Meson La Troya

Mesón La Troya is one of the most famous restaurants in Extremadura and, for many visitors arriving in Trujillo's extraordinary Plaza Mayor, the primary reason to eat in the town rather than pass through. Occupying a prime position facing the equestrian statue of Francisco Pizarro — the Trujillo-born conquistador who conquered the Inca Empire — La Troya built its reputation on an unlikely formula: a fixed lunch menu served at shared long tables in a loud and cheerful communal dining room, with quantities so generous that finishing the meal requires genuine commitment. The menu changes daily but follows a fixed Extremaduran template: soup, two starters typically including migas extremeñas and an egg dish, a main of roasted or braised meat, cheese and dessert, all accompanied by house wine in unlabelled bottles. The revuelto de trufa y jamón — scrambled eggs with black truffle and cured ham — has become one of the restaurant's iconic dishes when truffle is in season during late autumn and winter. The caldereta de cordero, slow-braised to fork-tenderness, demonstrates the kitchen's comfort with the patient preparations that define Extremaduran pastoral cooking. The atmosphere is central to the experience: strangers become temporary tablemates, the noise level rises with the wine, and the efficient serving team keeps plates moving with controlled energy. Lunch is the main service and the one worth prioritising; dinner, while available, lacks the energy of the midday spectacle. Weekends fill fast with Spanish visitors from Madrid and Cáceres who make the journey specifically for this lunch.