Click here to read the Spanish version.
The restaurant of Ciro Cristiano, former executive chef of the Big Mamma group (Bel Mondo and Villa Capri), was born last November with a clear idea: to make every dinner seem like an authentic Italian verbena. No detail has escaped them, from the name, ‘Baldoria’, which translated from Italian means something like “revelry”.
One is already enveloped in this festive atmosphere as soon as one arrives at the corner of Mártires Concepcionistas and Ortega y Gasset streets: the flowers, the large windows and the lights on the façade announce that the party is about to begin. To enter, you go through three doors (two and a curtain, to be exact), which is no coincidence, as it was designed to emphasize the separation of “two independent worlds: the inside and the outside,” explains Ciro.
Once inside, Naples. Specifically Procida, a small island of fishing tradition that “not being so well known, still maintains its charm”, and where each house is painted in a different color, according to the chef. That is why the pastel color of the walls, decorated with works by Neapolitan photographer Ciro Pipoli, plays with the different shades of the chairs, the lamps, the neon lights and the tableware, with dishes hand-painted in Positano.
Everything in this restaurant is handmade. They prepare the food themselves entirely in their open kitchen, from the pasta to the pizza dough or ice cream. What they do bring from outside is the bread, which they buy in Pandaríø, a bakery a 10-minute walk from the restaurant, and the raw material. This, when it does not come directly from Italy, is a “quality, local and nearby” product: vegetables from La Huerta de Aranjuez, meat from the neighborhood butcher’s…
That is why it is not surprising to see how some of its dishes with Neapolitan essence have been given a twist to “Spanishize” them. So, for example, you can try a ‘Focaccia di Bellota’, sourdough marinara (with Neapolitan tomato sauce, garlic and oregano), rested for 48 hours and accompanied by acorn-fed ham from Guijuelo; or ‘Croquetas alla Parmigiana’, with eggplant confit, San Marzano tomato, smoked mozzarella, basil and Parmesan.
Even so, the menu is, in essence, a selection of traditional Neapolitan food, with star dishes such as the ‘Cacio & Tartufo’ (spaghetti with Abruzzo truffle, Parmesan foam and truffle sauce served directly on the cheese wheel), the ‘Tropea with love’ (tart tatin with onion confit brought from the town that gives its name to the dish, goat cheese and nduja Calabrese, a kind of sobrasada that gives it a slightly spicy touch), or the ‘Atuna Matata’ (tuna tartar brioche with zucchini in a typical Naples marinade made with vinegar and mint, accompanied by toasted almonds).
In addition, its pizzas are one of the must of Baldoria, which has recently been recognized as one of the 50 best pizzerias in Europe in the ranking ’50 Top Pizza Europe 2023′, prepared annually by the Italian guide ’50 Top Pizza’ and that selects the best establishments across the continent, except Italy. Having obtained the 13th place, Baldoria has also been proclaimed the best entry of this edition (‘New Entry of the Year 2023’), being also the second best pizzeria in Madrid and the fourth in Spain.
For dessert, a creamy pannacotta that becomes exotic with the addition of pineapple, passion fruit, raspberry and kiwi; a classic soft tiramisu with savoiardi cookies and mascarpone cream; creamy cheesecake with caramelized Bronte pistachios; or one of their homemade ice creams.
And to drink, Italian wines, such as those from Montesomma Vesuvio, a small producer whose vineyards grow in volcanic soil, or a cocktail from their ‘Farmacia’, the section of the bar dedicated to healing the soul. There they serve the ‘ParacetAmore’, with prosecco, bergamot rosolio, peach, raspberry and a citrus foam of lemon and lime.
It is the ideal place to end the evening, at the foot of a balcony dedicated to music, where from time to time they play live music, starting on Mondays with something quieter until reaching, progressively, that “jolgorio” more “cañero” of the weekend. It is the last detail to make diners feel like they are in an Italian verbena where someone spontaneously starts singing, and the culmination of a gastronomic experience that soaks up the authentic Mediterranean ‘baldoria’.