World City Guide

Restaurants

The selected restaurants have been divided into five categories: Gastronomic, Business, Trendy, Budget and Personal Recommendations. The restaurants are listed alphabetically within these different categories, which serve as guidelines rather than absolute definitions of the establishments.

Spanish VAT (IVA) is 7% and is included in all menu prices. If not, it will be stated that prices are exclusive of IVA. Tipping is not a widespread practice but, of course, should one wish to leave a gratuity, it is always appreciated. In the upscale restaurants, it is customary for diners to leave a tip of around 5% of the bill (never more than 10%). Occasionally, a small cover charge is added to the bill – the menu should mention this.

The prices quoted below are for an average three-course meal for one person and for a bottle of house wine or cheapest equivalent; they do not include VAT or tip.

Gastronomic

El Amparo
El Amparo’s deserved reputation as one of Madrid’s top gourmet restaurants owes a good deal to the creative partnership of culinary consultant Martn Berasategui and head chef Iigo Prez and their flair for giving traditional Basque recipes the nouvelle cuisine treatment. Recommended dishes include mille feuille of apples with smoked fish and foie gras, hake in a parsley sauce with clams, and for dessert, cinnamon ice cream with dark chocolate and pistachios. Another plus for the restaurant is its setting – a former coach-house in Madrid’s smart Salamanca district. The decor is the work of leading Spanish designer Pascua Ortega, who also worked on the refurbishment of the Teatro Real (see Culture). The sun streams in through a skylight during the day, while the restaurant space is lit by lanterns at night.

Callejn de Puigcerd 8
Tel: (91) 431 6456. Fax: (91) 575 5491.
Price: 55. Wine: 19.

La Broche Sergi Arola
One of the brightest stars in Madrid’s culinary firmament, La Broche’s master chef, Sergi Arola, has been awarded two Michelin stars for his original interpretations of traditional Catalan and Spanish recipes. The menu changes monthly but signature dishes include turbot con patas de puerco, where pan-fried turbot is sprinkled with coriander and served with a jelly of pig’s feet wrapped in onion, and solomillo de buey, ox steak stuffed with goats’ cheese, anchovies, cherries and pine-nut puree. The stark, uniformly white decor helps to create a relaxed and surprisingly informal ambience.

Miguel Angel 29-31 (next to Hotel Occidental Miguel Angel)
Tel: (91) 399 3437.
Price: 85. Wine: 19.

El Cenador del Prado
Chef Toms Herranz has won numerous accolades for his imaginative menus, which showcase the best of Spanish regional cuisine. Salted cod in breadcrumbs with garlic and grape garnishing, medallions of venison with cheese ravioli and quince, beef carpaccio with pig’s trotters in a mushroom sauce – all the dishes here are prepared with virgin olive oil and dressed with fresh herbs. The prices are reasonable, the ambience is cool and refined, the service impeccable. The trellised garden room is another plus.

Calle del Prado 4
Tel: (91) 429 1561. Fax: (91) 369 0455.
Price: 40-45. Wine: 15.

Jockey
Patronised by the rich, famous and discerning, Jockey has earned itself the reputation as one of Madrid’s top-flight restaurants since opening in 1945. The restaurant is quite small and intimate, with dark wooden panelling and framed prints of jockeys and their mounts. Sea bass, wild fowl and game (when in season) are all to be found on an ambitious and often exciting menu. The wine cellar is also excellent. Typical dishes include lobster ragout with truffles and fresh pasta, marinated partridge in jele of thyme and lamb la Provenale.

Amador de los Ros 6
Tel/Fax: (91) 319 2435.
Price: 60. Wine: 19.

La Nicolasa
This is one of the few restaurants that can correctly claim to serve traditional Basque dishes. The establishment is elegantly decorated, with glass chandeliers and robust oak tables. There are several oil paintings hanging on the walls, and the general dcor resembles that of a grand countryside house. The Basque cuisine consists mainly of fish, and the most traditional dish served is sea bass with orange. Another favourite is baked hake. All of the cakes and and pastries offered are made on site, and the dessert list, while not the longest, is packed with delicacies such as fig mousse.

Velazquez 150
Tel: (91) 563 1735.
Price: 50. Wine: 20.

Zalacan
One of Europe’s finest restaurants, Zalacan has gathered just about every gastronomic award, including the coveted three Michelin stars. Master chef Benjamn Urdan has spent nearly 30 years fine-tuning a menu that combines classic French recipes with those of his Basque homeland. Only a culinary master with a refreshing unpretentiousness can give humble dishes like pig’s trotters and smoked fish equal prominence with lobster, oysters, caviar, truffles and foie gras. Some may find the formality of Zalacan a touch overdone, with its various dining areas, some of which are well suited to tte--tte, subdued lighting and dark red decor. Jacket and tie are de rigueur.

