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A Centennial Tradition
The Ancient King of Wines preserves the authenticity of traditional Madrid in a privileged setting.
Silent witness of the last 100 years
El Anciano Rey de los Vinos is located in a building constructed in 1886, at 19 Bailén Street. Towards the end of the 19th century, the space now occupied by the venerable Anciano was home to Casa Pedro Martínez, an establishment that served pot-brewed coffee, aguardiente, and tea, much like other taverns and bottle shops of the time. In 1909, its owner Pedro Martínez handed over control of the establishment to Mr. Luis Montón. It was then that Luis Montón, elevating the quality of the establishment by introducing his own wine labels such as ‘Viejo’, ‘Los Viejos’, and ‘Anciano Rey’, officially founded the tavern ‘Anciano Rey de los Vinos’ as we know it today.
The Bailén Street location was not the only Anciano: Luis Montón also ran three other taverns, where he introduced his own wines in 1907—on La Paz Street—and in 1909—at 105 Fuencarral Street and on Leganitos Street.
They say that Alfonso XIII would occasionally sit at the bar, no one saw him arrive, nor leave… they say he liked to come and go like that, discreetly, giving life and use to the other Madrid, the one that remains silent and dark beneath our feet, also beneath the Royal Palace and next to the Almudena Cathedral, in the Ancient King of Wines.
Republic, Civil War…
Luis Montón remained at the helm of the business until 1942, when, due to his age, he handed over management to his nephew Abilio Manzanal Ortega. By then, only two of the original four taverns had survived: the one on Bailén Street and the one on La Paz Street, although the latter had already been renamed As de los Vinos or Las Torrijas. It was Abilio who replaced the old walnut counter: in 1958, due to the tavern’s growing clientele, it became necessary to expand it. Since Abilio couldn’t find anyone to restore it, he replaced it with a new one featuring a Bakelite countertop and a stainless steel tray.
New generations that preserve the most traditional flavor
With slight variations, but with the flavor of a century-old tavern: this is El Anciano Rey de los Vinos
It was the founder’s nephew who opened the doors of El Anciano Rey de los Vinos to the current owning family. It was in 1948 when Constancio Cortés Hernández first crossed the threshold of the tavern. At the young age of fifteen, as was customary at the time, Constancio began working hard behind the bar of the establishment.
With a clear vocation for service and the know-how of the tavern keepers of old, he spent thirty years behind a bar that saw many changes during that time. It was then, in the early 1970s, that Constancio acquired the tavern, continuing to run it until his retirement in 2003. With Constancio retired, management of El Anciano Rey de los Vinos passed to his daughter, Belén Cortés Borges, who, supported by her husband Alejandro Casado Manrique, continues to run the traditional tavern.
The arrival of Belén and Alejandro brings new life to the tavern’s operations. Without abandoning the establishment’s idiosyncrasy—its traditional soul and image—the young owners have introduced some changes to the menu and management. Of course, waiters with more than 40 years of experience at the house, like Estanislao, who continues behind the bar of the Old King of Wines.
Wine and cookies: a hallmark
Throughout these years, the patent for the wines, which have always been served with a biscuit since the Old Man’s inception, has been held by the various owners of the tavern. Today, Belén Cortés, as heir to Constancio Cortés, continues the tradition. The Anciano Rey de los Vinos still serves the classic wine with its sweet wafer.
