Love letter to one of the best Italian restaurants in Madrid
February is the month of love and in the absence of a partner, I have decided to declare my unconditional love to a historic Italian restaurant in Madrid , which, in my opinion, deserves to be more popular than it currently is: ** Luna Rossa .**
Open since 1994, Luna Rossa was the first pizzeria restaurant that introduced Madrid the authentic Neapolitan pizza in a wood oven . prepare until 100 pizzas a day , and all according to very strict quality standards: the dough ferments from a minimum of 40 hours to a maximum of 72 , the flour and the tomatoes come from Italy, the mozzarella – of the fiordilatte type – and most of the ingredients (friarielli-type turnip tops, fresh salsiccia a punta di coltello, etc.) that are used are fresh and homemade.
They have passed through here Rey Felipe, Javier Bardem, Lola Flores and other personalities from the world of politics and entertainment, but this Neapolitan trattoria It is above all, "a meeting place for the people of the neighborhood", says Anna Carla Zucchini to Traveler.es, one of the two owners. "It's a trattoria with the air of a Spanish tavern," she concludes.
Although the Neapolitan pizza, recently declared Intangible Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO , is the star dish of Luna Rossa , and its biggest claim, there are many more reasons to love this little restaurant on Calle San Bernardo.
Wild red tuna carbonara with saffron , the Cod ravioli with squid ink , the Ragout (Bolognese sauce) Neapolitan style – with lard, three different cuts of meat and slow-cooked for 8 hours – or the potato pancake (a revamped version of potato gateau with quail egg on top) are just a few.
Your wine list is capable of appeasing the desires of all Italian wine lover . “In Italy we have 1,200 different types of grapes, so we have tried to represent most of them in our menu. It is possible to taste from a Barolo to a Primitive, going through a Cannonau or a Nero d'Avola ; we also serve Italian Berlucchi champagne and prosecco on tap, a very typical drink at aperitif time (in the afternoon) in the Treviso area”, he clarifies Anna Carla.
And the section of desserts it is a true feast for all of us who love sweet bites. Cannoli, babá, sfogliatelle, tiramisù, pastiera, casatiello, caprese cake... Even the least sweet-toothed will fall for it!
Another hallmark of Luna Rossa are its out of letter . It is always represented Italian gastronomic variety , through different regional dishes and on special dates, such as Christmas or Easter, it is possible to taste some lesser-known typical recipes, such as Genoese (onion ragù), the Spaghetti with lamb sauce wave marital minestra (meat and vegetable soup) .
Also, if you want to experiment at home, the Zucchini sisters have just opened a “Gastronomic Point” in the Mostenses Market with a strong philosophy slow food , where it is possible to taste Italian products, as well as purchase the ingredients used in the restaurant. Speck, Mutti tomato sauce, spicy salami spianata, pistachio mortadella, original cheeses (with tartufo, Barolo and chestnuts, hay and whisky, etc.) and even the cabonara kit with guanciale included await you in this new Italian corner of Madrid.
If I had to summarize in a few words why I love Luna Rossa, the answer is simple: Here you breathe the air of home, it's like an Italian restaurant in Italy.
Their pizza meets demanding quality standards
Address: Calle San Bernando, 24 See map
Telephone: 915 321 454 - 686 413 560
Schedule: From Monday to Thursday from 1:30 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. and from 8:30 p.m. to 12:00 a.m.; from Friday to Sunday from 1:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. and from 8:30 p.m. to 12:30 a.m.
Half price: €30