The Madrid Hit List, Fall 2023 Edition: Osa, La Tasquería, Toki, and More

One of the most exciting openings of the year, La Lloreria bears hallmarks of top-tier restaurants  (namely, impeccable produce and flawless technique), while making its cuisine accessible to a wide swathe of guests via creative pricing and dining format. In a small and modest space, three chefs – Carmen Aldi, José Certruchas and Jesús Encinas – who previously worked for Michelin starred restaurants, decided to switch gears post-pandemic, teaming up to open their own spot. A seasonal menu is written up each day on a big chalkboard behind the bar, dense with creative dishes that seem simple but hide tremendous technique and work. Go big and order the whole roster to create your own tasting menu; don’t miss the lamb’s lettuce with lentil chips with cherry tomato and noisette, and a dish of cauliflower with curry, Iberian bacon, raisins and fried cuttlefish.

When La Tasquería first opened, Madrid wasn’t focused on tradition as a source of inspiration for new restaurants. While everyone was focused on fusion cuisine, chef Javier Estévez found a way to bring back into fashion the kind of honest, traditional nose-to-tail fare foundational to the city’s cooking. Estévez has since become a master in cooking liver, sweetbreads, brains, pig’s tail, veal tripe and snout in delicious dishes, crafting a menu that presents them in stews, as part of a tortilla, with prawns and artichokes, and even as part of a fresh salad or ravioli. Because his food is centered in offal but not limited to it, he also always makes room for fresh seasonal vegetables, as well as seafood and fish.  It’s an achievement that has earned the restaurant a Michelin star, as well as the love and praise of a city that embraces him in return.

Osa is a journey out of the city center, but worth the ten-minute cab ride from Plaza de España. One of the most awaited openings of the season is finally working at full throttle, led by chefs Sara Peral and Jorge Muñoz, a duo with tremendous experience in superb restaurants such as Mugaritz, La Tasquita de Enfrente or Picones de María. Located in a house on the banks of the Manzanares river, the restaurant has received almost unanimous acclaim from Madrid’s tastemakers, and welcomes only 12 diners for each service. Upscale cuisine is the premise here, as well as an ingredient-driven menu that founds its logic in outstanding produce. Trout, rabbit rillete, eel, tongue, duck or quail stand out of the tasting menu which will reveal the way these are cooked once and only they arrive to the table. A pleasant surprise for any gourmand.

With chef Gianni Pinto at the head, Noi offers a contemporary take on regional Italian cuisine via a menu that offers a culinary journey through Italy. Hidden away in Salamanca, guests sit in chic and colorful surroundings that take inspiration from 1970s Italy, journeying from Sicily to Rome via dishes such as Sicilian caponata or Roman artichokes.

What sets Pinto’s cuisine apart is his portrayal of the wide array of food cultures that live in his home country, which is why his menu also includes perfect pastas that deserve praise (such as a standout plate of tagliatelle alla calabrese with gorgonzola foam and ginger honey). But the chef’s most popular dishes are also on offer, like an incredible parmigiana of soft Parmiggiano Reggiano foam with fried eggplants, mozzarella and Genovese pesto.

As restaurants go, Lhardy is as old school Madrid as it gets. Opened in 1839, this classic establishment was a preferred dining destination for high society, and a place where political deals were struck. Nowadays, it’s a special restaurant with a storied history that’s evident in every corner of its magnificent dining rooms and, of course, in each meal. Still, Lhardy has managed to maintain its appeal with each generation, who gaze in awe at its sophisticated service and perfect, traditional recipes.

Here, the specialty is a classic Madrilenian stew, a meaty affair made with angel’s hair noodles, chickpeas, cabbage, potatoes, carrots, and cuts of meat that can include exquisitely marble pork, Iberian lardo, beef shank, chorizo, foie, truffled sausage, and more, accompanied by ropa vieja. Living up to the restaurant’s French roots, there’s an excellent souffle for dessert, a beautifully decorated creation that lives up to the loftiest of belle époque fantasies.

