The Spanish subsidiary of American Express has celebrated the first edition of awards that value creation in the gastronomic world, rewarding spaces that stand out in two specific areas such as innovation and sustainability. As explained from the financial, "the Restaurants with Essence Awards are born with the vocation of showing, once again, the support of American Express to a key sector of our economy such as restoration".

The Madrid Edition hotel served as the setting for the awards ceremony of the capital, in which a jury formed by chef Dani García together with the gastronomic influencer and food stylist, Laura López and the writer and professor of the Basque Culinary Center, Xabier Gutiérrez Márquez, awarded the Madrid establishments Casa Felisa and Cookaluzka in the category of Sustainable Essence, and Poncio WM and Mena Apulian Food in the Innovative Essence.

The Innovative Essence category is designed to recognize those establishments with a different and unique proposal, both in their gastronomic offer and in the staging and decorative elements; the use of cutting-edge technology in their processes, or the opening of new business channels. In this section, the winner of the prize within the range of restaurants with an average cover per diner of more than 50 euros landed on Pontius WM, whom the jury puts as an example of "haute cuisine taken to an informal environment and format". In the section of the most innovative restaurant with an average cover of less than 50 euros, the winner was Mena Apulian Food, which highlights "its ability to go beyond the standards of Italian cuisine and offer new variants of this gastronomy".

The other category, that of restaurant with Sustainable Essence, recognizes establishments that make a firm commitment to healthy eating; the natural and local product, and that carry out energy efficiency policies or the effective management of resources and waste, among other criteria. Following this ideology, the jury awarded the Casa Felisa restaurant within the range of 50 euros per average cover, highlighting "its ability to link environmental and social values". As for the winner with an average covered per diner less than 50 euros was for Cookaluzka, valued for his "total commitment to recycling and energy awareness".

Cookaluzka

A restaurant without great pretensions that stands out for being one of the best vegans in the capital, boasting a wide variety of dishes. Its recipes are reminiscent of foreign cuisines, such as Venezuelan or Italian, since its chef, Carmelina "Mela" Spatafora, combines intercontinental flavors with a lot of creativity. As they describe, "it exists for the entire planet, based on the consciousness of animals, nature and cultural exchange through food."

The Cookaluzka room.

The daily menu is always different and vegetable. While Monday takes you to Thailand with a pad Thai of chickpeas; Wednesday invites you to stroll through the most indigenous corners of Latin America, with a Creole pavilion or a Moor with Christians, and on Saturday he serves you lasagna or different pastas made on a recipe from his Italian grandmother. Some of its specialties are the arepa Burger, which replaces the usual bread with a corn arepa, or the burger made from lentils.

You can accompany any of its dishes with an attractive selection of craft beers, organic and local, made with great care and attention, respecting nature, and giving that extra smile for a table in good company. In addition, they are pet friendly and all dogs are more than welcome.

Where: Lira, 8. Tel. 91. 042 27 09. Price: Less than 50€.

Felisa House

It is a totally modern food house located in the Salesas area, which offers a perfect combination of the traditional with the cosmopolitan. They define their proposal as "a close, jovial and sybaritic gastronomy, open to all kinds of palates", and the place has a very traditional air, with red as the main color, and carnations adorning the tables. In short, it represents the good Madrid food with certain touches of creativity, ideal for those who enjoy new and old approaches of the Spanish tradition to the table.

In its menu, classic recipes of a lifetime coexist with more modern ones for newcomers to this new Madrid tavern spirit. Its owner, Antonio del Álamo, is a lover of traditional cuisine, and bets on local and seasonal products, with the aim of breaking schemes by making dishes as simple as croquettes or a Russian salad are considered exquisite and elegant, refining the most traditional cuisine.

Some of its essentials are anchovies from Santoña, tomato and avocado, vegetables roasted in a wood oven, omelette with eel, or pickled partridge. It is worth mentioning its interesting winery, which keeps hundreds of references from all regions of the country, paying special attention to the wines of Madrid.

Where: Beneficencia, 15. Tel. 91 447 51 11. Price: More than 50 €.

Mena Apulian Food

"Hooligans and 100% original" is the description that best defines this place, which brings a piece of Italy to the center of Madrid. It is a restaurant of Mediterranean food typical of the region of Puglia, in southern Italy, with a menu based on artisanal products and authentic ingredients of that area such as cime di rapa, capocollo di Martina or burrata. Its first owner, the nonna Gema, is Mena's grandmother, who at 82 years old continues to delight with her dishes of traditional Italian cuisine, and was responsible for importing all the ingredients to get an authentic culinary journey to the heart of Italy.

Interior of Mena Apulian Food.

His passion for the transalpine country has led him to baptize the restaurant with a typical expression of the Puglian dialect, and as they say: "Mena is much more than food, they are perfumes, colors. It is to discover a region in all its charm. It's exploring the typical Puglian food in Madrid."

There are two star products, on the one hand the Panzerotto, a special bread made with flour, salt and the secret ingredient of the nonna Gema, and on the other the puccia salentina, typical of Salento, similar to a stuffed pita bread. "At Mena we want to maintain the tradition of the grandmother, offering an artisanal product with authentic ingredients from Puglia. Gourmet Italian food for all tastes," they add.

Where: Humilladero, 16. Tel. 623 19 87 08. Price: Less than 50€.

Pontius by Willy Moya

It is a new concept between restaurant and tapas bar that combines the best of both. It is a personal project of the "cook" Willy Moya, its ideologue, chef and owner, with "the decoration and a kitchen seen as a declaration of principles," he explains. After living for a few years in London, Istanbul and Seville, he settled in the Madrid neighborhood of Retiro with premises with a closed terrace known for a great peculiarity: he has a menu without first or second, composed of dishes that have accompanied him throughout his career, and that he has perfected over time.

The terrace of Pontius Willy Moya.

Among his recommendations can not miss his peculiar version of the gilda, which he prepares with smoked tuna and piparra veil; their pickled mussels with spring onion and pickled pickle; octopus salad; the tuna tartare taco with puffed rice and anchovy caviar, or the choco meatball with tomato sauce, or the delicious Queen d'Amand dessert, a puff pastry with apple and cream ice cream that melts in the mouth. It is worth mentioning its collection of Sherry wines, with more than 120 references.

Where: Pl. del Niño Jesús, 3. Tel. 91 515 74 71. Price: more than 50€.

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