I must say I went to this restaurant with some expectations because several guidebooks and other sources of information had made reference to it. I was also told that it gets extremely crowded at times so we decided to go for lunch on the weekend when there would be no local office crowd. We had no problem finding a table inside when we arrived but 10 minutes later the whole place was full.
La Trucha has a street-level bar and small dining room with arched ceiling and whitewashed walls. The decor is made festive with hanging braids of garlic, dried peppers, and onions. On the lower level, the walls of a second bustling area are covered with eye-catching antiques, bullfight notices, and other bric-a-brac. The whole place has an Andalusian tavern ambience. You are surrounded by the typical coloured ceramic tiles and wrought-iron window grilles, and plenty of noise and activity. I loved it.
The name is derived from its specialty, trout ("trucha"). One visit here and you'll see why the name is so appropriate. Masterful entrées also include black sausage, Galician ham, and smoked bacon. You´ll find all the favourite southern tapas on offer and you can order small portions (raciones) of fish off the menu. One favourite is the assorted canapés which has five different types of fish (salmon, trout, anchovies, black caviar, and tuna pate) served on warm toast squares.
There's a complete a la carte menu including trucha (trout), verbenas de ahumados (a selection of smoked delicacies), a stew called fabada (made with beans, Galician ham, black sausage, and smoked bacon), and so on. I had chicken and garlic, which I really enjoyed. My wife had smoked trout and said it was the best she had ever tasted.
We think it is better to sit down when eating but many people chose to eat standing up at the bar counter. Those people not attached to the counter held their plates or drinks in their hands and it seemed like there was a giant cocktail party going on. The smoky atmosphere in the bar added to the effect.
The ground floor area of the restaurant where we ate, only had a few small tables sectioned off by a wall from the bar and every table was full. The waiters were working furiously and also servicing the somewhat quieter, but also full, dining area downstairs just to the side of the restrooms.
The menu comes in Spanish, French, and English. The clientele was an interesting combination of tourists, and many locals.
La Trucha opens around midday until late. The nearest Metro station is Sevilla.
by LenR on May 23, 2007
Trucha
Manuel Fernández y González, 3 Madrid, Spain 28014
+34 91 4293778