Planning ahead is essential to score a seat at Toki, Michelin starred chef Marcos Granda’s recently opened space, which promises to be Madrid’s most exclusive Japanese restaurant. There’s the matter of rabid demand for Granda’s upscale omakase spot, but also the flip side of only six coveted seats available at its bar counter.

Here, Japanese chef Tayadoshi Motoa prepares two different tasting menus composed of exquisite bites that explore tradition by means of haute cuisine. Located on Calle de Sagasta, guests can relax in a sanctuary-like room that feels like an escape from the bustle of the city, allowing the focus to fall entirely on exquisite cuts of fish, such as cured tuna from Balfegó; tamago with caviar; snapper sashimi with white asparagus and Irizake sauce; and a silky Galician clam chawanmushi with teardrop peas from the Maresme.

This popular bar and restaurant (currently with three locations in Chamberi and Centro) is known for a strikingly minimal, industrial aesthetic (inspired by a meat or fish cutting room) and cuisine that’s an homage to honest ingredients prepared — with a creative twist — to highlight natural flavors. Sala de Despiece’s iconic dishes – such as the raw T-bone steak with tartufata and tomato, or the low temperature yolk with pancetta and foie – are now accompanied by an ever-changing seasonal menu with dishes like a fried artichoke with caviar and avocado, as well as an exceptional suckling pig with ketchup from Rioja.

The opening of Galería Comercial, their concept store, is also worth a visit, serving cold brews and selling – inside big refrigerators that work as display cases – recycled oil steak soap aromatised with red wine, temporary tattoos, aprons, plates, tongs and even blowtorches like the ones used by the restaurant’s staff to finish off dishes tableside. 

Directly behind the Congress of Deputies hides this small-but-perfectly-formed restaurant, opened in September 2020 and specializing in stews and traditional meals that transport guests to the warmth of a Spanish home. Not many know about its existence, but once you, it’s difficult not to be drawn back for more of the remarkable cooking from chefs Pedro Gallego and Carmen Pereda.

Start off with crunchy and juicy torreznos and creamy Iberian ham croquettes and make room for the callos à la madrileña – a typical Madrid stew made with pork leg, snout and deeply cured salt beef. The beef sweetbreads are particularly good, while a comforting dish of lentils with oxtail and pickled mushrooms also stands out. Pro tip: Brined dishes are also a specialty here, so go ahead and add an order of mussels with homemade pickled vegetables to share.

Looking to explore Madrid’s natural wine scene? Start with Angelita, arguably Madrid’s best bar focusing on low-intervention wines. But right now, what’s arguably even more interesting about this family-run establishment is its subterranean cocktail bar, where bartender Mario Villalón has mastered creative cocktails. This time, he’s managed to do so by focusing on sustainability, working only with products from his family’s vegetable garden in Zamora and creating perfectly chilled drinks that need no ice, via the use of special reusable recyclable cups (with no glass) and a non-toxic icing gel that makes the liquid reach -20 degrees °C, saving on water and leaving behind any trace of electric waste used for freezing. The result? Unique and outstanding drinks that mix seasonality and technique, such as in the one with crab apples, jasmine, Japanese whiskey and CO₂; or the one composed of apricot, blue cheese and koji.

Ready to travel? Don’t miss this great little spot located in the middle of the lively Chueca neighborhood. When it first opened, Kuoco 360 started off as a casual street food restaurant but over time, Venezuelan chef Rafa Bergamo decided to turn things up. The city’s gourmands are glad he did because since then, he has polished his technique and menus, finessing the dining experience and making Kuoco one of the most popular restaurants in town – a reservation is a must.

With a well-travelled menu that showcases the flavours and produce of Asia, Latin America, the Caribbean and of course, the Mediterranean, Kuoco 360 manages to thrills diners with creations, like the most beautiful croquette you will ever see – filled with duck meat, “Hong Kong” aromas (!!) and chives emulsion – or a fantastic red prawn with fermented chili-garlic emulsion, finger lime, and ito-togarashi.

