Restaurant of the week: Caripen
Stories of eternal parties in Madrid they are always possible and for the most nostalgic, they were even more so on the tables of a restaurant under the name of Caripen.
A classic of classics that has stuck well in the memory of those who were able to enjoy it in its heyday. Here, not many years ago, some of the most unforgettable nights of a whole wave of madrileños wanting to revel were cooked up. Whoever wanted to get involved, in Caripen got involved. And good.
A party inside and outside gastronomy: this was (and is) Caripen
It all started in what was once the flamenco tablao owned by Lola Flores, converted into a restaurant at the hands of Frenchman Daniel Boute.
**Its main attraction was the schedule, with two night shifts (and a kitchen open until 2:30) ** placed on a silver platter for those who left the Teatro Real late, worked untimely hours or simply liked to start the moved past the official dinner hour.
From then on, the purest jewels of the Madrid night were mixed –they were Real Madrid players (a.k.a. Guti _was here) _ or local celebrities and jet set, bohemians or artists – who, wisely, knew that avoiding dinner on a night out was absurd.
Duck magret from Caripen
Today, although the course of Madrid's nightlife has changed direction, its clientele is still very diverse and eager for a bit of trouble, with a decoration and menu that continue to reaffirm dishes that were once a trend or novelty like fresh pasta, an exquisite and perfect grilled foie gras, fresh duck gizzard salad, scargots in bourguignon or a duck magret to abandon diets and let yourself go down the path of caloric perdition.
Sometimes it seems that Madrid and its gastro connoisseurs only focus on what's new or on crossing newly opened restaurants off their list, ignoring that, what has made this city so great are icons like this.
By the light of Caripen's candles
An almost underground restaurant where candles are the only sources of lighting, the tables are so close together that it is impossible not to end up chatting with the next table and where eating is the perfect complement to a conversation that, if you like, , it can last until late at night between bottles of wine and dishes in which the butter has no end.
One of those places that we want to be eternal, last forever and continue to serve to remind foodies that the term "scoundrel" existed long before fusion and star chefs conquered the city.
Everything was a party in Caripen
Address: Plaza de la Marina Española, 4 See map
Telephone: 915 41 11 77
Schedule: From Monday to Thursday from 8:00 p.m. to 2:00 a.m.; Friday and Saturday from 8:00 p.m. to 2:30 a.m.
Half price: €40