Great successes and claims of the original Manero have been brought to Madrid
How we longed for this day to come. The day in which we were finally going to be able to talk about one of the best openings in recent months in Madrid. **Bar Manero has arrived in the city and does so after more than a year with its opening plans on standby. **
But, What is Bar Manero and how did it get here? We take a trip back in time, specifically to June 2009. Carlos Bosch, leading figure and ideologue of this project, opened the doors of El Portal in Alicante, a restaurant that would certainly not leave anyone indifferent.
Because this space changes every six months and becomes a different restaurant. through decoration, something totally unthinkable 12 years ago.
Together with Bosch, an indispensable pillar of the group, chef Sergio Sierra. Together they knew how to find the key, a modern, fun restaurant with a high gastronomic level.
Bar Manero finally opens its doors
Over time and with this concept more than entrenched, in 2017, it was his turn to Bar Manero, located just two steps from the first , establishing itself as the bar of all life renovated in a gourmet key; Already Singular, its third space, where Teatro Bistrot used to be located.
And his proposals did not stop there, because at the end of 2019, within the Bar Manero in Alicante itself, another new redoubt was born, the first Dom Pérignon club in Spain, which is accessed through a fingerprint, where the most extensive menu of vintages of the maison in our country awaits.
There is more, because parallel to these businesses, they launched an e-commerce, 'Manero en casa', with a line of gourmet products, its own wines and champagne, to be able to have the best of them in our homes.
We were in Alicante, let's go back to Madrid. At the end of 2019, it was announced that Bar Manero was coming to the city and was doing so specifically to Claudio Coello street, just a few meters from the Puerta de Alcalá.
All of us who knew about Bosch projects were very happy. They had everything ready to open just last March 2020, the month in which our lives changed. "We were going to open a year ago, we had practically all the premises finished and the staff hired," Carlos Bosch explains to Traveler.es.
Then the pandemic came. And there were months to think, to digitize the concept, to start with delivery, in addition to turning to solidarity, which led Bosch and chef Sergio Sierra to produce nothing less than 10,000 dishes to feed 300 people per day in collaboration with Cáritas.
We love bars!
After considering several dates to open the premises, it was in March when they decided that it was time and they spent the whole month in prepare Bar Manero for its opening. It was specifically last April 1, when we were finally able to start enjoying it. The “mediterranean dolce vita” arrived, just as its creator coined it.
The first thing that strikes you about Bar Manero is that you don't expect what you find when you enter. Because as they say, Manero is a bar, which is actually many bars.
It could be a cocktail bar, a vermouth bar, a traditional bar, a sophisticated lounge with the charm of the early 20th century, a private room, a clandestine and even a museum.
We say that it could and we affirm that it is. All this thanks to the interior design, designed and carried out in a ten con ten between Lázaro Rosa-Violán and the Gastroportal group team itself, with Bosch and Raquel Giménez at the helm.
It is not surprising that a space that perfectly combines styles such as Art Nouveau, the usual bars or the Arts and Crafts movement, remained as finalist in the “Design & Experience” category of the 2021 edition of the Horeca New Business Models Awards, awarded within the framework of HIP (Horeca Professional Expo).
“The place also has that rogue point, it changes with the day and night and As soon as we get back to normal, there will be entertainment, DJ sessions, talks...”, says Bosch.
marinated cow
The space itself is beautiful to rage, comfortable and innovative. But as we always say, if the container is important, so is the content.
and that are the gastronomic offer and the room service, the latter in perfect harmony with the proposal. “It is a 'casual' service, but also elegant, fine, where friendliness and forms rule...”, points out Carlos Bosch.
Pleasant atmosphere, sophisticated decoration, service to match... The only thing missing is the kitchen to have a fantastic concept, whichever way you look at it. And that is another of the signs of the Gastroportal group, betting on the quality of everything they serve and, moreover, doing it at prices adapted to all pockets.
Manero is a bar, which is actually many bars
It is noteworthy that Carlos himself personally selects everything that is going to be served in his spaces. From the preserves, under the Manero brand itself, to the olives with which they make their oil.
Great successes and claims of the original Manero have been brought to Madrid. cans of preserves as mussels, cockles, razor clams in olive oil or sardines.
Also the croquettes in different versions, the Russian salad with tuna belly, the truffled potato omelette, its famous squid sandwich in a crunchy muffin from Antequera, the veal nugget, a grilled leek confit with a light truffle mayonnaise, tripe or the cannelloni as Carlos's mother prepared them, among many others.
The famous Manero squid sandwich
Their commitment to the highest quality product leads them to introduce in the menu Cadoret oysters, Santa Pola shrimp, king crab, oscietra caviar...
And if we talk about honoring its origin, we must not miss the salted meats and cured meats, among which to try the mojama, the lama of ling roe or tuna from Almadraba and a board of sausages from Pinoso, among others.
There are also juicy novelties and many of them go between breads. A bikini with fresh cheese, smoked salmon and caviar, inspired by the mythical bikini that Rafa Zafra prepares in Estimar, which is like touching the sky or brioche, for those who use John Torres bread.
Tomato and salted salad
The star? The Manero lobster roll with king crab and lobster. “We brought the recipe from a place in Miami that we love.
We searched a lot until we found John Torres' breads. He now says that they don't stop calling him about the brioches and he tells me, but what have you done, Carlos? ”, Bosch laughs.
They also fill them with pastrami, oxtail... “The good thing about this menu is that you can come three times and never repeat a dish” , ends the ideologue of space.
Grilled shrimp from Denia
Leaving room for dessert is necessary, because the sweet part is essential. Cheese flan, torrija with vanilla ice cream, its own nougat ice cream from Jijona, a strip of chocolate on toasted bread with salt and olive oil and even a mini panettone from Juanfran Asencio with nougat ice cream.
In the liquid part, few spaces can count on such a display of their own reference labels. Carlos Bosch is in charge of working side by side with producers from all over Spain to make Manero wines.
Bar Manero French toast
From wines that he makes with Marqués de Riscal or Arzuaga, to cavas with Pepe Raventós , passing through Sherry wines or the Manero champagne produced in Avizy by the Sanger winery, a benchmark because it is where Champagne winemakers usually train.
In short, a round concept to which we predict a bright future. Welcome to Madrid, Manero!
Bar Manero finally opens its doors
Address: Calle de Claudio Coello, 3, 28001 Madrid See map
Telephone: +34965144444
Schedule: From Monday to Sunday from 1:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m.
Half price: 29 euros