One more year, and they go eight in a row, the most exclusive hotels in Madrid are filled with gastronomy. The reason? The return of Hotel Tapa Tour, a culinary route that with the help of signature skewers claims the role of these establishments as culinary spaces while spurring the consumption of products made in Spain.

Thus, from Thursday 14 to Sunday 24 September, 24 luxury hotels will dress in long shots and put their restaurants, gardens and terraces at the service of the tapa -that hallmark of homeland and informal cuisine-, served in good company -that is, with pairing- and at an adjusted price (average tickets: 8 and 12 euros).

Each hotel will offer up to four luxury and signature snacks with their respective liquid harmonies (wine, beer, cava and liquor), with which they can also participate in the different contests that Hotel Tapa Tour 2023.

Salmon usuzukuri, coconut milk, citronella, green sisho oil, at the Four Seasons Madrid.

And since we talk about tapas, why not start this gastro festival with one of its stars: the croquette, either in traditional or updated version, presented with a beer. For example, the Riu Plaza de España hotel opts for a creamy tripe and chickpea emulsion with its black pudding and chorizo, available at El Edén Gastrobar. In ISA, restaurant and cocktail bar of the Four Seasons Hotel Madrid, they aim at the forefront with a croquette of tiger, sriracha and white shrimp tartare, and in Entre Letras (NH Collection Palacio de Tepa) they opt for tradition and with a classic filling: Iberian ham.

You can continue with the two dishes that the hotels will present to the National Tapa Food Award of Spain, each with different pairings (D.O. Ribera del Duero wines and with sparkling wines from the D.O. Cava those who opt for the Tapa Fusion award.

Cover 'De Campo', at the Radisson Red Madrid.

For example, The Westin Palace competes with a cod bonbon pilpil injected with biscayan biscuits Maria, accompanied by a Martín Berdugo and a gazpacho of green tomatoes, avocado, basil and pickled lobster paired with Anna de Cordoníu Blanc de Blancs. Winks travelers at the Relais & Châteaux Hotel Orfila with the cod fritter and yellow pepper emulsion that harmonize with a Corimbo and the red shrimp carpaccio with jalapeño, ginger and sriracha vinaigrette, escorted by the Josep Foraster Rosat Trepat Brut 2021 cava.

And what would a meal, even if it is informal, be without the sweet brooch, which on this route they do and/or accompany with Cointreau? Here are some of the desserts that those with a sweet tooth can find: creamy cheesecake with essence of this well-known liqueur (Hospes Puerta de Alcalá), pistachio and lemon mousse with babá from Cointreau (Canopy by Hilton Madrid Castellana), eclair (Gran Hotel Inglés), popcorn panna cotta with peanut praline (CoolRooms Palaci de Atocha), roasted apple, creamy vanilla and white chocolate (Bless Hotel Madrid)...

Beetroot gazpacho with guacamole and smoked salmon, at NH Collection Palacio de Tepa.

Although you can enjoy the tour freely and without booking, the organizers propose eight routes to facilitate your enjoyment and that are available on the website of Hotel Tapa Tour.

As a novelty this eighth installment brings an unprecedented and unique experience: In-House. It is an itinerant proposal that, as a tasting menu, invites you to know the different gastro spaces that are hidden in a hotel. In-House opens at the Rosewood Villa Magna, where you will visit its four gastronomic spaces and try four paired tapas: in Amos, our version of the traditional marriage; in Las Brasas de Castellana, flamenquín of smoked Iberian; in Tarde.O, txangurro croquette, moilee sauce and Iberian bacon veil, and in Flor y nata, minipavlova of figs and blackberries (50 euros, reservations on the website of the route).

In short, 10 days to enjoy informal haute cuisine in Madrid, from hotel to hotel and from tapa to tapa.