The pandemic is not making things easy for the hospitality industry.
Despite this, in recent months some of the most interesting stores have opened in the capital;
others have changed models or have reinvented themselves.
Without forgetting the situation we live in and the security measures that must be respected, we want to start the new season with
a good list of gastronomic plans
.
BISTRONOMKA
In Carlos del Portillo's restaurant, the fish -and the embers- is the undisputed protagonist.
Tanned in mythical Madrid kitchens such as the Ritz, Príncipe and Serrano Hotel, their good work in seafood stews, sea and mountain combinations and with all kinds of fish and seafood have turned their charming local near the Retiro -and member of the Bulbiza project- into a city reference.
The menu is designed on the fly, always with seasonal products and what is bought in the market
.
Their bluefin tuna gilda is an explosion of flavor;
the oysters, the Russian spider crab salad and the free-range fried egg with cuttlefish stew must be tried on a first visit.
The scorpionfish do it wonderfully.
Carlos gives very good advice on fish, some of which are little known, and he is an encyclopedia on the subject.
Don't forget dessert.
The blue cheese cake is simply sublime.
Address
: Ibiza, 44. Tel .: 91 060 72 40. Average price: 50-60 euros.
Second turn of the Madrid stew from Picones de María.
PICONES DE MARÍA
It is undoubtedly the food house - with capacity for 12 diners per service - that is giving more to talk about in recent months.
You have everything full within two months and because they have not opened any further agenda.
The essence of this business led in the kitchen by chef Jorge Muñoz is the cult of the product
-the dishes do not have garnishes-, honest and of the highest quality.
Before the pandemic, they offered menus of the day and letter;
the post-Covid era brought a change of model and now they only have a letter.
They change three or four dishes a day, depending on the market, and that is where part of their charm lies.
Its cooked in three turns, which take three days to make and for which it has numerous suppliers, has become an icon of the house.
Allow customers to bring their own wines to the restaurant.
Address
: Simancas, 12. Tel .: 91 459 99 09. Average price: 60 euros.
Gianni Pinto, in a room in Noi eating one of his breads.ANTONIO HEREDIA
NOI
Gianni Pinto and Javier Gassibe, the tandem at the helm of this Italian, like to do things (very) well.
And they always make a difference in the details.
They take Italian cuisine to its maximum expression, without going crazy with the ingredients
, a refined technique and a lot of care in what they do.
The result is an attractive menu, appetizing from start to finish and with off-the-menu dishes that always surprise.
The Sicilian caponata, the pugliese burrata with oregano and baked San Marzano tomatoes, and the salted fennel with anchovies and stracciatella are three highly recommended starters.
The carbonara with pecorino and guanzale -for those who prefer not to risk-, the tagliatelle with arugula and squid pesto and the raviolone with stewed meat are excellent examples of their good work.
For dessert: the tiramisu, which is already a brand of the house.
Address
: Recoletos, 6. Tel .: 91 069 40 07. Average price: 50 euros.
Cokima's matured cow brioche.
COKIMA
This place in the Argüelles neighborhood is going to give a lot to talk about.
Small -it also has a terrace with four tables- and with a hooligan and modern air, its cuisine is based on powerful bites, where the flavor of the good product stands out.
Its name (acronym for Cooking Kitchen Madness) reveals a good part of its essence, where
street cuisine with exotic touches is mixed with more traditional dishes
in perfect harmony.
You can taste some semi-liquid Iberian ham croquettes and a squid sandwich in bao bread, squid and accompanied by a mint aioli, although its 'hit' is its exquisite brioche stuffed with matured cow, made at a low temperature for 18 hours.
The fideua has also made a name for itself.
Its chef Daniel Esteban (Mugaritz, Albora or Vertical) dares to take a walk even to the torreznos.
Without a doubt, a rogue and very appealing proposal.
Address
: Andrés Mellado, 21. Tel .: 91 598 94 01. Average price: 30 euros.
Begoña Fraire, in Étimo's kitchen.BERNARDO DÍAZ
Ethic
Begoña Fraire proposes a
seasonal
cuisine
, detailed, precise in technique
and with the flavors of Extremadura very present.
Now he is investigating together with the historian Rosa Tovar all that gastronomic legacy of his land -it is from Badajoz-.
Her Extremadura ratatouille and her crumbs with candied sardines and grapes are two dishes that clearly define what this former model and cook wants to show with her work.
It offers two menus with seven or ten steps.
Roe deer marinated with pickled endives and goat buttermilk is another of the star dishes today;
and its new dessert of pear cooked in sweet wine, cumin, sechuan pepper, honey and fermented milk a perfect finishing touch.
In the wines, it has a careful selection with little-known references.
Fraire takes great care in choosing its suppliers, always prioritizing the local product.
She also sells bread -now only to order-, which she makes herself, and will shortly open a bakery at the entrance of her premises in the Salamanca district.
Address
: Ayala, 27.