Alvarez de Baena 4
Tel: (91) 561 4840. Fax: (91) 561 4732.
Price: 110. Wine: 19.

Business

Berceo-Le-Divellec
This gourmet temple in one of Madrid’s more exclusive hotels opened in 1998 and has become a by-word for sophisticated eating. Much of its reputation rests on the shoulders of Parisian master chef Jacques Le-Divellec whose culinary mtier is seafood. However, anyone averse to dishes like sea bass in rum or baked tuna with curry sauce will not be disappointed with the tournedos or the succulent young lamb. The restaurant is formal in style, with a plush, oak-panelled interior; its garden terrace is in great demand during the hot summer months.

Hotel Villa Magna, Paseo de la Castellana 22
Tel: (91) 587 1234. Fax: (91) 431 2286.
E-mail: villamagna@hyattintl.com
Website: http://villamagna.park.hyatt.com
Price: 45. Wine: 17.

Cabo Mayor
This superb gourmet restaurant, hidden among the office blocks of the Chamartn district, is a showcase for fish dishes from Spain’s Cantabrian coast. Hake with clams in parsley sauce, grilled turbot, sea bream with thyme – there is hardly an item on the menu that does not entice. The atmosphere is pleasantly informal; the main dining area, situated downstairs, is fitted out in nautical style, with brass portholes, wood panels and ship’s rigging.

Juan Ramn Jimnez 37
Tel: (91) 350 8776. Fax: (91) 359 1621.
Price: 42. Wine: 12.

Caf Gijn
A Madrid institution, this famous literary caf first opened its doors in 1888 and is still going strong. Patrons over the years have included the poets Federico Garca Lorca and Pablo Neruda, the film director Orson Welles and Nobel prize-winning novelist Camilo Jos Cela. The restaurant boasts a well-lit salon and large, street-facing windows, a terrace and a basement. There are several menus available. The menu del dia comprises dishes such as Spanish omelette, stuffed peppers and hake. A tapas menu contains items such as sirloin sandwich, prawns in garlic and anchovies. The a la carte menu offers Spanish specialities, such as cod in cider. While the Spanish cooking is not outstanding, the set lunch at 9 is good value and the location, a short walk from Cibeles and the Banco de Espaa, can hardly be bettered.

Paseo de Recoletos 21
Tel: (91) 521 5425.
Price: 25. Wine: 10.

Las Cuatro Estaciones
Rated one of the finest restaurants in Madrid, ‘The Four Seasons’ celebrated its 20th anniversary in 2001, less than a year after master chef Francisco Ariaz and his team were awarded the top national honours of Premio Nacional de Gastronomia. Situated to the northwest of the city centre, near the university, Las Cuatro Estaciones’ floral decor, reflecting the changing seasons, is breathtaking. The cooking is perhaps best described as Mediterranean with a pronounced French accent, including such specialities as mille feuille de foie gras or blanquette of monkfish.

General Ibez Ibero 5
Tel: (91) 553 6305. Fax: (91) 553 0523.
Price: 39. Wine: 14.

Lhardy
This august establishment, less than a one-minute walk from Puerta del Sol, was founded by Frenchman Emile Lhardy in 1839, after being told that there were no decent restaurants in Madrid. The restaurant specialises in traditional Castillian fare, with typical dishes including solomillo (entrecte), roast beef, cocido (stew) or tripe cooked Madrid style in a tomato and wine sauce. The tapas bar and delicatessen downstairs preserve the original gilded mirrors, marble counters and brass fittings – the bar is a cheaper option than the plush restaurant on the first floor, with dishes such as soups, paella, tortilla, fish and shellfish dishes, sausages or hams.

Carrera de San Jernimo 8
Tel: (91) 521 3385. Fax: (91) 523 1171.
Website: http://lhardy.com
Price: 54. Wine: 17.

Trendy

Champagnera Gala
Gala is currently one of Madrid’s trendier eating places and diners should book ahead to be sure of a table on the canopied garden patio. The Spanish sparkling wines are the ideal accompaniment to the paellas, risottos and Catalan noodle dishes (fideus) that are Gala’s stock-in-trade. There are more than a dozen of these wines to choose from. The set menu includes a glass of wine, as well as a starter and dessert – a bargain at 11. No credit cards.

Calle Moratn 22
Tel: (91) 429 2562 or 420 1950.
Website: www.paellas-gala.com
Price: 11. Wine: 7.

