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From 23 to 26 March, the legendary American company New York City Ballet will perform in Madrid for the first time with five performances at the Teatro Real. Quite an event on the occasion of the company’s 75th anniversary. The lucky spectators who attend the show will be able to enjoy the three choreographies selected by Jonathan Stafford, the current director of the New York City Ballet: ‘Serenade’ and ‘Square Dance’, by George Balanchine, and ‘The Times Are Racing’, by Justin Peck, the company’s resident choreographer. To complete an unforgettable artistic evening, we have selected some of the best restaurants near the Teatro Real that you can visit after seeing the company’s spectacular debut. Take note!
Papagena
Located on the sixth floor of the Teatro Real, your artistic evening will be completed with a fine dining experience, thanks to the proposal of chef Ramón Freixa, who takes the baton in the kitchens and becomes the conductor of the orchestra creating a perfect symphony of flavours, creativity and emotions. Named after the charming character from Mozart’s “The Magic Flute”, it is a place of worship to art and pleasure.
Madrid. Teatro Real, C. Carlos III, s/n, sexta planta,
629 707 885
Menu: €70-90.
Fusión
Dos Cielos
Its location is unbeatable in the heart of Madrid: old stables from the 19th century inside the emblematic Palacio de los Duques de Gran Meliá. The team of the Torres brothers, led by Damián González, offers its culinary proposal with new creations that will surprise diners, full of flavour and seasonal products, such as its star dish, the tear peas. Two tasting menus are available. And now that the good weather is here, they have a spectacular terrace.
Madrid. Cuesta de Santo Domingo, 5
915 416 700
Tasting Menu: €75 y 105.
Modern
Brutalista
Pablo López has learned from the best: Juanjo López (La Tasquita de Enfrente), Luis Alberto Lera (Lera), Gonzalo García (Nakeima) and Luis Arévalo (Gaman). With such a track record, it was inevitable that Pablo would take flight, but this time on his own. And he has done just that. Brutalist is him, naked like that: his music (you can see some vinyls on the shelves), his love for design, for hunting – quail, pigeon and partridge -, his marinades such as tomato and rabbit, his delicacy and simple but masterful associations. The wine offer, very carefully selected, is known by looking directly at the wine cellar.
By: Victoria Bravo y Natalia Martínez
Madrid. Juan Álvarez de Mendizábal, 34
911 59 57 77
Tasting Menu: €28, 38 y 50
Product
Casa Julián de Tolosa
Faithful to the style of the mother restaurant in Tolosa, both Madrid branches, headed by Mikel Gorrotxategi, represent the purest essence of the genuine Basque steakhouse. With the grill always lit, in this classic with a modern soul, the chops and other excellent cuts of meat dance in the heat of the embers. The garnishes are almost as famous: unforgettable are the piquillo peppers or the seasonal mushrooms, not to mention the red beans from Tolosa. Entering through the door is the beginning of a ritual, which Angela Hartly attends to from the dining room and you never know when it will end.
By: Victoria Bravo y Natalia Martínez
Madrid. Cava Baja, 18 (tienen otro local en Ibiza, 39)
913 65 82 10
Menu: €60-80
Asador vasco
Corral de la Morería
If you want to continue with a day full of spectacle and culture, your next stop must be the Corral de la Morería restaurant, located in the “best flamenco tablao in the world”. The kitchen is run by chef David García, who cooks for a maximum of eight diners, and offers a unique tasting menu, called Gargantúa, a modern proposal, but with no shortage of nods to Basque cuisine, the chef’s land of origin.
Madrid. Morería, 17
913 658 446
Tasting Menu: €85
Moderna
Cuenllas
After a stroll along Pintor Rosales and perhaps an aperitif on one of its terraces watching the lucky locals pass by – lucky for the views of the Parque del Oeste and Casa de Campo – there are few things better than hopping over to Ferraz and taking a table at this essential part of Madrid’s history, opened in 1939 by Pepita, the widow of Cuenllas. Today it is Pepita’s son and grandson, Ángel and Fernando, who continue to run the restaurant and the delicatessen. You must try their beetroot and herring salad, the smoked eel and egg toast or the cannelloni with “changurro”. They have another, more informal venue, with plenty of wine, on Calle Orellana.
By: Victoria Bravo y Natalia Martínez
Madrid. Ferraz, 5
915 59 17 05
Menu: €40-60
Traditional
Mar Mía
Just outside the Teatro Real, this restaurant is located in the Ocean Drive Madrid hotel. It is defined as an “urban chiringuito” in the heart of Madrid, where the Mediterranean embers come from chef Rafa Zafra (Estimar), but also the excellent rice dishes of Luís Rodriguez (Casa Elías) are added to the menu. It’s a concept that combines high quality cuisine with a luxury informal tapas menu, accompanied by live music. What more could you ask for?
Madrid. Plaza de Isabel II, 7
965 144 444
Menu: €50-70
Mediterranean
Le Bistroman Atelier
Very close to the Teatro Real we find this small and cosy Bistró decorated in the purest Provençal style. Its gastronomic proposal is very careful, with all the tradition and authenticity of French cuisine thanks to the good work of chef Stephane del Rio. They have an eight-course gastronomic menu, where you can try the Pichon du mont royal, the Aspic de salmon or the Ventresca de lubina, among other delicacies.
Madrid. Amnistia, 10
914 47 2713
Tasting Menu: €110
French
La Tasquita de Enfrente
In that Madrid of always, of life in the street, of picaresque, of furtive glances, of little sleep and much conversation, lies his inheritance. That Madrid is the one that Juanjo has been nurtured in since he was a child, when he frequented La Tasquita, the restaurant that his father, Gaona, had just opposite the one that is now his – hence the name. Mr. López is a lover of simplicity and that is why his dishes have no more than two or three ingredients: pear and eel, carabinero and sobrasada, ortiguilla and tripe sauce. In Nacho Trujillo, his head chef, he has found the perfect match. With Chet Baker in the background and Juanjo’s characteristic sensitivity, Madrid is much more beautiful.
By: Victoria Bravo y Natalia Martínez
Madrid. Ballesta, 6
915 32 54 49
Tasting Menu: €95 y 105 €. Menu: €75-120
Product / Season
Ugo Chan
This restaurant is the current Golden T of Tapas Magazine in Madrid. Hugo Muñoz is one of those perennial smiles on the Madrid scene. With his sights always set on Japan, after captaining the proposals of strong gastronomic groups, he has established himself in his new ‘home’ shining with his own light, and what a joy. It opened barely a year ago and already boasts a Repsol sun in its interior, a place with a bar and tables. Her omakase – born from her passion for stews and recipes that draw on popular wisdom – has already become a benchmark: her fish of the day kizukuri with Getaria-style bilbaína, mussel sunomono, tripe gyoza madrileña style and a wine cellar that Leticia takes as good care of as she does of the dining room are just some of the reasons.
By: Victoria Bravo y Natalia Martínez
Madrid. Félix Boix, 6
913 50 65 78
Tasting Menu: €90-120
Japanese / Omakase