The dome of Los Peñotes
Since its opening a few months ago the Dome of the Peñotes He has not stopped flooding Instagram with incredible snapshots. Definitely Madrid continues to lead the way when it comes to innovation, because it is a city that never changes and its gastronomic offer is so demanding and chameleonic that never ceases to surprise or disappoint.
We met with Angela Loring , the director of a project that is presented as a dream conceived many years ago by the family business and which constitutes the garden center of Los Peñotes, where it is located. Angela belongs to the third generation. She tells us that the geodesic dome was built in the 1980s to house the top trend exhibitions of that decade, gradually leaving the space for bonsai..
In the continuous commercial trips that the management of the garden center makes, they conceive the idea of creating a space that will enhance the change that the center itself is experiencing. “It goes from being a pure self-service to be a garden center with the aim of promoting a whole lifestyle related to the enjoyment of being surrounded by plants , nature, of beautiful and pretty things, of taking care of the details in everyday life”, explains Loring.
In this new situation the strong point of this green corner is the flexibility in the spaces . In this forest of Eden for now only the outdoor area works, the one on the terrace . Simulating the heart of a botanical garden, the gastronomic space is reinvented distributing the tables so that they are 2 meters from each other . Being exterior, screens are not necessary, but they will have the necessary hygiene measures. In addition, the plants mark the spaces so that the tables do not come together or people move, ensuring complete privacy.
Garden of the Dome of the Peñotes
At first it was thought create a gastronomic space for healthy food in a self-service concept . In fact, they already had the other restaurant up and running albeit with a more traditional style of food. It was his first dream come true, that of incorporating this type of service within the center: “We still had to go one step further, get a more intimate corner to the purest lifestyle of Los Peñotes , where the details were very careful, where you felt in a magical place, where nature was present inside and outside and where the love and spirit of care towards it were reflected, "says Ángela and that is just what you feel when you enter .
But here we have come to eat. We enter the universe of a letter that does not miss the fusion cuisine but she looks worried about a good local product where there is no lack of good meat or good fish. The menu is suitable for vegetarians and for those who are not, they select suppliers of sustainable products that respect animals and nature . Your fish has MSC Blue Label and their eggs are from the company Cobardes y Gallinas, where they only work with native breeds raised in freedom.
Seasonality rules and this season it has become necessary to try the sam of prawns made with squid ink tempura or the other variety of octopus. We found a nice pica pica in the form of Shrimp or red tuna Focaccia omelette and, to close the celebration, a good sirloin of those that are made with care. In the autumn menu, the Thai rice with seasonal mushrooms , a dish that they do not hesitate to have again, pairing good wines from the hand of their sommelier from Lavinia. The sweet ending becomes complicated if you have to choose between a Creme Brulee or Banoffee Pie . Or maybe both.
A garden, a dome and local cuisine: this is the Cúpula de los Peñotes
Also, taste is in the details, in its recycled glass tableware and biodegradable cotton napkins , because we are in green territory and respect for the environment is the backbone of this wonderful space . The timeless atmosphere invites you to come at odd hours, for afternoon tea or a drink after work . Ángela tells us that the dome shape sometimes causes curious situations with sound, such as the well-known architectural effect of “ whisper gallery ” that defines a building with the capacity to transport a slight sound to other parts of its space.
We have entered this new restaurant that is already part of the family of this well-known garden center. The new space, pending reopening, has been located inside a gigantic iron and glass dome that seems to reflect a different color every hour, almost magical and always avoiding taking away the prominence of the garden. In fact, we could say that we have taken a spaceship and we have landed on another planet , another world where it always smells of flowers and you only hear the running water and the clink of the glasses when toasting. It is definitely a place to unwind and let go.
It can only be accessed by reservation through the website of La Cúpula de Los Peñotes.
The famous dome is located in the Los Peñotes garden center
Address: Camino de Burgos, exit 12, A, 28108 Alcobendas, Madrid See map
Telephone: 682632235
Schedule: From 10:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. from Sunday to Wednesday. From Thursday to Saturday, it closes at 01:30 a.m.
Half price: €45