|
|
| Home > City Guide - Madrid - Restaurants | ||
|
||
|
Restaurants We have selected 25 restaurants, which we have divided into five categories: Gastronomic, Business, Trendy, Budget and Personal Recommendations. The restaurants are listed alphabetically within these different categories, which serve as guidelines rather than absolute definitions of the establishments. Spanish VAT (IVA) is 7% and is included in all menu prices. If not, it will be stated that prices are exclusive of IVA. Tipping is not a widespread practice but, of course, should one wish to leave a gratuity, it is always appreciated. In the upscale restaurants, it is customary to leave a few hundred Pesetas, never usually more than €3. Occasionally, a cover charge of about €1 is added to the bill – the menu should mention this. The prices quoted below are for a three-course meal and for a bottle of house wine or equivalent; they do not include a tip. Gastronomic El Amparo El Amparo’s deserved reputation as one of Madrid’s top gourmet restaurants owes a good deal to the creative partnership of culinary consultant Martín Berasategui and head chef Iñigo Pérez, and their flair for giving traditional Basque recipes the nouvelle cuisine treatment. Recommended dishes include mille feuille of apples with smoked fish and foie gras, hake in a parsley sauce with clams, and for dessert, cinnamon ice cream with dark chocolate and pistachios. Another plus for the restaurant is its setting, a former coach-house in Madrid’s smart Salamanca district. Callejón de Puigcerdá 8 Tel: (91) 431 6456. Fax: (91) 575 5491. Price: €54. Wine: €19. El Cenador del Prado Chef Tomás Herranz has won numerous accolades for his imaginative menus, which showcase the best of Spanish regional cuisine. Salted cod in breadcrumbs with garlic and grape garnishing, medallions of venison with cheese ravioli and quince, beef carpaccio with pig’s trotters in a mushroom sauce – all the dishes here are prepared with virgin olive oil and dressed with fresh herbs. The prices are reasonable, the ambience is cool and refined, the service impeccable. The trellised garden room is another plus. Calle del Prado 4 Tel: (91) 429 1561. Fax: (91) 369 0455. Price: €27. Wine: €10. Jockey Patronised by the rich, famous and discerning, Jockey has earned a reputation for itself as one of Madrid’s top-flight restaurants since opening in 1945. The restaurant is quite small and intimate, with dark wooden panelling and framed prints of jockeys and their mounts. Fish, wild fowl and game in season are all to be found on an ambitious, often exciting, menu. The wine cellar is also excellent. Typical dishes include lobster ragout with truffles and fresh pasta, marinated partridge in jelée of thyme and lamb à la Provençale. Amador de los Ríos 6 Tel: (91) 319 1003. Fax: (91) 319 2435. Price: €60. Wine: €16.50. La Broche Sergi Arola One of the brightest stars in Madrid’s culinary firmament, La Broche's master chef, Sergi Arola, has been awarded two Michelin stars for his original interpretations of traditional Catalan and Spanish recipes. The menu changes monthly but signature dishes include turbot con patas de puerco, where pan-fried turbot is sprinkled with coriander and served with a jelly of pig’s feet wrapped in onion, and solomillo de buey, ox steak stuffed with goats’ cheese, anchovies, cherries and pine-nut puree. The stark, uniformly white decor helps to create a relaxed and surprisingly informal ambience. Miguel Angel 29-31 (next to Hotel Miguel Angel) Tel: (91) 399 3437. Price: €85. Wine: €19. Zalacaín One of Europe’s finest restaurants, Zalacaín has gathered just about every gastronomic award, including the coveted three Michelin stars. Master chef Benjamín Urdaín has spent nearly 30 years fine-tuning a menu that combines classic French recipes with those of his Basque homeland. Only a culinary master with a refreshing unpretentiousness can give humble dishes like pig’s trotters and smoked fish equal prominence with oysters, caviar, truffles and foie gras. Some may find the formality of Zalacaín a touch overdone, with its various dining areas, some of which are well suited to tête-à-tête, subdued