Cordero asado is the Castilian roast-lamb tradition Madrid inherited: a 25-day-old milk-fed lamb (lechazo) roasted in a wood-fired clay oven, served with patatas a lo pobre and a green salad.
Cordero asado is the Castilian shepherding tradition that came to Madrid with the 17th-century livestock trade. The milk-fed lechazo (25 days old, 4 to 6 kilos at slaughter) is the canonical roast, taken from the rebano during the spring weaning season. The lamb is rubbed with lard and salt, placed in clay roasting dishes over a layer of potatoes, then slow-roasted in wood-fired clay ovens for 90 minutes. Sobrino de Botin's 1725 oven still produces canonical cordero alongside its more famous cochinillo. Los Galayos in Plaza Mayor has roasted cordero since 1894. The order tradition: 1/4 of a lamb feeds one person, 1/2 feeds two.
4 editor picks for Cordero asado in Madrid, ranked by editorial score. All Madrid signature dishes · Cordero asado across every city.
Sobrino de Botin ★ 4.6
centro · Calle de los Cuchilleros 17, 28005 Madrid
Sobrino de Botin near Plaza Mayor in Madrid is the Guinness-certified oldest restaurant in the world, in business since 1725. The wood-fired oven roasts cochinillo segoviano daily.
El Sobrino del Padre ★ 4.2
centro · Calle Toledo 23, 28005 Madrid
El Sobrino del Padre in Madrid's Centro serves lechazo (suckling lamb) from the wood oven, with the Castilian roast canon running through cordero, cochinillo and tostones de sopa de ajo.
Casa Paco ★ 4.2
la-latina · Plaza de la Puerta Cerrada 11, 28005 Madrid
Casa Paco off Plaza Puerta Cerrada in Madrid's La Latina is the 1933 asador that pioneered the cast-iron skillet chuleton service: meat is sealed at the front of the room, then finished in the oven.
Los Galayos ★ 4.1
centro · Calle Botoneras 5, 28012 Madrid
Los Galayos in Plaza Mayor in Madrid has cooked the Castilian roast lamb and the migas pastoriles since 1894, with a terrace under the arcades and wood-fired ovens in the basement.