Divina La Cocina
A great location on the fringes of trendy Chueca is one reason why this restaurant, owned by Spanish chef Jos Luis Castanedo and American Chad Kenyon, is such a hit. Together, they have created their own special brand of Spanish fusion – for example, salted cod in a soya and ginger sauce, seaweed salad with shrimps and eggs of sea urchin or prime beef steak with pt de foie gras in port. Designer Carlos Mayoral’s powder blue and terracotta tones add a dash of refinement and sophistication.

Calle Colmenares 13
Tel: (91) 531 3765.
E-mail: divina@divinalacocina.com
Website: www.divinalacocina.com
Price: 24. Wine: 10.

Las Cuevas de Lus Candelas
While many of the eating places around Plaza Mayor are tourist orientated and overpriced, Las Cuevas offers better value and a relaxed convivial atmosphere in the brick-vaulted cellar with tiled bar, wall paintings, wrought iron fittings and an open fire for the suckling pig speciality. Named after a 19th-century highwayman said to have hidden in one of the cellars (cuevas), this bar-restaurant offers a typical range of tapas, as well as substantial main courses. Specialities include merluza (hake) and roasts cooked in a wood-fired oven, jamon serrano (cured ham), shrimps in garlic or cheese and grilled peppers. An English-language menu is available.

Aarco de Cuchilleros 1
Tel: (91) 366 5428. Fax: (91) 366 4937.
E-mail: info@lascuevasdeluiscandelas.com
Website: www.lascuevasdeluiscandelas.com
Price: 27. Wine: 14.

Lombok
The minimalist decor of this Chueca eatery (with spotlights, bare white walls and steel counter) might seem a trifle pass but Lombok is still very much in vogue. Its clientele is young and stylish – perhaps it helps that one of the co-owners is a Spanish TV presenter. The fusion cuisine draws on ingredients and recipes from the far-flung corners of the globe (Thai salad, samosas filled with apple and Roquefort cheese, carpaccio, monkfish kebab and kangaroo steak in port) and it all looks as good as it tastes.

Augusto Figueroa 32
Tel: (91) 531 3566. Fax: (91) 531 3566.
Website: www.lombokmadrid.com
Price: 20. Wine: 10.

Robata
Japanese cooking is still not quite as much in vogue in Madrid as in some European capitals but is catching up fast. Robata is Japanese for a grill, so grilled meats and fish (Spanish a la parrilla) are to the fore here on an extensive menu offering combinations of tempura, sashimi, sushi and sukiyaki, as well as soups. The bold black and red colour scheme is eye catching, the ambience relaxed. Diners can sit at a table or around the central sushi bar.

Calle de la Reina 31
Tel: (91) 521 8528. Fax: (91) 531 3063.
Price: 30. Wine: 7 (sake).

Budget

Caf del Crculo de Bellas Artes
In its heyday during the 1920s, the Caf del Crculo de Bellas Artes was the haunt of Madrid’s leading intellectuals. Designed by Antonio Palacios, the spacious salon, decorated with classical pillars, chandeliers and an enormous painted ceiling, is known as the goldfish bowl, because of its outlook onto Calle Alcal. The menu is wide ranging and includes everything from cakes, baguettes and ice cream to roast beef and smoked salmon. The terrace is a great place for one to watch the world go by.

Calle Marqus de Casa Riera 2
Tel: (91) 360 5400.
Price: 20. Wine: 7.

La Galette
One of the best things about this well-established vegetarian restaurant is that carnivores are catered for too. From the extensive list of imaginatively prepared vegetable, rice and pasta dishes, one might single out the delicious tartar de chicle (cauliflower cheese with a dusting of fresh herbs), followed by apple croquettes. Diners sit elbow-to-elbow in the two small rooms, decked out in an appealing country-kitchen style.

Calle Conde de Aranda 11
Tel: (91) 576 0641.
Price: 18. Wine: 8.

Taberna Carmencita
Once the haunt of artists, soldiers and bullfighters, this rambling inn has been around since 1850. The original hand-painted tiles and the check tablecloths create a homely ambience, appropriate to the Madrileo cooking. Croquettes, stuffed peppers, fillet steak, tripe, meatballs, eggs and the hotpot known as cocido are the mainstays. While eating la carte is not especially cheap, the set menu at 9 is good value. It is a pity about the brusque service, however.

Calle Libertad 16
Tel: (91) 531 6612.
Price: 20. Wine: 7.

