More than a year after its opening in full Neighborhood of salamanca of Madrid, the Don Dimas restaurant continues to show that it is the best gastronomic representative of the coast of light in the capital.
Don Dimas serves dishes every day from its headquarters in Castello street. And that the area is one of the most competitive in the capital. With a year behind him, this success is surely due to the work and the good ideas behind the project.
Much of the blame Alvaro Garces, his ideologue, who defines himself as a restaurateur and host of passion and heart.
Rice with nettles.
Occupations that he has been carrying out for two decades and that have allowed him to work with some of the most important chefs in the world such as Martin Berasategui, Carme Ruscalleda or Alain Ducasse.
The experience gained was transferred to this contemporary eating house Andalusian soul and culture with influences from Basque and Catalan cuisine.
The weight of southern Spain in the menu is due to its roots, to the broken , in Huelva. And, those in the north, to those autonomous communities where he trained as a chef.
Some principles that are also reflected in the name of the restaurant . Don Dimas comes from the only fox that Blas Infante , Andalusian intellectual, could not tame.
Don Dimas's fox.
An animal whose main characteristic is to be cunning. A singularity that harmonizes very well with the idea of temporality and seasonality who runs the restaurant.
SEASONALITY RULES
Because seasonality and temporality are the great pillars of this eatery. For this reason, the letter is made up of a series of classics and for some market touches , as Álvaro Garcés calls them, which they change every 15 or 20 days.
Yes indeed, all stand out for quality of the product. Something that is appreciated very well in the starter of ' tomato’.
How long has it been since you tasted a tomato with a powerful flavor? A delicious fruit that is accompanied by a typical pipirrana from Jaén and pickles such as beets or celeriac. A fresh bite to cope with the heat that never disappoints.
Tomato salad.
Their exquisite Gazpacho or the corn croquette They also deserve a few words. The latter stands out thanks to a previous stew made with the mollusk and the touch of citrus mayonnaise that accompanies it.
But of all the dishes, the prize goes to the gnocchis with red shrimp . Made by themselves, they are served with this typical crustacean from Huelva and leave a great taste in the mouth thanks to the fish soup they combine and a sauce made with carabineros head . a delight
Also intense is the steak tartare. The combination of the meat matured for 90 days with a little cecina, marrow and a mix with smoked eel and horseradish They make the dish have a lot of body. Perhaps his most risky proposal.
Grilled avocado.
Less recommended is rice with nettles. Prepared at _plain , that is to say, canned in the Catalan style, does not manage to combine well the flavor of the fried seaweed, the fish and the lemon mousse.
The menu is closed by a series of desserts that also fail to reach the height of the first courses.
Among them are the candied Jerte cherry cold with a chocolate mousse, vanilla ice cream and red berries, or the chocolate cake . The latter on an Inés Rosales cake and with a few drops of picual oil and salt.
SWEET WINES
Where they do stand out in Don Dimas is in the wide selection of wines. many of their land. Mónica Morales, who trained at Can Fusté, has taken care of this and has chosen for the restaurant a winery with an Andalusian accent and small producers.
One of the desserts.
A selection that will changing every week depending on the discoveries of the sommelier and the requests of the clientele.
They parade through the letter more than 100 references with appellations of origin such as Jerez, Sanlúcar de Barrameda, Málaga or the V. T. Cádiz. And, as Monica Morales herself maintains, they are specialized in generous and still Andalusian wines.
CHARMING INTERIORS
A gastronomic experience that is completed with the decoration of the place , which it has a lot of charm . With a art deco style that is committed to contrasts, the restaurant has different spaces dominated by the wallpaper multi-colored and the exposed brick.
Don Dimas waits in Castelló street.
Special mention also deserves the originally upholstered chairs and the bar. An original conglomerate that gives the place a 1960s-70s Parisian dining setting.
In short, Don Dimas is a complete place that is committed to good gastronomy and that has arrived so as not to miss Andalusian cuisine in Madrid. If you can't enjoy the south this summer, here you can fill that gap a little.