At Comparte, flavors from Andalucía share the stage with recipes from classic French cuisine, with twists that elevate them into contemporary territory. The restaurant is the Chueca neighborhood’s culinary star and the home of two entrepreneurs, chef Mario Sánchez (from Cádiz) and Parisian sommelier Charlotte Finkel, who wanted to open a restaurant that sat between a French bistro and a typical casa de comidas.

After two years of critical acclaim, the duo has evolved the restaurant with a nine-course tasting menu that includes their greatest hits: dishes such as steak tartar with croissant and Beárnaise, or a croque monsiuer brioche with larded shank, or crunchy sweetbreads with pepper sauce. All, of course, washed down with wines from small producers. Take a seat at the bar counter looking into the open kitchen or sit in the cozy dining room and take in the views of Calle de Belén.

Right now, this Peruvian restaurant and cocktail bar is the place to see and be seen in Madrid, nestled inside the magnificent Madrid Edition hotel, a stone’s throw away from the Royal Palace and San Miguel market. Chef Diego Muñoz has created a casual menu filled with dishes drenched with influences and flavors from Peru, Europe, and Asia.

Take a seat either at the family-style table located in an exotic interior dining room (with a greenhouse-like setting filled with climbing plants and colored glass panels) or on its terrace (Oroya is located in the hotel’s rooftop, right on the 4^th floor) and order several rounds of pisco cocktails — some of the best in Madrid — as well as fresh dishes perfect for sharing, like a sea bass and octopus ceviche, garlic shrimp croquettes, clams and chicken wings in spicy chicken juice, or salt crust potatoes with huancaina and coffee.

When chef Roberto Ruiz decided to open Punto MX in 2021, a restaurant devoted to traditional Mexican cuisine prepared with Spanish produce, little did he know he was going to be the first chef to open the doors to Mexican haute cuisine in Madrid. After winning a Michelin star and blazing a trail (his guacamole served in a molcajete and prepared in front of diners is one of the most replicated in Spain), the Mexican chef eventually decided to open Barracuda MX, stripping off all formalities and replicating the recipes of the Mexican Pacific, with fresh dishes such as Sinaloa oysters with passionfruit granita or grilled sea bass a la talla with red guajillo and green poblano adobo, a must-order next to the grilled bone marrow with red toreado tuna tartare. In terms of drinks, let the mezcal and tequila cart, which will find its way to your table, lead the way.

One of the best new cocktail bars to open in Madrid, this friendly locale in Chueca has risen to the top of many insiders’ Hit Lists, with an original menu hitherto seen around town. Here, bartender and owner Alberto Fernández comes up with creative cocktails with a twist, converting classic drinks into their modern equivalent using supreme technique and a little playfulness. Flavors – sweet, umami, bitter – are linked to shapes (the last one was based in colors) and therefore, to the client’s favorite silhouettes, with ingredients made from scratch (even some of the spirits) and with true craftsmanship. Try the Kingston Negroni, the Dry Bamboo, the Malecón, or just let yourself go and let visual inspiration lead the way.

Got a date? Ikigai is your spot. What started in a small underground restaurant next to Gran Vía has now expanded to a second location right in Salamanca and inside a beautiful underground space designed by Noldi Sherck and inspired by 80’s New York apartments. Chef Yong Wu Nagahira has convened a mix of Japanese, Spanish and French cuisines in a tasting menu composed of delicacies. Think oysters with ponzu slushy and spicy ciu chow shallots; a unique hazelnut dorayaki with foie gras; or a mackerel usuzuruki transformed into the chef’s own version of a Basque gilda. Experiments aside, Wu Nagahira’s expertise is proven here with his nigiri, mixing tradition – akami tuna and salmon, otoro and chutoro – with a mix of squid, ponzu pearls, basil oil and shichimi in a single bite, making for a satisfying finish to the perfect meal.

Located in the trendy Salesas neighborhood, this New York favorite has made its mark in Madrid in the past few months. The kind of Peruvian cuisine that made waves in Brooklyn and Manhattan can now be found in a beautiful dining room, a space filled with natural light that mixes European avant-garde style with New York attitude.

