Madrid: Your Foodie Days in Spain

Alcotán is a newly opened bourgeois venue situated in the Salamanca neighborhood of Madrid. It is described as the table of power – a restaurant that politicians and businessmen frequent. Usually, such establishments are luxurious, with exotic decoration, classic cuisines, and widely spaced tables. But Alcotán is a relaxed venue with two private rooms for a discrete ambiance, and the interiors are elegant and simple. The main dining space overlooks a garden area and is made up of soft cushioned sofa chairs, white tablecloths, and wood-paneled flooring in a white color tone.

The front of the house is managed by one of the best maître d's in Madrid, José Luis Pereira, and the kitchen is run by Chef Yolanda Olaizola, who creates classic fare that has its roots in the traditional Spanish recipe books. You can sample exquisite dishes like creamy ham croquettes, prawns with green beans in tomato compote, foie gras terrine, fried hake with roasted peppers, and steak tartare with potato soufflé.

Situated inside the luxury Hotel Urban, CEBO is an intimate fine-dining establishment that is stripped of artifice and expressed using freshly selected ingredients. It celebrates an exciting brand of contemporary, progressive cuisine fully dedicated to local produce. The kitchen is run by two young chefs: Javier Sanz and Juan Sahuquillo, whose creations are centered around two tasting menus – Clásicos (11 courses) and Temporada (14 courses). Diners are offered food that explores flavors and advocates simplicity based on grilling exceptional ingredients: Andine Cornue tomatoes, aged red shrimp, squid, Ortolan-style quail, and smoked caviar.

Among other dishes, visitors can find stewed croquettes with beef tripe, crispy pig’s ear with garlic onion sauce, creamy rice with mussels, Spanish grouper with red peppers, and glazed beef shank with eggplant. For a lasting final impression, indulge in one of their desserts, including bitter chocolate with ratafia and nuts, creamy milk cheese with truffle, and mandarin candies served on a cotton cloud. After the feast, head to CEBO’s rooftop bar for a digestif while enjoying amazing scenic views of the city.

Unlike Lisbon, Madrid isn’t enveloped by the Atlantic Ocean, but thanks to the El Señor Martín restaurant, you can start feeling the salty breeze here as well. Located in the heart of the city, it is an urban chiringuito (a bar or an eatery usually found on the beach) with a seaside vibe. Formerly a renowned fish market in the Mercado de San Miguel, it branched out into the F&B business. The venue is a pilgrimage for seafood lovers to enjoy an afternoon with friends.

You can relish simple and scrumptious dishes at El Señor Martín: fried calamari, seared fatty tuna in mint aioli, glazed roasted turbot with a herb salad, freshly pickled herring with edamame beans, boiled mussels in a green garlic broth, and pan-fried cod in a lentil bean stew. The decor was developed by interior designer Marta Banús, who created a modern industrial feel complete with seaside illustrations, small fish tanks at the entrance, rustic bare brick walls, and simple wood flooring. If you are looking for an oceanic gastronomic experience, El Señor Martín is the place to be.

The brainchild of Chef Pablo Álvaro Marcos and Chef Juan Alcaide Gálvez, Umiko is a Japanese-inspired restaurant that serves one of the best fusion cuisines in the center of Madrid. Opened in 2015, it offers a perfect tandem of the West and Asia in a surprising culinary project that leads to an exquisite dining experience. Umiko features a discotheque white bar at the entrance, which contrasts the black main dining room with an open kitchen. The ambiance is elevated by Okuda San Miguel’s hyper-colorful mural.

The culinary duo does their best to blend Asian flavors with Spanish ingredients and create delicacies like peas with egg and miso, nigiri of Koshihikari rice combined with Huelva white shrimp, Tarifa red tuna paired with Thai red curry with rice, and Korean pork ribs with Mexican green tomatillo. Even their desserts are a tasteful blend of cultures: XXL mochi filled with sweetened rice flour and pink éclair with rice pudding served with coconut ice cream.

Located in the heart of the Chamberí District, Benares is an upscale restaurant that serves renowned and award-winning Indian haute cuisine. Named after the holy city of Varanasi (Benares in Hindi), the venue nestles inside a neoclassical building and boasts an open show kitchen, a casual bar area offering tapas inspired by street food, a main dining room, a pleasant terrace garden pool patio decorated with water and images of Benares, and a chef’s table for 6 people.

The interiors are made up of blown glass light fixtures, ethnic Indian wallpapers, chic modern furnishings, and colorful tiled flooring. Benares is not just about aesthetics, its true essence resides in the innovative gastronomy it presents to the guests. The menu features visionary dishes: monkfish with crab croquettes, grilled scallops with cauliflower, giant red prawns in moilee sauce, tandoori Iberian pork cheek, seafood biryani, beef pies, and malai machi (creamy fish) curry. You can complement your meal with their signature cocktails like Mumbai Martini and Passion Fruit Chutney Martini.

Madrid is a complete tourist destination that has excellent art museums, phenomenal food, enormous parks, and palaces. But it is the inclusive atmosphere that draws millions of travelers to the city every year. It is a vibrant and happening place that stimulates and inspires its visitors, which can only be experienced by spending some time here.

Would you like to visit Madrid? What would your itinerary include? Share your thoughts with other foodie travelers in the comment section below. And for more ideas, check out our latest food & travel guides and restaurant reviews.