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Photgraphy Copyright Tiago Merlot
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by Sandrine Sonetti in Paris
1 - El Amparo
Neighbourhood : Salamanca
Callejón de Puigcerda, 8, Madrid 28001
91-431-6456
Hours: Lunch Mon-Fri 1:30pm-3:30pm; Dinner Mon-Sat 9:30pm-11:30pm
Three floors of aesthetically and palate-pleasing adventure await you at El Amparo. Unique nouvelle cuisine such as cold marinated salmon accompanied by tomato sorbet, roast lamb with garlic puree, and seafood-stuffed ravioli. One of the best wine lists in Madrid. Strategically placed skylights allow sunlit dining by day and twinkling lantern dining by night.
Cuisine: Basque, European, Spanish
Reservations: Absolutely Required
2-El Bodegon
Neighbourhood : Charmatin
Calle Pinar, 15, Madrid 28006
91-562-31-37
Hours: Lunch Mon-Fri 1:30pm-4pm; Dinner Mon-Sat 9pm-midnight
If you are looking for an evening of fine dining, look no further. This very formal restaurant combines luxury and delectable cuisine to create a sensational meal. You can choose from many selections, including grilled filet mignon with béarnaise sauce, shellfish au gratin Escoffier, or venison bourguignon. Don't forget to finish your meal with a delicious dessert such as one of their citric fruit pastries.
3- Horcher
Neighbourhood : Salamanca
Alfonso XII, 6, Madrid 28014
91-522-0731
Hours: Lunch Mon-Fri 1:30pm-4pm; Dinner Mon-Sat 8:30pm-midnight
Originating in Berlin in 1904, this restaurant offers a selection of wild game dishes ranging from venison stew to roast wild duck with almond croquettes. The most famous starter is lobster salad with truffles. Other main course selections include veal scaloppini in tarragon or sea bass with saffron. Finish your meal with an exquisite dessert, including chocolate-covered fruit and cake or an Austrian crepe.
4-Jockey
Neighbourhood : Salamanca/Annapurna (Metro: Alonso Martinez)
Calle Amador de los Ríos, 6, Madrid 28010
91-319-2435
Hours:
Lunch Mon-Sat 1pm-4pm; Dinner Mon-Sat 9pm-11:30pm
As the name suggests, this small luxury restaurant is decorated with equestrian prints. Jockey has many extraordinary dishes from which to choose.
The specialties include stuffed capon and the local dish, tripe Madrileña style. The menu is extensive, offering a wide variety of delicious dishes. The only problem with this restaurant is that you will have trouble deciding which wonderful dish you want to choose!
5- La Broche
Miguel Ángel 29, Hotel Miguel Ángel, Madrid ES 28010
91-399-3437
Hours:
September-July Mon-Fri 2pm-4pm, 9pm-11:30pm
Now seven years old, the gleaming white La Broche is still the benchmark of hip in Madrid's upscale dining scene. Chef Sergi Arola trained in Ferran Adrià's El Bulli restaurant-cum-food laboratory in Catalonia.
He shows the same fascination with transforming textures and extracting essences. Some of his dishes almost defy description and might include a salad of sea and land snails roasted in lard, a deconstructed Catalan stew of beans and meatballs, a confit of cockscombs, or maybe even loin of horse with tomato bonbons. Txema Puente's desserts are no less outlandish: think ravioli of licorice with a gin foam and black-beer ice cream.
6-Santeloni
Neighbourhood: Santi Santamaría
Hotel Hesperia Madrid, Paseo de la Castellana 57, Madrid ES 28010
91-210-8841/40
Hours:
Sep - Jul Mon-Fri Noon-4pm, 9pm-11pm; Sat 9pm-11pm
presiding genius at the three-star Racó de Can Fabes in Sant Celoni (near Barcelona) – has named his sleek Madrid operation after his hometown. It is run by his trusted deputy, Óscar Velasco, who worked under Santamaría for years.
Sourcing the best local materials, Velasco might serve up Mediterranean lobster grilled with a lemon-flavored gratin and fresh baby peas, alongside some of Santamaría's famous signature dishes, such as ravioli of sliced raw shrimp with a filling of ceps (wild mushroom). The superlative wine list is strong on the new generation of Catalan wines from areas such as Costers del Segre and the Empordà. The sommelier is happy to match wines to each course.
7- El Chaflan
Avenida de Pío XII, 34, Madrid 28016
91-350-6193
Hours: Mon-Fri 2am-3:30pm, 9pm-11:30pm; Sat 9pm-11:30pm
El Chaflán serves premier Spanish nouveau fare. The soft lighting and candles creates an elegant dining atmosphere. For starters, try the lentil soup with squid. Then enjoy a glass of Riesling from Germany. For dessert, choose from a variety of sorbets, mousses, and ice cream. The attentive wait staff is very knowledgeable and will explain each dish that they are serving.
8-Terraza del Casino
Calle de Alcalá 15, Casino de Madrid, top floor, Madrid ES 28014
91-521-8700
Hours:
Sep - Jul Mon-Fri 1:30pm-4pm; Sat 9pm-11:45pm
This glamorous, old 19th-century restaurant – with its blazing chandeliers, flaky stucco and silver candlesticks – has been given a startling Ferran Adrià makeover. Thus the dishes are startlingly at odds with the decor. Since 1998, the Catalan wonderchef has lent his signature avant-garde quirkiness to the menu, now overseen by his second-in-command, Paco Roncero.
If you can stretch to €300 for a meal for two, you can try oddities such as cornflake paella or barnacles in aspic with tea, alongside more traditional Spanish cuisine, all perfectly executed. The easiest option is to choose the taster menu, and then simply sit back and be amazed. On a warm summer night, the terrace has wonderful views over Madrid.
Ambiance: Elegant
Cuisine: European, Spanish
Dining Style: Fine Dining
9-Viridiana
Juan de Mena, 14, Madrid 28014
Tel: 91-531-52-22
Hours:
Mon-Sat 1:30pm-6pm, 8:30pm-Midnight
Chef Abraham García uses wit and imagination to create new innovative dishes using traditional Spanish recipes. The menu changes regularly, based on seasonal ingredients. One week you may find a salad of exotic lettuce and smoked salmon, whereas another time there may be red onions stuffed with morcilla (black pudding). Visit more than once and try several dishes! You'll be glad you did.
10- Zalacain
Calle deAlvarez de Baena, 6, Madrid 28006
Tel: 91-561-59-35
Hours:
Lunch Mon-Fri 1:30pm-4pm; Dinner Mon-Sat 9pm-11:30pm
Initmate, expensive and exclusive, the wonderful Zalacain is known as one of the very best restaurants in Madrid. Some of the fabulous dishes include stew of scampi in cider sauce, duck in red wine, and lobster salad. If you can't decide, you have the option of a sampler menu for a fixed price. Don't leave without trying one of their desserts such as the delicious Chocolate Volcano!
