Pope Leo XIV has stayed at the Nunciature, filled Cibeles and the Bernabéu… and, amid that choreography of official cars and grand stages, he has left an unexpected image: choosing to dine at one of Madrid’s oldest restaurants, Lhardy, and sitting down to a menu of everyday dishes that any local could have ordered.
Far from the ultra-luxury hotels and Michelin-starred tasting menus, the Pontiff chose instead to take refuge in a menu with nearly two centuries of history, where the cocido, stews, and silver display cases say as much about the city as a Sunday at the Rastro.
Lhardy, a slice of 19th-century Madrid
Stepping into Lhardy is like stepping through a door from 1839. Founded in the heart of the 19th century on Carrera de San Jerónimo, this restaurant has witnessed revolutions, political meetings, literary gatherings, and meals for half the country’s officials. Its entrance mirror, the fine grocery shop, the silver tureens from which the broth is served, and those dining rooms filled with wood, velvet, and discreet lamps turn any visit into a small time capsule.
That the Pope chose this setting is not merely a gastronomic curiosity: it is a nod to the city’s memory. Set against the new glitz of the five-star hotels on the Castellana, Lhardy represents the Madrid of the coffeehouse gatherings, of the politicians who slipped away to negotiate between courses, of the writers who found inspiration at the bar while watching life go by. It is a place where protocol blends with the murmur of the centuries.
A menu of everyday dishes
In keeping with that setting, the choice of menu was surprisingly simple. Instead of presenting a special haute cuisine menu, the Pope opted for dishes that are part of the culinary history of many Madrileños: croquettes, ham, gazpacho, and ensladilla were some of the highlights.
For Lhardy, the visit represents a kind of secular consecration. The restaurant has weathered difficult times, changes in ownership, and renovations to adapt to the 21st century without betraying its essence. In recent years, it has regained its footing, attracting a new generation that discovers it as a “time-honored spot” and not just as a venue for official meals from another era.
