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Today, 30 July, we pay tribute to cheesecake, one of the most critically acclaimed desserts, and by society in general, which has established itself in the vast majority of restaurants and recipe books as a timeless staple with endless reinterpretative possibilities.
From semi-liquid cheesecakes to cheesecakes inspired by the American recipe, to avant-garde or deconstructed versions that reinvent the traditional dessert, we present 10 restaurants in Madrid where you can enjoy the best cheesecakes, for the most sybaritic palates.
BESTIAL BY ROSI LA LOCA
Javier Alfaro is behind this creation that has been crowned as the ‘Best cheesecake in Madrid’ in 2024. A prize awarded by the Centro de Innovación Gastronómica de la Comunidad de Madrid that would elevate Bestial’s tart to the top. But what is the formula that has led it to success? Its combination of pure cured sheep’s cheese from Campo Real, with a special cream cheese, yolks and eggs from Granjas Villarreal, and its touch of Kalamata olive marmalade, figs and almonds that provide that sweet contrast to the preparation.
LUNA & WANDA
Luna & Wanda‘s cheesecakes have become a must-have in the capital, and have been perfected by their creator, Sergio Arjona, who has managed to create a balanced cake in texture and flavour: toasted on the outside and creamy on the inside with three types of cheese -cream, blue and goat’s cheese- on an original Maria biscuit base.
There are currently seven types of cheesecake available: La Original; La Rubia, with white chocolate; La Biscoff, with Lotus cream; La Pistacchio, with real Sicilian pistachio cream; La Mestiza, with dulce de leche; La Asustada, with Oreo biscuit; and La Morena, with milk chocolate. All of them have captivated cheesecake lovers for their perfect balance between cheese flavour, sweetness and creaminess.
ANTOJOS GALLERY
Madrid’s cheesecake gallery presents a permanent collection of cheesecakes presented as ephemeral works of art. This convergence, materialised in a creative patisserie located in the Chamberí district, serves in its display an infinity of cheesecakes made with a thin toasted layer that hides a soft cheese interior with mascarpone; resting on a crunchy buttery biscuit base.
The four main muses that inspire and are presented in his gallery are soft cheese, Iberian pistachio, lotus biscuit and oreo biscuit, which can be purchased to eat by the spoonful in three different formats: individual, medium and large; with the option of combining them with his selection of coffees such as latte or machiato. Although the one that has managed to stand out from the rest has been its special cheesecake, which has achieved second place in the Best Cheesecake in Madrid competition for its combination of local products from Madrid such as semi-cured Peñagorda cheese and cream from La Colmanareña.
LUCASTERÍA
La Lucastería, run by María de Lucas and Miguel Ángel Mateos, also took the podium at the competition, winning third place for its cheesecake. Its secret lies in its simplicity and the mixture of three cheeses from Madrid: cream cheese from Albe Lácteas del Jarama, Capricho de cabra from Quesería Vega de San Martín and organic cheese from Quesería Suerte Ampaner. The finishing touch is provided by butter from La Colmenareña and eggs from Granjas Villarreal.
CAÑADÍO
This chic restaurant, inspired by Cantabrian cuisine, serves one of the best semi-liquid tarts on the Madrid scene. One of the first to become popular nationally, this tart is presented warm on a base of crushed maria biscuits, mixed with butter. The main and milky part is made with a cream cheese and fresh cheese from Burgos that stands out for its texture and its smooth and creamy balance crowned by a caramel tile designed by its chef Nicolás Reyes Ruiz.
FISMULER
Considered the best cheesecake in town by many, this cake is perfect for lovers of contrasts, and of the creamy, liquid effect in cheesecakes. The now iconic Fismuler cheesecake, which is even available to order home from Pastelería Mallorca, is presented as a blend of strong cheeses made by Nino Redruello and master pastry chef Yara Callau.
This cheesecake is sculpted from a sablé biscuit base and three cheeses: fresh cheese to amalgamate everything, smoked idiazábal cheese to give it a touch of complexity and a blue cheese to enhance the cheese flavour.
TATEL
Tatel, the restaurant that evokes a kind of vintage club, serves the best cheesecake of 2022, according to the Association of Chefs and Pastry Chefs of Madrid.
This coveted dessert is baked at 170ºC for 30 minutes, and stands out for its combination of Madrid cheeses Vega de San Martín, rulo de cabra and a goat bonbon, as well as for its crunchy sablé -with a touch of honeycomb honey- that serves as a base.
LA GUISANDERA
Guisandera de Piñera is a gastronomic tribute to the Asturian guisanderas. It is an ode to traditional, traditional, spoon-based cuisine, and its dessert menu includes a delicious creamy cheesecake, handmade with cheeses from the north, with creamy Asturian cheese and a touch of goat’s cheese.
BALDORIA
Baldoria is not only known for making some of the best pizzas in the capital. The Italian restaurant, which bases its proposal on local produce and seasonal dishes, also has one of the most coveted cheesecakes in Madrid: a cream cheese version with Bronte pistachios, which offer a crunchy texture to the creation.
CALUANA
In the gastronomic sanctuary of Caluana, the Italian castle restaurant rebuilt on the site of a Renaissance chapel, one of the highlights is undoubtedly its creamy 3-cheese tart with sweet gorgonzola: a trilogy of cheeses with sweet gorgonzola as the protagonist accompanied by a scoop of salted caramel ice cream. The result? An explosion of creaminess, smoothness and flavour.