Tel .: 91 327 36 07.
Foie a la Poêle with Saddle pickled sauce.
SADDLE
Last December, the restaurant led by chef Adolfo Santos got the first Michelin star.
Tradition and temporality are the basis of the philosophy on which he works
.
In February it changed its menu to introduce proposals such as coast peas with Iberian rabito sausage, espardeñas and black truffle;
lentils with mushroom and foie stew;
wild sea bream with bouillabaisse, mussels and saffron;
or foie a la Poêle with pickled sauce, sautéed cabbage and chickpeas with Pedro Ximénez.
The cocktail menu, designed by bartender Alberto Fernández, is another excuse to visit this place.
The 'Del Diego' cocktail is his tribute to the famous Madrid bar and its bartender, who died five years ago.
Address
: Amador de los Ríos, 6. Tel .: 91 216 39 36. Average price, 90 euros.
Tasting menu, 120.
Roberto Ruiz's new location focuses on Mexican Pacific cuisine.
BARRACUDA MX
Roberto Ruiz is one of those chefs who should not be lost track of.
After closing Punto MX, the first Mexican with a Michelin star in Europe, he has just opened his new 'house', this time to show the
delights of the Mexican Pacific in an informal and fun atmosphere
.
Located near the Puerta de Alcalá, getting a table takes time.
They make their corn tortillas every day;
there is no lack of guacamole, served with pork rinds, and the charcoal mussels in a morita chili sauce are loved.
The menu offers aguachiles - the charcoal-marinated beef tenderloin marinated with roasted garlic sauce and fermented chili peppers - and ceviches with fresh fish.
The new version of its emblematic grilled marrow with toasted red tuna toasts and serrano chilli emulsion - one of the chef's favorites - looks to become one of the restaurant's star dishes.
Tres leches French toast is only suitable for those with a sweet tooth.
Address
: Valenzuela, 7. Tel .: 91 108 89 99. Average price: 45-60 euros.
Chef Iván Domínguez.
I SWIM
In December, Iván Domínguez's restaurant opened in Madrid.
Galician cuisine, made
with a lot of feeling and a lot of personality too, where a lot is said with little
.
It has a menu and a tasting menu.
The starters start a trip from Galicia to the capital through a sea bass cured in codium seaweed;
Its San Simón cheese takes us to Lugo and with the toast of jerky we get to León.
His grilled mullet has been one of his most acclaimed dishes since he opened his local capital -the mother house is in A Coruña-;
Lourençá beans are also on the menu.
From the beginning the idea has been to change the menu according to season and product.
Its industrial aesthetics and open kitchen add charm to the visit.
It has undoubtedly been one of the great openings in times of pandemic.
Address
: Prim, 5. Tel .: 91 445 12 08. Average price, 50-60 euros.
Tasting menu, 68 euros.
One of the corners of La Maruca de Castellana.
LA MARUCA
The Cañadío group has also expanded the family dealing with the pandemic.
His new premises - he has another one on Velázquez Street -, with large rooms and a heated terrace, has quickly gained the favor of the public.
The bet, the usual, simple, rich and honest
.
The squid, the cod brandade fritters, the stewed meat croquettes and the Russian salad with anchovies continue to set the pace of the starters wonderfully.
Meatloaf and hake are great options as main dishes.
The cheesecake is always a success to close the feast.
In addition, the new headquarters of the Cantabrian group also offers breakfast from 8:00 am, with homemade pastries and its famous potato omelette as claims.
Address
: Paseo de la Castellana, 212. Tel .: 91 345 26 65. Average price: 30-40 euros.
The decoration of Hardware Restaurant is very striking.
RESTAURANT HARDWARE
This space opened in 2018 but even today it is a great unknown.
It is located in the oldest hardware store in Madrid,
with a basement full of vaults dating from the seventeenth century and which is undoubtedly a fundamental part of the charm of the place
.
It has different spaces, a counter and a room, where they also have works of art by Chillida and Dalí, among others.
It offers a careful market cuisine, where quality raw materials and seasonal produce predominate.
To share there is confit red tuna belly with citrus fruits and tomato foam and truffled foie terrine and vermouth gelée, both options to be evaluated.
Also the stewed vegetables with prawns and scallops, the low-temperature veal shank lacquered with mashed potatoes and the steak tartare are good choices.
For dessert, the thin apple pie.
Address
: Atocha, 57. Tel .: 91 429 73 61. Average price: 45-50 euros.
According to the criteria of The Trust Project
Know more
Madrid
Gastronomy 'Zalacain' and other illustrious victims of the pandemic
GastronomyLamprea: the vampirized vampire
GastronomyThe secret -and pique- of the delicious chocolate palm trees from Morata de Tajuña that half of Spain eats
See links of interest
Work calendar
Manchester United - Milan
Slavia Prague - Rangers
Ajax - Young Boys
Dynamo Kyiv - Villarreal
Real Madrid - Barça