Brain and kokotxas omelette
"The Condé Nast Traveler newsroom spends their lives eating out." Yes. It is true, undeniable: this belly is for and by you, to always select the best and opt for those restaurants that, in an unstoppable maelstrom of openings, of throwaway restaurants, make a difference and are committed to excellence. ** Do not miss the first installment, the second installment, the ** ** fourth and fifth.**
Here landed the best sushi in Madrid.
KABUKI WELLINGTON. WELLINGTON HOTEL (Velázquez, 6 tel. 915 77 78 77) €€€€€
The absolute winner when it comes to honoring a restaurant with the title of “best Japanese”. Housed inside this emblematic hotel and designed by Ricardo Sanz, It has a bar that works as the brain of a room with an almost futuristic and sober style and with a team that moves imperceptibly around the restaurant under the command of Francisco Cantos.
Purism has no place, although technique does, with ingredients that have little to do with Japanese tradition, such as bull usuzukuri with bread and tomato or squid sandwich, monkfish liver marinated in soy and sake, or quail egg niguiri with white truffle pâté. Sanz received a distinction from the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs for his contribution to the spread of Japanese culinary culture in Spain.
KAPPO (Bretón de los Herreros, 54 tel. 910 42 00 66) €€€€
Traditional Japanese kaiseki cuisine, signed by Mario Payán (ex-Kabuki). In this restaurant in the Chamberí neighbourhood, its chef and owner seeks to approach the diner with a more personal kitchen, in which contact with the customer is constant. And Payán, the only protagonist. To achieve his purpose he has a small and modern bar where you can see him preparing, without haste, and also without pause, each piece of sushi that comes out on the tables (a handful of them).
Delicate bites and designed to make up two omakase menus –Mario and Super Mario– fresh and light (not scarce), which are not revealed until the last moment. The surprise factor achieves more than satisfactory results. Kappo means cooking in Japanese.
Kappo Restaurant: pampering and tradition
KUNG FU (Moon, 12 tel. 911 63 31 15) €
Cantonese and Sichuan specialties . His name is deciphered when they appreciate each other several images of Bruce Lee hanging on the walls of his modest dining room , where a young couple from Wenzhou cooks.
The crabs are to die for (literally) and the Ganguo-style chicken and Qianggu-style sea bass are the hits of a letter that, although brief and intended to be shared, does not seem to bore Chinese youth, that fill it up on weekends.
His new project is called Xiang ZiLi _(Booksellers, 18) _ and only eats Guo Qiao Mi Xian, a traditional Yunnan dish.
THE WELL APPEARED (Jorge Juan, 8 tel. 911 59 39 39) €€€
The flagship (with permission from Cañadío) of Paco Quirós. Jorge Juan has become Madrid's Golden Mile of seeing and being seen at his tables. But in this house they have achieved the most difficult yet: that on top of that it fascinates those who want to eat well, whether they see them or not.
Here they rule the good stews, the forcefulness and the generous portions. Great classics that define a place like this: the croquettes, the salad, the squid rings...
Also discover The first , in Gran Vía, 1 and with more than postcard views of Madrid.
THE GOOD LIFE (Count of Xiquena, 8 tel. 915 31 31 49) €€€
Carlos and Elisa, faithful to their simplicity and passion for the raw material. The important potatoes with cocochas deray from a recent visit left us so K.O. like other dishes on any of the occasions (a few) that we have eaten in this house. The sea urchin with egg, the grouse or the woodcock in Carlos's elegant way are as repeatable as his fish of the day or his seasonal vegetables. There are his famous artichokes to prove it or the tear peas, when he touches them to appear. Oh, and for soup addicts: try the fish one on cold days... or not. amazing cheese cake and winery that surprises.
THE CATAPA (Minorca, 14 tel. 915 74 26 15) €€€
Illustrated tavern in El Retiro with traditional food. A place where you go to eat (very well) and nothing else. In an area where the range of restaurants grows like mushrooms in a Navarrese forest, booking at La Catapa is betting on the winning horse. No matter what is ordered, the good hand of the kitchen is noticeable in everything: the perfect points, the stews making chupchup and the first class genres.
to chop, spectacular potato omelette and croquettes. To continue, the baked fish, the rice dishes (the Denia prawn!) or the oxtail to make little boats with the (town) bread non-stop. Do not lose sight of the suggestions of the day.
It is advisable to book, more on weekends. In the absence of a table, go to the bar.
Let yourself be carried away by the impeccable work of Pepe Leal
THE GARDEN OF CARABAÑA (Lagasca, 32 tel. 910 83 00 07) €€€
Vegetables are the backbone of the dishes in this charming corner of the Salamanca district. Nor is it surprising, being its owner Robert Cabrera, founder of the horticultural project Huerta de Carabaña.
On Calle Lagasca is his restaurant and right next door, on Jorge Juan, the bistro, both with the most Instagrammable decor, by interior designer Pepe Leal. The restaurant is more formal and designed to avoid rushing, with delicate preparations that highlight the power of vegetables, which are served by themselves or in combination with fresh fish and meat. In its bistro , on the other hand, there is a more informal atmosphere, open from breakfast to dinner, when rice dishes and stews position it as a healthy and light option that does not neglect sophistication and flavor. They make their own extra virgin olive oil, Huerta de Carabaña.