Vips
This branch of the well-known newsagent and restaurant chain has a great location, close to the Prado and the Thyssen-Bornemisza museums. Open seven days a week until the early hours of the morning, it is nearly always full, on account of the reasonable prices and the varied menu – everything from ham and eggs to pizzas and bowls of tacos. The atmosphere is busy and bustling and the decor modern and functional. Breakfasts (American, English and continental) are served until midday.

Plaza de las Cortes 7
Tel: (91) 429 4234.
Price: 10. Wine: 7.

Viuda de Vacas
The name ‘The Widow Vacas’ alludes to the Cnovas Vacas family from Segovia, who founded the restaurant more than a century ago. This homely taberna, mainly patronised by young locals, preserves its faded wall tiles, marble-top tables and a spiral staircase leading to the upper floor. The menu, inspired by the Castillian countryside, is only available in Spanish – recommended are berenjenas (aubergines stuffed with breadcrumbs in a cream sauce), jamon al horno (roast pork), gallina en pepitoria (chicken in egg and almond sauce) and merluza (hake).

Calle Cava Alta 23
Tel: (91) 366 5847.
Price: 15. Wine: 6.

Personal Recommendations

Al-Mounia
Ethnic restaurants are not Madrid’s strong point but Al-Mounia can be counted among the exceptions. Situated just off Paseo de Recoletas, the North African (Maghreb) specialities in this restaurant include sublime couscous dishes and tajines. The starters are equally tempting, if pricey – money is better spent on the sticky, finger-licking pastries. The decor, evoking a Moorish palace with ceramic wall tiles and lattice screens, is fun but unconvincing.

Calle Recoletos 5
Tel: (91) 435 0828.
Price: 35. Wine: 13.

Botn
Said to be the oldest restaurant in the world, Botn first opened its doors below the Plaza Mayor in 1725. The wonderful old dining rooms retain the original painted tiles, oak beams and wood-burning oven. Traditional Castillian dishes are the speciality here – the roast suckling pig and the tender Aranda lamb are delicious. Reservations are strongly advised, as it is very popular.

Calle Cuchilleros 17
Tel: (91) 366 4217. Fax: (91) 366 8494.
E-mail: botin@restaurantebotin.com
Website: www.casabotin.com
Price: 30. Wine: 10.

Casa Lucio
One of the most famous eateries in the capital, it is not unusual to find a famous person or two eating here despite the lack of glamorous dcor. Situated in La Latina, one of the oldest and most typical areas of Madrid, Casa Lucio was established in the mid 1950s and since then has established itself as the place of choice to eat fried eggs and chips. The dishes served here are traditional of Madrid and include cocido madrileno (chick pea stew) and callos (stewed cow stomach is spicy sauce).

Cava Baja 35
Tel: (91) 365 32 52.
Price: 45. Wine: 25.

Caf Saigon
Caf Saigon opened in February 2001 and consequently made waves among the city’s young sophisticates. The cuisine is best described as East Asian, with Vietnamese dishes featuring. There are shades of the ‘Paris of the East’ too in the lattice woodcarving, hessian drapes, sepia photographs and colonial bric-a-brac in the upstairs dining area. As there is no English-language menu, the safe option is the reasonably priced men degustacin.

Paseo de la Castellana 66, corner of Calle de Maria de Molina
Tel: (91) 563 1566.
Price: 30. Wine: 13.

La Dame Noire
‘The Black Lady’ has a great location in the heart of Chueca, one of Madrid’s most colourful neighbourhoods and now the gay quarter. A good deal of its appeal lies in the outlandish decor, a Rococo travesty with trompe l’oeil ceiling, red drapes, gilded mirrors, classical statues and leopard skin chair covers. The cooking is French inspired, if a touch eccentric – salted cod in cider may not be to everyone’s taste. A safer bet might be trout and almonds in an onion sauce, ox tongue in port or the house speciality of mussels in cream.

Calle Prez Galds 3
Tel: (91) 531 0476. Fax: (91) 522 2061.
E-mail: ladamenoire@ladamenoire.com
Website: www.ladamenoire.com
Price: 20. Wine: 10.

Terra Mundi
Galician home cooking is on offer in this delightful restaurant near Plaza Santa Ana. The restaurant has an informal ambience with rustic country-kitchen dcor, with pine wood furniture and check tablecloths. The tapas bar is popular with local office workers, while meals are served in the adjoining dining rooms. The menu is inspired by traditional Gallegan recipes; fish and seafood dishes (including octopus) are to the fore, although meat also makes a strong showing – the roast pork in a plum and raisin sauce goes down a treat. Outstanding among the desserts is filloas (Galician crpe).

Lope de Vega 32
Tel: (91) 429 5280.
Price: 20. Wine: 7.