These are the tables of power in Madrid

Gastronomy

Despite the closure of 'Zalacain', in the capital there are still a handful of restaurants around whose tables important questions are decided

A good part of the recent history of Spain has been written around a table

, in the dining rooms and, especially, the reserved areas of what in

we have always called

.

,

and

were key stages of the Transition.

Of them, only

still at the foot of the canyon: the first closed a few years ago and the second has just done so, a victim of the crisis derived from the coronavirus.

But

to seal great agreements and make great decisions, therefore, at the dead power table, the power table set.

These are the restaurants in Madrid where cod is cut today ... literally and metaphorically.

(In this selection

missing

because the dining room owned by José Gómez, Joselito, and Cayo Martínez is closed for the moment, although it is expected to reopen in the near future).

We will obviously start with

(Alfonso XII, 6. Phone: 915 220 731).

Fleeing the allied bombings, Otto Horcher moved his Berlin restaurant to Madrid in 1943. It quickly became one of the capital's references and a meeting point for the establishment, both nationally and internationally, and

.

During the Transition, it was one of the fundamental scenarios.

To this day he runs the restaurant, at whose tables it is rare not to meet some political or social personality, Elizabeth, Otto's granddaughter, and everything remains wonderfully unchanged, from the stately and bombastic dining room to the old-school service, passing, of course , for that

, with recipes such as the mythical partridge to the prey and the opportunity to taste pieces that were once the epitome of luxury and are currently almost unfindable, such as pheasant or goose.

The tie is no longer mandatory for men (the jacket, yes) and the ladies are still given a small cushion so that they can take off their shoes and support their feet.

If your walls spoke ...

The spectacular "Saddle" dining room.

Although

is

, it can be said that

(Amador de los Ríos, 6. Tlf .: 912 163 936) is his direct heir.

And not just because it occupies the same place as the legendary restaurant of Clodoaldo Cortés (subjected, of course, to

) and because its name (saddle , in English) is a nod to its predecessor but because since its opening in the autumn of 2019 it has become, as

did

at the time, a meeting point for the upper bourgeoisie and the political and business classes.

The

, that it has on the top floor, dedicated exclusively to them

, help a lot

.

In the lower one, a bar focused on cocktails and a huge and very bright dining room with noble materials such as marble and wood that even includes a small garden.

As director of the ambitious project, Carlos García Mayoralas, from the Dani García Group, and, at the helm of the kitchen, Adolfo Santos, César Martín's right-hand man for years in

, who proposes a revised seasonal traditional cuisine, with nods to the past (

tripe

, calf shank tribute to Santi Santamaría), special attention to game and, of course, concessions to luxury such as Caspian caviar.

One of the private "Alabaster".

Saxons already say that

.

And more in cases like the restaurants we are talking about.

That of

(Montalbán, 9. Tlf .: 915 121 131), Madrid's star ship of the Galician group Amicalia, cannot be better, just behind the old Telecommunications Palace that for some years has been home to the Madrid City Council.

Both the informal tapas area at high tables at the entrance and the dining room (and its private rooms) usually register a large attendance.

In the kitchen, Antonio Hernando exercises, who proposes a

, with star dishes such as smoked sardines with Arzúa cheese, tomato and spring onion or steamed hake with lemon-lime pil-pil and stewed spinach.

At the front of the room, the director Óscar Marcos, school teacher, gives daily lessons in discretion and knowing how to be.

One of the corners of "Arahy".

To confirm the importance of the location, there we have the case of

(Alcalá, 58. Tlf .: 915 316 085).

When chef José Ynglada, who at that time worked at

, won the Christmas lottery and decided to become independent, in the place that was once occupied by

(

little brother

) and which he renamed His wife, little could he imagine that

.

On May 31, 2018, while in the hemicycle the motion of censure presented by Pedro Sánchez against him was being discussed,

with his closest team in this place.

For those interested in gastronomic issues, the menu of this eclectic semi-basement revolves around bluefin tuna, in all imaginable preparations and available throughout the year thanks to the Tarragona company Balfegó.

"Puerta 57", with its views of the countryside.

We continue with the location.

Its privileged views of the pitch have made

(Padre Damián, s / n. Santiago Bernabéu Stadium, Puerta 57. Tlf .: 914 573 361) be one of the preferred destinations for business meals.

Well, the views, and a very satisfactory traditional meal, the kind that allow you to talk and enjoy without having to pay attention to the waiter's instructions, for something we are talking about a place run by the group of Asturian origin La Maquina: Russian salad , croquettes, grilled coquinas, tripe, garlic prawns, rice, Galician turbot or filleted entrecote.

The warm interior design of "China Crown".

But

.

Proof of them is the brand new

(Don Ramón de la Cruz 6. Tlf .: 911 52 15 72) which,

.

Located in what was once a luxury watch shop, this

is the reincarnation of the

founding

of Tetouan, which closed in 2017. At the forefront, today as yesterday, Maria Li Bau who, with a warm and moderately exotic, it offers great dim sum, breaded tofu or a remarkable lacquered duck, dishes suitable for all audiences.

The most daring can dare with tripe, tongue and heart with Sichuan pepper or sweet potato noodles over Iberian pork broth.

Remarkable winery, something not excessively common in a Chinese restaurant.

The "Don Giovanni" cellar.

Athletes, musicians, film and television stars, renowned journalists, writers and politicians are usually regular at the tables of the Italian

(Paseo de la Reina Cristina, 23, posterior. Phone: 914 348 338),

.

An economist turned hotelier, Tumbarello exudes charisma, has become a media character thanks to his multiple appearances on the small screen (and not only in gastronomic programs) and makes his visitors feel at home.

His very long menu covers all the transalpine regions but

, of which he has even become an ambassador, which has earned him the affectionate nickname of

and that laminates on dishes such as Millesimé eggs (free-range egg yolk, caviar and boletus cream) while recounting

some anecdote

in perfect

.

Another of its most popular specialties is

, a sea carbonara with tuna, bottarga, egg and pepper.

Extensive wine list, with a special fondness for sparkling wines.

The delicious indoor terrace of "Aspen".

To finish this review, we left the municipal area of ​​Madrid to move a few kilometers to Alcobendas, specifically La Moraleja.

There, since 2002,

is located

(Plaza de La Moraleja, s / n. Tlf .: 916 252 500), owned by businessman Miguel Arias, responsible for the successful

de Puerto Portals, in Mallorca, and who was also the alma mater of the mythical

, a table of power so manual that it was even commented that it had direct access from the garage to the reserved ones.

, a great friend of Arias.

Open every day of the year with uninterrupted hours, it has a delicious interior terrace and its gastronomic proposal, with undeniable Mediterranean echoes, revolves around the seasonal product, with specialties such as croquettes, Santoña anchovies, poached egg, potato, perigordine sauce and truffle or grilled meats.

For dessert, the mythical thin apple pie that became the watchword of

.

According to the criteria of

Know more