ELIA'S TAVERN (Via de las Dos Castillas, 23 Pozuelo de Alarcón tel. 911 62 74 29, 616 87 82 87) €€€
The great carnivorous temple of Madrid. Aurelian Catalin, 'Cata', learned in another of our favourites, the mythical El Torreón, in Tordesillas. But his great success was opening this grill to give meat, carnaza, in a city with few "real" grills.
Essential as starters steak tartare, black pudding from Burgos and grilled chorizo or anchovies from Santoña. But let's focus: here it comes for chops, matured in situ (in the chamber) and for all tastes: German Simmental cow, Galician cow, old working cow... Fries are to order by sources. Wines at store price with a fixed corkage cost (€7).
THE TASQUERIA (Duke of Sesto, 48 tel. 914 51 10 00) €€
Responsible for recovering forgotten recipes, based on the entrails of the animal world and on the Spanish cookbook. without any hesitation, chef Javier Estévez identified in the offal the differentiating point on which to base the philosophy of his first restaurant, which is on its way to becoming (if it is not already) a benchmark of Madrid gastronomy.
Eel and cheese tails, brain and cocochas omelette, tripe, snout, leg, neck... the possibilities of his cuisine are almost infinite and reach, without complications, levels hitherto unknown by the Madrid hotel industry, those that others achieve if by chance resorting to the help of fusion. The Tasquería menu (€39) is served to the entire table. Do you all dare?
In addition, he recently opened with other partners ** John Barrita , an informal and tasty sandwich shop next to the thriving Mercado de Vallehermoso **.
The Tasquita in front
THE TASQUITA IN FRONT _(Crossbow, 6 tel. 915 32 54 49) _
Juanjo Lopez adds and continues to offer, without rival, the best product. from those prodigious salads (that follow), those croquettes to eat a thousand (that follow), or those insurmountable calluses (following), Juanjo has done at least seven pole vaults to reach the most radical exaltation of the product.
Every day is a surprise, but let's play: sea and mountain tuna and ear, grilled and raw boletus edulis, almost live shrimp, tomato heart with Iberian veil, mussel and celery. Nacho Trujillo, brilliant in the kitchen, and Arturo García, impeccable in the dining room and wines, they give even greater packaging to what for many is the illustrated tavern of reference in our country. Ask if not Ferran Adrià, one of his loyal clients. This house is very fond of champagne, but pay close attention to the rest of the cellar.
THE CASINO TERRACE (Alcalá, 15 tel. 91 521 87 00) €€€€
Paco Roncero conducts the orchestra of one of the Michelin emblems in the capital. The fake squid risotto with pink grapefruit and eucalyptus purée, the lobster with glazed bacon in Thai sauce or the Madrid-style pig trotter tournedo reflect Paco's interest in satisfy a public eager for revisions of classics, nods to modern cuisine and an international look. He achieves it in a majestic space, the Madrid Casino, and also through “house brand” futuristic-style menus that include their mimetic nuts, ancient olive oil or Andalusian gazpacho sandwich. An essential terrace.
LAKASA BY CESAR MARTIN (Plaza del Descubridor Diego de Ordás, 1 tel. 915 33 87 15) €€€€
From boom to stability, César Martín is a classic. Outstanding student (long ago) of Iñaki Camba's kitchen, teacher of a few from his Arce restaurant, his evolution in the first Lakasa was intense and immense. Now everything has calmed down because His impeccable hand with game is indisputable, his commitment to seasonal cuisine with nods that go equally towards European classicism and fusion, and a room that works like clockwork, bustling and fun, thanks to Marina Launay Caesar's partner.
LUA (Paseo de Eduardo Dato, 5 tel. 913 95 28 53) €€€€
Manuel Domínguez runs this infallible Chamberí. His gastronomic menu (€65), with excellent value for money, is the reflection of the Galician soul of the chef , famous almost since he started for offering possibly the best octopus in Madrid. But beware of dishes such as garlic soup, suckling pig confit or pear and San Simón cheese empanada with duck micuit.
At the bar, logically more informal, there is a succession of 'goodies' such as the prawn bravas, the lamb sweetbread nuggets or, we insist, that pulpazo. Great attention also to the good Galician meats. It has a reserved area for private meals that is highly recommended.
MEDEA (Ríos Rosas, 45 tel. 910 81 97 71) €€€
Luis Ángel Pérez, after passing through Zalacaín or Aponiente, exercises his creativity in a small local. Without making too much noise and with its pucelana simplicity as a flag, Luis Ángel bets on a kitchen full of nods to his childhood (the pigeon breast from his native Íscar, land of pine forests), to his youth (musical references to La Casa Azul and Los Planetas on fused plates) or even mocking mileurismo in that "Mexico according to the Chinese in my neighborhood", which he has lacquered duck breast with hoisin, creamy mole, lime cottage cheese, corn and smoked cocoa sponge cake.
Ways of good technique and progression that deserves more than one visit. We owe you another.
They offer a short menu of €50 and a long menu of €65, Always from 16 seasonal dishes, which change depending on the market.
If you are left wanting more, enjoy the first and second installments.
€ Less than €10
€€ Up to €20
€€€ Up to €50
€€€€ More than 50 €
*You can find the 2018 Gastronomic and Wine Guide in a digital version for your devices, at Manzana , Zinium Y google play .