Restaurante Don Sancho

A Chamberí dining room built around classic Spanish cooking

Restaurante Don Sancho has been part of Chamberí since 1980, and its menu stays close to the kind of traditional cooking that rewards an unhurried meal. The restaurant’s strongest claim is its bacalao, served in preparations such as bacalao al pil pil, grilled cod, and bacalao dourado, a Portuguese-influenced scramble of cod, potatoes, and eggs. Those dishes give the menu a clear center of gravity without narrowing it to seafood alone.

For meat eaters, the house points to Villagodio: a charcoal-grilled beef loin cut served sliced for two. The wider menu fills out the picture with Madrid-style tripe, lentils, escabeche, croquettes, and homemade desserts. A weekday lunch menu also draws on the restaurant’s traditional repertoire, pairing familiar soups and stews with fish, meat, and sweets such as flan or rice pudding.

A taste of Madrid’s old-school table

Don Sancho is a useful choice for diners seeking a more traditional Madrid meal in a neighborhood setting. Its menu leans into dishes with history and generous portions, while the bacalao specialties give the kitchen a distinctive focus. The restaurant also prepares takeout orders, but the dining room is where its classic, family-style character is easiest to appreciate.