Recoletos is the southwesternmost ward in Salamanca, bordered by Paseo de Recoletos to the west, Calle de Don Ramon de la Cruz to the north, Calle Principe de Vegara to the east and El Retiro park to the south. There are heaps of good restaurants in the area. Please see my separate post for places to drink. Google map here.
A great new place at the bottom of Calle Goya that everyone should check out is Platea at 5-7 Calle de Goya, www.plateamadrid.com. It’s an old cinema which, as their website puts it, has been converted into the ‘largest gastro entertainment space in Europe’. It’s like an indoor street food market where you can choose what you want to eat and drink from several stalls and consume it in the communal seating area. I’ve only had the tapas (croquettes and a chistorra for €2.70 a pop), which were very good but there is also a restaurant, a cocktail bar and a patisserie. Entertainment on the stage varies from classical concerts to DJs. What’s on is here.
Street XO (Intermediate B+), top floor of El Corte Inglés, 52 Calle de Serrano, www.elcorteingles.es
This tapas bar in a department store is the street version of Chef David Muñoz’s restaurant DiverXO. Three Michelin starred Muñoz is the enfant terrible of Madrileno cuisine and you’ll have much more chance of getting in here than DiverXO which is booked out months in advance.
To avoid queuing for too long it’s best to arrive twenty minutes before they open for lunch at 1.30pm or in the evening before most Spanish people eat (they close at 12am). Don’t confuse their queue with the place next door which has the terrace at the front. They can serve you wine in the queue which makes the wait more tolerable.
As it was a sunny day we sat on the terrace but if I went again I’d like to sit at the bar and watch the chefs at work. I’d describe the food as Jackson Pollock on a plate and it’s a lot of fun watching it being made. The music is pretty loud though so you may want to sit away from the speakers.
We had…
Dumplin Pekines; Oreja Confitado y Hoisin de Fresas, Alioli y Pepinillo, or in English, a Pekinese dumpling made with a confit of pig’s ear with a strawberry hoisin sauce, alioli and pickled gherkins.
Lasaña Koreana de Wonton y Vaca Vieja Gallega con Shitakes, Tomates Escabechados Picantes, Bechamel de Cabra- Cardamomo aka Korean lasagne with aged Galician beef, wontons with shitake mushooms, spicy marinated tomatoes and a Bechamel sauce made with goat milk and cardamom.
Pichon Japon Marinado en Miso Rojo de Remolachas y Yuzu en Robata con Migas de Pastor al Vapor y Chorizo de Leon Ahumado, or marinated and charcoal grilled Japanese pigeon in a red miso of beetroot and yuzu with steamed breadcrumbs and smoked Leon chorizo.
Saltado Peruano; Presa a la Robata y Aliño de Mojito, Crema de Ají Amarillo, or charcoal grilled pork shoulder with a mojito and cream of Amarillo chilli dressing.
We shared a bottle of called Rebisaca, a blend of Albarino, Treixadura and Loureira grapes from the Rias Baixas DO which was fine.
The bill for two came to €91.50. I didn’t grade the dishes as I was busy talking with my friend Nicky but our overall conclusion was that while everything was visually spectacular (A) the flavours weren’t always in evidence, so the food scored A or B overall. Definitely an experience worth having though.
A mediocre place from 2012:
Wagaboo (Intermediate B), 14 Calle Ayala, Tel. 91 578 3368,
Part of a chain (one in Chueca too), it’s tempting to compare this place to Wagamama but the food is more pan-asiatic and international fusion with a strong Italian input, as well as Mexican, Jamaican and English influences. The atmosphere is more intimate with tables and booths rather than long benches, the decor is modern and its low lit with an ambient house soundtrack. I had the Hamburguesa Portobello (B) which was nicely rare and came with grilled goat’s cheese, tomato and caramelised onions (a good combination) and a meagre bowl of mustard mayo and not particularly nice chips on the side (C). Had a competent mojito with it (B) which brought the bill to €16.48 with bread, not too bad. Might go again at a pinch but with so many other good places in town it’s unlikely.
And one to give a miss…
Al Mounia (Advanced D), 5 Calle de Recoletos, Tel. 914 350 828, www.almounia.es
This is probably the most famous Moroccan restaurant in Madrid with over forty years of history. Unfortunately though in my experience it seems to be living on its reputation and the food just isn’t up to scratch. The beautifully tiled interior just adds to the feeling that it’s all about form and no content.
We shared a mixed starter of four dishes including hummus, aubergine in yogurt, and a salad, all of which were unbelievably bland but at least edible (C).
My friend Nicky ordered a Lamb Tajin however the ‘meat’ was mainly bone and fat, and was swimming in a greasy sauce, which she just couldn’t bring herself to eat (D).
My lamb had a little more meat which was ok once you discarded the skin (C). At €25 a dish, we felt ripped off and we refused to pay for my friend’s course.
The service was pretty appalling too, they constantly made mistakes and at one point dropped a handful of cutlery all over our table.
Although we had real problems ordering the wine, the saving grace was the stunning 2006 Rioja Baron de Ley so thankfully we didn’t completely waste our money.
A better place for Morrocan food is Al Jayma in Chueca (see my separate post on International Restaurants in Chueca).