Chris Pearrow
Asturian ciderhouse with an urban twist
La Bobia is an awesome new Asturian bar which recently opened up just steps from the metro stop in Madrid’s traditional La Latina neighborhood. Apparently, it was once one of the area’s leading hang-outs during the “Movida Madrileña” (the blossoming of alternative culture which took place in Madrid in the late 70’s and 80’s), but has now been re-born as a trendy "urban ciderhouse" complete with cozy booths nestled inside giant old cider barrels, a beautiful terrace, and an interior wall that’s decorated by a new artist every month.
History aside, I always enjoy going there because they put a modern twist on the old classics but don’t forget what’s at the heart of Asturian cuisine: farm-fresh natural ingredients, hearty portions, and, of course, lots and lots of cold cider! You can find lots of Asturian classics like fabada (a warming white bean stew), morcilla sausage, potatoes with cabrales (a strong Asturian blue cheese) and cachopo (a cutlet wrapped in ham and cheese then breaded and deep fried). We ordered the addictively-tart green apple gazapacho to start and then got the stewed beef cheeks with mashed potatoes which literally melted in your mouth it was so tender. We even had to order an additional basket of bread to sop up all the sauce. Trust me…the beef cheeks are a winner.
Of course, I couldn’t talk about La Bobia without mentioning the cider. Behind the bar, they have two massive ice chests filled to the brim with one-liter bottles of Asturian natural cider which range from 4 to 8 euros per bottle depending on the quality. While tradition mandates that you hold the bottle above your head and pour a thin stream down into a glass below to aerate the cider, La Bobia actually has automatic aerators so all you have to do is just push a button and you have a perfectly poured glass of cider in front of you. From there, well, bottoms up!
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