As soon as guests enter what’s considered one of the trendiest restaurants in Madrid right now, they can order a Nikkei Martini No. 3 –with gin, sherry wine, white vermouth and spicy radish – a powerful drink that pairs perfectly with grilled anticuchos, a Peruvian street food staple made here with veal’s heart or cabbage and chancaca. Or, plump for the fresh scallop ceviche with yuzu. But whatever you do, finish off with the coquelet with yellow ají or one of the restaurant’s staples, a quinoa salad with avocado, cashews, plantain and bacon.

Bar Trafalgar could best be described as a refresh of the archetypal Madrid bar, a place in which Chamberí neighbors meet, trysts take place, and kissing the night away with a caña in hand is possible via great ambience and sparkling conversation. Here, those conversations take place around Trafalgar’s impressive circular bar, a focal point for the action (the pool table – a rarity in the city – also makes for a suitable place to gather). Order a cold local draft beer or one of their fantastic cocktails (both classic or with a modern twist). In terms of food, do what the cool kids do and order the ensaladilla (cold potato salad with tuna), an outstanding toast with anchovies and butter; boquerones cured in vinegar with potato chips or the perfect patatas bravas.

Mexican restaurants are hitting big in Madrid right now, with everything from €1 tacos in bars to high-end tasting menus. The competition is on and as a result, the food is diverse and outstanding. Such is the case at the newly opened Ticuí, from the same owners of Puntarena – located next to Casa de México – in which every detail has been though through.

From the kitchen arrive deceptively simple dishes that hide powerful flavors, such as octopus sope, a birria of Wagyu tongue or juicy pork belly carnitas, both accompanied by warm tortillas to make your own tacos. Mexican craftmanship also appears in the décor, dishware, chairs and textiles. Meanwhile, a jaw-dropping rooftop bar, 40/42, has just opened its doors, promising panoramic views and potent cocktails.

Known for its vintage shops, hipster cafes and an alternative nightlife, the Malasaña neighborhood hadn’t previously been synonymous with gastronomy, but Playing Solo has played its part in overturning preconceptions. Here, chef Luis Caballero is changing things up by opening his first solo restaurant and a personal take on the Japanese izakaya, but with an 11-course tasting menu that changes according to the season.

Guests enter a minimal, serene dining room, where a large open kitchen allows diners to watch Caballero cook by himself, as well as to coverse with the chef while he serves dish after exquisite dish that follow Japanese, French and Spanish traditions, with a dash of Nordic inspiration. Proof of this is Caballero’s version of the clam chowder he came upon in Japan, the large beans with pig trotter’s broth or a Troisgros-esque salmon with sorrel. For him, Playing Solo is his personal take on the Japanese izakaya, but with an 11-course tasting menu that changes according to the season.

Araia’s concept revolves around the idea of a fantastical, imaginary island right in the middle of the Trafalgar area (and right next to The Dash, the cocktail bar to have a perfect pre or after-dinner cocktail). The restaurant focuses on the vibrant flavors and products of the Mediterranean and Levant, from west to east, with ingredients that travel around Spain, Lebanon, Greece or Turkey.

The space in which the restaurant is located resembles a chic cave, one hidden below a beach cliff and with a modern and cozy dining room made up of high tables and chairs. Inside, the space feels achingly cool but still laid back; meanwhile, the crowd is fun, the music is loud and their latest menu is a successful combination of flavors composed of dishes such as Iberian butifarra with roasted apple and French-Indian curry; gnocchi with boletus sauce and cave’s cheese or the Lebanese/Yemeni squid with mujaddara and green mango zhoug sauce.

A mysterious speakeasy located right in the center of Gran Vía street, bartenders Yeray Monforte and Santi Ortiz have created one of the most fun cocktail bars in town, recreating a vibe inspired by 1920’s Chicago during Prohibition. A secret password (available through DMing their Instagram account) is required for access, and once inside, try to score a spot right at the bar to get a better view of the talented staff preparing cocktails for guests, all of which play a role in a theatrical display that makes for an entertaining evening. Order a random object from their menu (everything from Babe Ruth’s baseball to a lipstick or a hat) and trust that inside all of these pieces, a great liquid concoction awaits.