In this difficult time, azureazure is here for you. We are committed to helping both our readers and the industries that have been most impacted by the pandemic. Until the crisis is over, we will be publishing relevant content alongside our regular stories, which we hope offer you a few moments of escape. We would like to hear from you. Email us at azure@azureazure.com
Casa Lucio is the restaurant chosen by the people of Madrid. One of the reasons its so popular is because of its story of sacrifice and perseverance: Lucio Blázquez arrived in Madrid at only 12 years old from Serranillos, his hometown in Segovia. Despite his young age, he started working as a bellboy at an inn. Over the years and a lot of effort, he became the owner of Casa Lucio. Since then, its doors have always been open and he currently runs it with his family.
Casa Lucio’s restaurant facade Lucio, as he is usually known to friends and guests, is one of those people who is not easily forgotten. His charisma, joy, cheerfulness and great public relations skills make for a very attractive personality. Thanks to its excellent management, this traditional restaurant or “eating house” as he likes to call his business has become a place of pilgrimage for lovers of fine, traditional Spanish cuisine. The star dish is a simple meal inspired by his grandmother’s recipe: eggs with potatoes, a true delight prepared by flipping the eggs over the potatoes with great care not to break the potatoes that have been cooking over a low fire. The yolk covers them and the white flows perfectly around the plate. From this description, it may appear to be an easy dish to prepare, but words can be deceiving. At Casa Lucio, eggs are fried with the best olive oil, first on one side, and then turned to the other side until the whites are done and the yolks remain soft. “It is simplicity brought to perfection,” said the famous British architect Norman Foster talking about these simple but tasty fried eggs. Lucio Blázquez. Lucio is a man of boundless energy and a source of many anecdotes. He works every day he walks tirelessly through the tables talking with his guests and taking pictures with them. He has managed to win the admiration, respect, and affection of those who come to his restaurant, who always end up returning, because as he says: “many friends come here.” Personalities such as King Juan Carlos, Bill Clinton, the Bush family, Kofi Annan, Madonna, Tom Cruise, Will Smith, Jacqueline Bisset, Pierce Brosnan, Jane Fonda, and Tommy Lee Jones, among others have tasted Lucio’s delicious cuisine, including his emblematic eggs. He jokes with them and makes them laugh, and everyone always leaves with the promise that they will return to the restaurant on their next visit to Madrid. The emblematic scramble eggs plate If you have the opportunity to dine in Casa Lucio, you cannot leave without trying the excellent homemade croquettes, the beans with pheasant, the cocido—Madrid´s most characteristic stew with chickpeas as the main ingredient—the baked sea bass, the Asturian bean stew, the tender meats, the garlic prawns or the delicious oxtail, a recipe that was born in Córdoba with the traditional fighting bulls. The extensive wine list features the main wines produced in Spain. Lucio is the ideal guide to recommend the best wine to accompany the dishes he knows so well. Lucio Blázquez is one of the greatest ambassadors of traditional Spanish cuisine. Perhaps his eatery— decorated as a typical 19th-century tavern—is not the most luxurious and glamorous restaurant in the world, but trust me when I say that there is hardly another place where you will find a better service, a nicer environment and the feeling of being at home as you will in Casa Lucio. ■ Related Articles: San Ildefonso Market: Madrid’s New Gastronomic Emporium Café Chinitas and Corral de la Moreria: The Best Tablaos Flamenco Shows in Madrid The Hotel Ritz Madrid: iconic accommodations in the spanish capital
