There are some places you don’t really “discover.” You just keep going back to them.

La Casa del Abuelo is one of those for me.

Not because it’s new. Not because it’s trendy. But because, somehow, it always works.

I usually go to the same one in the centre. They have a few around, but I’ve found my spot. Inside. Never the terraza.

I don’t know why, but I just prefer it that way. It feels more like the kind of place where you actually sit, eat properly, and stay for a bit.

What we ordered

This time it was a simple dinner with my mom.

No big plan. No occasion. Just one of those “shall we go?” evenings.

And like always, we didn’t even need to look at the menu.

Because when we go there, we already know.

Patatas bravas.

Gambas al ajillo.

Every single time.

The food

The patatas bravas are good. Solid. Reliable. Exactly what you expect, and sometimes that’s all you really want.

But the gambas al ajillo… that’s the reason we’re there.

They arrive hot. Still bubbling. And before you even take a bite, you can smell the garlic.

That deep, comforting, slightly dangerous smell that tells you: this is going to be good.

But here’s the real thing.

We don’t just eat the gambas.

We dip the bread into that hot, garlicky oil like it’s the main dish.

Every time.

And somehow, without fail, it always turns into a small, very serious, completely unnecessary argument over who gets the last bit…

Or worse…

The last guindilla.

Yes, it’s spicy. Yes, we know. Yes, we eat it anyway.

Sometimes the gambas are a bit smaller than usual. But they’re always fresh. Always hot. Always consistent.

And honestly, that matters more.

The place

We usually go early, earlier than typical Spanish dinner time.

Partly because we prefer it, and partly because it means we walk in, sit down immediately, and the food arrives quickly.

It’s always busy. Tourists, locals, a mix of everything. But it never feels chaotic in a bad way.

Just… alive.

We’ve tried other things on the menu sometimes. Calamares, a few other entrantes here and there.

But the gambas al ajillo?

That’s non-negotiable.

That’s the reason we’re there.

Why I keep going back

And I think that’s what makes certain places special.

Not just the food.

But the routine. The familiarity. The small rituals you build around them.

Because if I’m being honest, it’s not just about the gambas. Or the patatas.

It’s about sitting across the table from my mom, dipping bread into that same dish we’ve shared so many times, and knowing that some things don’t really need to change.

And it made me wonder…

In a city full of restaurants, new openings, and endless options, why do we always go back to the same places?

Is it really because the food is that good, or is it because of how those places make us feel?

The verdict

⭐ 4 out of 5

Not because it’s perfect.

But because it knows exactly what it is.

And sometimes, that’s more than enough.

— Raulito