Café de la Iberia Chinchón

Café de la Iberia occupies an old mansion on Chinchón’s extraordinary Plaza Mayor, and the building sets the tempo before the menu arrives. Stairs lead to traditional dining rooms, an interior courtyard and balconies overlooking the arcaded square. Reserve one of those balcony tables if you can; lunch gains considerably from watching the plaza conduct its daily theatre below. The cooking is Castilian and substantial, with lamb and suckling pig from the wood-fired oven, grilled meats, fish, vegetables and homemade desserts. Local wine is an easy companion, while Chinchón anisette provides the emphatic ending. This is a restaurant for a long lunch rather than a quick coffee despite the historic name. Portions, service and setting all assume that the table will be yours for a while. The interior can handle heat or uncertain weather, but the view remains the address’s irreplaceable pleasure. Café de la Iberia understands that a celebrated location can make kitchens lazy; its best dishes keep pace with the room. Book ahead on weekends, request the balcony and leave time to walk the square afterwards.