lighting and dark red decor. Jacket and tie are de rigueur. Alvarez de Baena 4 Tel: (91) 561 4840. Fax: (91) 561 4732. Price: €108. Wine: €19. Business Berceo-Le-Divellec This gourmet temple in one of Madrid’s more exclusive hotels opened in 1998 and has become a by-word for sophisticated eating. Much of its reputation rests on the shoulders of Parisian master chef, Jacques Le-Divellec, whose culinary métier is seafood. However, anyone averse to dishes like sea bass in rum or baked tuna with curry sauce will not be disappointed with the tournedos or the succulent young lamb. The restaurant is formal in style, with a plush, oak-panelled interior, and its garden terrace is in great demand during the hot summer months. Hotel Villa Magna, Paseo de la Castellana 22 Tel: (91) 587 1234. Fax: (91) 431 2286. E-mail: hotel@villamagna.es Website: http://madrid.hyatt.com/magna Price: €42. Wine: €15. Cabo Mayor This superb gourmet restaurant, hidden among the office blocks of the Chamartín district, is a showcase for fish dishes from Spain’s Cantabrian coast. Hake with clams in parsley sauce, grilled turbot, sea bream with thyme – there is hardly an item on the menu that does not entice. The atmosphere is pleasantly informal; the main dining area (downstairs) is fitted out in nautical style with brass portholes, wood panels and ship’s rigging. Juan Ramón Jiménez 37 Tel: (91) 350 8776. Fax: (91) 359 1621. Price: €42. Wine: €12. Café Gijón A Madrid institution, this famous literary café first opened its doors in 1888 and is still going strong. Patrons over the years have included the poets Federico García Lorca and Pablo Neruda, the film director Orson Welles and the Nobel prize-winning novelist Camilo José Cela. The restaurant boasts a well-lit salon and large, street-facing windows, a terrace and a basement. There are several menus availalble. The menu del dia, comprises dishes such as Spanish omelette, stuffed pepers and hake. A tapas menu contains items such as sirloin sandwich, prawns in garlic and anchovies. The a la carte menu boasts Spanish specialities. While the Spanish cooking is not outstanding, the set lunch at €9 is good value and the location, a few minutes’ walk from Cibeles and the Banco de España, can hardly be bettered. Paseo de Recoletos 21 Tel: (91) 521 5425. Price: €9. Wine: €10. Las Cuatro Estaciones Rated one of the finest restaurants in Madrid, ‘The Four Seasons’ celebrated its 20th anniversary in 2001, less than a year after master chef Francisco Ariaz and his team were awarded the Premio Nacional de Gastronomia. Situated to the northwest of the city centre, near the university, Las Cuatro Estaciones’ floral decor, reflecting the changing seasons, is breathtaking. The cooking is perhaps best described as Mediterranean with a pronounced French accent – mille feuille de foie gras or blanquette of monkfish. General Ibáñez Ibero 5 Tel: (91) 553 6305. Fax: (91) 553 0523. Price: €39. Wine: €14. Lhardy This august establishment, less than a minute’s walk from Puerta del Sol, was founded by Frenchman Emile Lhardy in 1839 after being told that there were no decent restaurants in Madrid. The restaurant specialises in traditional Castillian fare, with typical dishes including solomillo (entrecôte), roast beef, cocido (stew) or tripe cooked Madrid style in a tomato and wine sauce. The tapas bar and delicatessen downstairs preserve the original gilded mirrors, marble counters and brass fittings – the bar is a cheaper option than the plush restaurant on the first floor with dishes such as soups, paella, tortilla, fish and shellfish dishes, sausages or hams. Carrera de San Jerónimo 8 Tel: (91) 522 2207. Fax: (91) 523 1171. Website: www.lhardy.es Price: €54 (restaurant); €10 (tapas bar). Wine: €17. Trendy Champagnería Gala Gala is currently one of Madrid’s trendier eating places and diners should book ahead to be sure of a table on the canopied garden patio. The Spanish sparkling wines are the ideal accompaniment to the paellas, risottos and Catalan noodle dishes (fideuàs) that are Gala’s stock-in-trade. There are more than a dozen of these wines to choose from. The set menu includes a glass