"This is a bar with a style similar to those in the center of Madrid,
with different fusion tapas, but located in a humble neighborhood
."
With a couple of smiles that can be seen behind their masks, Daniel Camuñas and José Manuel Blázquez appear, friends since adolescence and partners in an adventure called
El Pinchazo
.
This small and coquettish tavern has earned the respect and trust of the residents of Villaverde Bajo, where it stands, thanks to the effort and creativity of these two young people, 27, and Francisco Javier Enamorado, the third leg of a project that can be summed up in this maxim:
innovative cuisine at reasonable prices
.
"Why am I going to charge you a fortune for a dish that is cheap for me? We want
to feed customers very well in
an affordable way," says Blázquez, who specifies that they do not give menus: only à la carte dishes and orders.
This cook admits that, since he can remember, he always wanted to work in the kitchen.
"
I left Baccalaureate to start cooking
. At that time I was 18 years old and I was lucky that Ramón Freixa [Michelin star] accepted me into his kitchen to learn. I
spent
a year and eight months, it was hard because
I went from not studying to working 14 hours
. But it helped me a lot ", evokes this young man, a Villaverde neighbor.
José, Daniel and Francisco Javier, at their premises.
The union with his partner, so far, has not gone bad at all.
Despite their short existence - they opened their doors on September 27, 2019 - they have already gained a loyal clientele.
"We have achieved a
very fast
feeling
with the people, with the neighborhood.
They have welcomed us with great affection,
" adds Camuñas, who had a passion for hospitality in his genes.
Despite working as a commercial manager in a large bank, he felt that
something was missing in his life
.
Talking about it with Blázquez, the idea came up, which ended up taking shape the day they saw that a place was rented a few meters from his house.
"It was seen and not seen," they remember with a laugh.
Since then, Villaverde Bajo has on hand a very diverse menu suitable for all budgets.
Without getting rid of
classics such as tripe, oxtail or cheek
, they offer, for example, their squid lace sandwiches or
shrimp
shams
(a kind of taco that does not use corn tortilla but lettuce to wrap the shrimp in tempura with onion purple and Japanese sauce).
Shrimp Shams J.
BARBANCHO
"I wake up,
I come up with a dish and I do it
. Yesterday, for example, I came up with a smoked and filleted prey, to offer this weekend. That's what people like the most. Many come here and They tell us: what do you have new this weekend? ", explains Blázquez, who does not deny how hard this job is:" We enter around eight or nine in the morning, although we open at 10, and
sometimes we go out at two in the morning
. They put in many hours, but if the customer leaves satisfied it is worth it ".
Among its many dishes, this couple of partners highlights its three
stars
: the truffled salad, where the potato, instead of being chopped,
is emulsified with mayonnaise
and has a truffled oil (five euros a portion);
the octopus, braised with creamy paprika (a leg of about 320 grams: 16 euros);
and the oxtail at a low temperature, "super sweet, which
melts as soon as you cut it
" (10 euros).
Braised octopus J.
BARBANCHO
Giving life to El Pinchazo was not an easy decision, but they had the financial support of their relatives, who encouraged them and took away "nerves."
The interior of the premises was completely renovated and decorated by themselves.
Hours of enthusiasm and effort that collided, head-on, against the Covid.
"
Thank God that I live with my parents,
" José sums up, remembering those months of confinement.
And he adds: "And also thanks to our landlord, who did not behave, the following. He was very understanding and gave us a lot of security."
With the situation more or less stabilized, they are already beginning to
see the light at the end of this pandemic tunnel
.
The terrace license, they admit, has helped them a lot.
"It has been a lifesaver. We have a very loyal clientele, and on weekends we cannot cope. We are very optimistic about the future," they weigh, undressing the greatest desire they have in the world of hospitality: "We want to take our Puncture to more places,
that there are more places in Madrid
so that more people can enjoy our cuisine ".
According to the criteria of The Trust Project
Know more
Villaverde
GastronomyThe new 'Tres por Cuatro' is here
HealthCatalonia studies extending the curfew until 11 pm so that restaurants can serve dinners
GastronomyThe junior Spanish (Gastronomy) Selection, ready to take on the world
See links of interest
Work calendar
Holidays Madrid
Elections Madrid
Absentee ballot
Fuenlabrada - Mallorca