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The 8 Best Restaurants in Madrid
By Chris | February 11 2007
Madrid is the city to visit for restaurants which are dripping with awards and accolades. From experimental plates to classic Spanish cuisine, the city offers cuisine and ambiance to suit every mood. We take a look at the best restaurants in Madrid for an introduction to the city’s fine dining scene.
La Biblioteca at Hotel Santo Mauro
La Biblioteca restaurant was once the library of the Duke of Santo Mauro, and original features such as the antique fireplace, book-lined walls and cherry wood paneling remain to provide a scholarly ambiance.
Accommodating 24-30 diners, the Biblioteca provides an intimate dining experience and offers a cellar of over 200 wines. In summer, visitors can enjoy a pre-dinner cocktail on the restaurant terrace with views of the charming Santo Mauro walled garden, making it one of the most romantic restaurants in Madrid. The chef here has produced an imaginative Spanish menu, of which a highlight is La Biblioteca’s à la carte breakfast. Located in the palace’s old dance halls with glass doors opening onto the hotel’s garden, AC Santo Mauro’s meeting rooms double up as private dining rooms.
La Terraza del Casino
Formerly overseen by lauded chef Ferran Adrià, who is considered one of the most influential chefs worldwide, La Terraza was then passed to Adrià’s protégé, Paco Roncero who earned the restaurant two Michelin stars. The innovative and experimental culinary offering includes a 21-course tasting menu, which can be savored in Jamie Hayón’s sophisticated modern interior where geometric forms conjure images of precious stones. Alongside this cutting-edge cuisine and design however, traditional sensibilities survive. As a part of the exclusive private club, Casino de Madrid, the restaurant has a strict jacket and tie dress code.
El Club Allard
El Club Allard opened in 1998 as a private club, but since that time it has become best known for its exemplary cuisine, having earned two Michelin stars. With chef María Marte at the helm, the kitchen creates innovative dishes comprising seasonal produce. The two tasting menus, Rendez-Vous and Seduction, each feature a series of beautifully plated dishes that all place the focus on their star ingredients.
Santceloni
By taking pride in providing outstanding cuisine in hand with excellent service, this restaurant now lays claim to two Michelin stars. Culinary mastery, premium produce and tradition all play a part in making the cuisine here so highly regarded. A la carte options range from citrus marinated red prawn accompanied by tender onions smoked with vine shoots, to suckling pig loin roast “a la minute” with thyme aroma. The gastronomic grand menu then brings together a selection of plates that best reflect the chef Óscar Velasco’s creativity.
Viridiana
Viridiana takes its name from a legendary Luis Buñuel film that was banned in Spain for 16 years during Franco’s regime. Owned by Chef Abraham Garcia, the restaurant serves hearty, flavorful cuisine, including Spanish classics such as gazpacho with crispy bread, and Galician cow tender loin with black truffles. You can try another Spanish delicacy here; olive oil. Spain is the world’s largest olive oil producer and Viridiana offers many different types, so ask to test before you buy as, like wine, varieties of oil can be distinguished by their color, flavor and smell. Located between Paseo del Prado and Retiro Park, Viridiana is one of the best places to eat in Madrid and the ideal place to replenish after a day exploring the city’s cultural delights.
Dstage
In this urban, industrial-style space, the cuisine reflects the influence that’s taken from across the world. Here, it’s about the act of expressing as well as the art of hosting. The restaurant’s 12, 14 and 17-course menus showcase the conceptual dishes of chef Diego Guerrero, and now guests are being given an even closer insight into this experimental cuisine through culinary workshops.
DiverXO
The unique menu fuses Iberian and Asian cuisine within highly unusual dishes served as works of culinary art – often being painted by staff onto plate canvasses.
DiverXO is Madrid’s first ever three-Michelin-starred restaurant, and the décor featuring ominous swarms of black butterflies on the ceiling and large flying pigs on the tables, make dining at DiverXO an unexpected experience all the way.
DiverXO earned reader recognition in Elite Traveler‘s list of the Top 100 Restaurants in the World.
Cebo
With a dedication to seasonal fare, Cebo crafts progressive cuisine using local produce. Flavors have a Catalan influence with distinctly Madrid flair, creating seafood and vegetable dishes with a gastronomic focus. The restaurant was awarded with a Michelin Plate in 2017 for its creativity and expert tasting menus, proving its status as one of the top restaurants in Madrid.