of wine, as well as a starter and dessert – a bargain at €11. Calle Moratín 22 Tel: (91) 420 1950. Website: www.paellas-gala.com Price: €11. Wine: €6. Divina La Cocina A great location on the fringes of trendy Chueca is one reason why this restaurant, owned by Spanish chef José Luis Castanedo and American Chad Kenyon, is such a hit. Together, they have created their own special brand of Spanish fusion – for example, salted cod in a soya and ginger sauce, seaweed salad with shrimps and eggs of sea urchin or prime beef steak with pâté de foie gras in port. Designer Carlos Mayoral’s powder blue and terracotta tones add a dash of refinement and sophistication. Calle Colmenares 13 Tel: (91) 531 3765. Price: €21. Wine: €7. Las Cuevas de Luís Candelas While many of the eating places around Plaza Mayor are touristy and overpriced, Las Cuevas offers better value and a relaxed convivial atmosphere in the brick-vaulted cellar with tiled bar, wall paintings, wrought iron fittings and an open fire for the suckling pig speciality. Named after a 19th-century highwayman, said to have hidden in one of the cellars (cuevas), this bar-restaurant offers a typical range of tapas, as well as substantial main courses. Specialities include merluza (hake) and roasts cooked in a wood-fired oven, jamon serrano (cured ham), shrimps in garlic or cheese and grilled peppers. An English-language menu is available. Calle de Cuchilleros 1 Tel: (91) 366 5428. Price: €27. Wine: €14. Lombok The minimalist decor of this Chueca eatery (spotlights, bare white walls, steel counter) may look a trifle passé but Lombok is still very much in vogue. Its clientele is young and stylish – perhaps it helps that one of the co-owners is a Spanish TV presenter. The fusion cuisine draws on ingredients and recipes from the far-flung corners of the globe – Thai salad, samosas filled with apple and Roquefort cheese, carpaccio, monkfish kebab, kangaroo steak in port – it all looks as good as it tastes. Augusto Figueroa 32 Tel: (91) 531 3566. Fax: (91) 531 3566. E-mail: info@lombokmadrid.com Website: www.lombokmadrid.com Price: €21. Wine: €9. Robata Japanese cooking is still not quite as much in vogue in Madrid as in some European capitals but is catching up fast. Robata is Japanese for a grill, so grilled meats and fish (Spanish a la parrilla) are to the fore on an extensive menu offering combinations of tempura, sashimi, sushi and sukiyaki, and also soups. The bold black and red colour scheme is eye-catching, the ambience relaxed. Diners can sit at a table or around the central sushi bar. Calle de la Reina 31 Tel: (91) 521 8528. Fax: (91) 531 3063. Price: €24. Wine: €5 (sake). Budget Café del Círculo de Bellas Artes In its heyday in the 1920s, the Café del Círculo de Bellas Artes was the haunt of Madrid’s leading intellectuals. Designed by Antonio Palacios, the spacious salon, decorated with classical pillars, chandeliers and an enormous painted ceiling, is known as the goldfish bowl because of its outlook onto Calle Alcalá. The menu is wide ranging and includes everything from cakes, baguettes and ices to roast beef and smoked salmon. The terrace is a great place to watch the world go by. Calle Marqués de Casa Riera 2 Tel: (91) 531 8503. Price: €18. Wine: €7. La Galette One of the best things about this well-established vegetarian restaurant is that carnivores are catered for too. From the extensive list of imaginatively prepared vegetable, rice and pasta dishes, one might single out the delicious tartar de chicle (cauliflower cheese with a dusting of fresh herbs). Diners sit elbow-to-elbow in the two small rooms, decked out in an appealing country-kitchen style. Calle Conde de Aranda 11 Tel: (91) 576 0641. Price: €21. Wine: €8. Taberna Carmencita Once the haunt of artists, soldiers and bullfighters, this rambling inn has been around since 1850. The original hand-painted tiles and the check tablecloths create a homely ambience, appropriate to the Madrileño cooking. Croquettes, stuffed peppers, fillet steak, tripe, meatballs, eggs and the hotpot known as cocido are the mainstays. While eating à la carte is not especially cheap, the set menu (€9) is