Meat, legumes, sweets, fruits… If you are looking for variety you will find everything you need in La Granja de San Ildefonso. In order to enjoy the gastronomy of this city, a lot of restaurants and bars are available. There you can eat something quick or have a complete meal. Tasty recipes are everywhere!
One of the most famous things to eat in La Granja de San Ildefonso are the judiones. These big and tender legumes, known as Judiones de la Granja, are prepared by stewing them along with chorizo, fresh panceta, morcilla (blood sausage) and bacon, until the broth becomes thick and dark. Other typical products are the cochinillo and roasted lechazo. Try the trout of Eresma, baked with some panceta rashers that will give it a great touch. This makes the fish get juicy and have an intense flavor that proves it didn’t come from a fish farm.
The best dessert is the seasonal raspberry, but you can always try the traditional ponche segoviano, a soft cake covered in melted sugar and marzipan.
During the Fiestas Patronales de San Luis, which take place around August 25th (the day of Saint Louis, when the fountains of the gardens are turned on), La Granja de San Ildefonso celebrates days of parties and gastronomy, and organizes a huge outdoors judiada, where travelers can enjoy chacinas (cured pork), cheese and a great range of local products.
Since 2012, two tapas contests are celebrated: one during the winter, the Judión de la Granja (from Friday to Sunday around February or March), when a legume is always the protagonist; and one during the summer (a weekend around June), the Tapenado por el Real Sitio, with many different products. These are two great opportunities to enjoy tapas and vote for your favorite bars and restaurants. Complete this gastronomy experiences with a cup on wine Vino Valtiendas, which has D.O..
Another option could be to eat some tapas around the restaurants and bars of this village, which offer great products throughout the whole year and not only during the competitions we have talked about before. Some of the winners from the different competitions have been the restaurant Roma, restaurant La Panadería and taberna El Hábito. We recommend the artichokes with ham from the last one, but it also has another amazing portions and meals.
The beauty of the Palace and its gardens and the fact that it is the place where a lot of inhabitants from Madrid and Segovia have their homes at explains the broad possibilities of good places to eat in La Granja de San Ildefonso.
Casa Zasca offers a traditional homemade food, and its best dish is the judiones de La Granja. This is the perfect place to experience the gastronomy of the village.
Reina XVI offers traditional recipes and a broad wine menu. Besides from its variety of meat, their homemade chips with garlic are also greatly rated.
The restaurant Puerta de la Reina, at the Parador, is where the chef Adrián Salas Diosdado cooks traditional meals with a touch of innovation. You can have something to drink at their terrace and also eat a great house hamburger.
