Chickpeas with sausage and foie at La Raquetista, one of the best in El Retiro
In Madrid's Retiro neighborhood there are many (neo) taverns where start with an appetizer that will surely end up as a meal and after dinner. But it is in La Raquetista by the Aparicio brothers where this plan turns into something round.
As soon as we enter we are surprised by a small bar with a great atmosphere, dishes that intersect, a "sorry that happened" and "two beers for the gentlemen in the background and one of torreznos!".
And it is that their torreznos from Soria are the perfect start as they are cooked at two temperatures and have been carefully selected to maintain the proportionality between meat and fat. Crunchy and tasty, and deservedly famous, only for them is it acceptable to storm the bar and be part of the prevailing atmosphere.
Repeat with me: "The torreznos of La Raquetista are the best in Retiro".
It also has a dining room with five tables in a secluded space and a menu where tacos, tartare, dim-sum, tripe or salad coexist... Such an eclectic mix of dishes that, at first, it may seem strange, but that is resolved with elegance and determination by a kitchen with a lot of good work.
It is demonstrated with the perrechicos with egg yolk, a mushroom with hints of hazelnut that binds with the sweetness of the yolk. And here we already find the first link in that discordant letter: the product, its temporality and quality are respected to offer the best possible result.
Sit down at one of the five tables at La Raquetista and enjoy the eclectic festival of dishes.
The Russian salad is a classic in the bars of our country and a perfect proof of the value of any establishment. The one served here has tuna flakes and piparras as differentiating elements in addition to boasting an optimal point of creaminess, balance of flavors and textures, to repeat.
You have to make a mandatory stop at the stews and try the chickpeas with black sausage, mushrooms and foie. Intense background and a point of the ideal vegetable, smooth but with a buttery interior and not at all floury, a lot of (and very good) work behind this dish.
This is PORN
At the other geographical extreme we have the beef tail with Massaman curry, lacquered piece, boneless and tasty where light spicy touches are integrated with the juiciness of the meat and vegetables in a round dish.
The desserts, much closer, offer a good counterpoint to finish. The sobao French toast from 'El Macho' caramelized and accompanied by a meringue milk ice cream is a sweet ending that you can hardly say no to.
May there never be a lack of a good French toast at La Raquetista
In such a small space where there is no room for sensationalism, the kitchen is the main protagonist, the queen of the party, and La Raquetista amply fulfills this premise. A game where there is no room for anything else except pure gastronomic enjoyment... game, set and match!
Address: Doctor Casteló, 19 See map
Telephone: 918311842
Schedule: From 12:00 to 24:00