good value. It is a pity about the brusque service, however. Calle Libertad 16 Tel: (91) 531 6612. Price: €22. Wine: €5. Vips This branch of the well-known newsagent and restaurant chain has a great location, close to the Prado and the Thyssen-Bornemisza museums. Open seven days a week until the early hours of the morning, it is nearly always full, on account of the reasonable prices and the diverse menu – everything from ham and eggs to pizzas and bowls of tacos. The atmosphere is busy and bustling and the décor modern and functional. Breakfasts (American, English and continental) are served until midday. Plaza de las Cortes 7 Tel: (91) 429 4234. Price: €12. Wine: €5. Viuda de Vacas The name ‘The Widow Vacas’ alludes to the Cánovas Vacas family from Segovia, who founded the restaurant more than a century ago. This homely taberna, mainly patronised by young locals, preserves its faded wall tiles, marble-top tables and a spiral staircase leading to the upper floor. The menu, inspired by the Castillian countryside, is only available in Spanish – recommended are berenjenas (eggplants stuffed with breadcrumbs in a cream sauce), jamon al horno (roast pork), gallina en pepitoria (chicken in egg and almond sauce) and merluza (hake). Calle Cava Alta 23 Tel: (91) 366 5847. Price: €15. Wine: €6. Personal Recommendations Al-Mounia Ethnic restaurants are not Madrid’s strong point but Al-Mounia can be counted among the exceptions. Situated just off Paseo de Recoletas, the North African (Maghreb) specialities in this restaurant include sublime couscous dishes and tajines. The starters are equally tempting, if pricey – money is better spent on the sticky, finger-licking pastries. The decor, evoking a Moorish palace with ceramic wall tiles and lattice screens, is fun but unconvincing. Calle Recoletos 5 Tel: (91) 435 0828. Price: €36. Wine: €13. Botín Said to be the oldest restaurant in the world, Botín first opened its doors below the Plaza Mayor in 1725. The wonderful old dining rooms retain the original painted tiles, oak beams and wood-burning oven. Traditional Castillian dishes are the speciality here – the roast suckling pig and the tender Aranda lamb are delicious. Reservations are strongly advised as it is very popular. Calle Cuchilleros 17 Tel: (91) 366 4217. Fax: (91) 366 8494. Price: €31. Wine: €10. Café Saigon Café Saigon opened in February 2001 and consequently made waves among the city’s young sophisticates. The cuisine is best described as Oriental, although Vietnamese dishes do feature. There are shades of the ‘Paris of the East’ too in the lattice woodcarving, hessian drapes, sepia photographs and colonial bric-a-brac in the upstairs dining area. As there is no English-language menu, the safe option is the reasonably priced menú degustación. Paseo de la Castellana 66, corner of Calle de Maria de Molina Tel: (91) 563 1566. Price: €24. Wine: €13. La Dame Noire ‘The Black Lady’ has a great location in the heart of Chueca, one of Madrid’s most colourful neighbourhoods and now the gay quarter. A good deal of its appeal lies in the outlandish decor, a rococo travesty with trompe l’oeil ceiling, red drapes, gilded mirrors, classical statues and leopard skin chair covers. The cooking is French inspired, if a touch eccentric – salted cod in cider may not be to everyone’s taste. A safer bet might be the trout and almonds in an onion sauce or ox tongue in port. Calle Pérez Galdós 3 Tel: (91) 531 0476. Fax: (91) 522 2061. Price: €19. Wine: €10. Terra Mundi Galician home cooking is on offer in this delightful restaurant near Plaza Santa Ana. The restaurant has an informal ambience with rustic country-kitchen decor with pine wood furniture and check tablecloths. The tapas bar is popular with local office workers, while meals are served in the adjoining dining rooms. The menu is inspired by traditional Gallegan recipes. Fish and seafood dishes (including octopus) are to the fore, although meat also makes a strong showing – the roast pork in a plum and raisin sauce goes down a treat. Outstanding among the desserts is filloas (Galician crêpe). Lope de Vega 32 bajo Tel: (91) 429 5289. Price: €18. Wine: €7. |
||
