group La Fabrica for a tavern with twist, with two levels in which to order some torreznos to accompany the beer.
In addition, from Monday to Friday, from 1 pm to 4 pm, they have a menu of the day with a choice of 10 starters, 10 main courses, beverage, bread and dessert. And if you still can’t make up your mind, there’s always a dish of the day waiting for the undecided.
💸 €€€€€
📍 Plaza de Tirso de Molina, 5 (Downtown)