Cooking over fire

To bring out the flavour of each ingredient—that’s the goal of all the chefs who are betting on grilled cuisine, whether it’s meat, fish or vegetables. A captivating world of flavours awaits us at the table. So, come on! Let’s eat and enjoy: the grill is king.

Published in esMADRIDmagazine March 2025

In September, Madrid hosted Chefs on Fire, the well-known Portuguese culinary festival, highlighting the increasing number of grill houses opening across the city.

The capital is home to Basque grills with deeply traditional roots, but also steakhouses from Argentina and Uruguay which strengthen our unbreakable ties to Latin America cuisine. Enjoying a delicious lunch or dinner at a restaurant where charcoal has a starring role is all the rage, whether you go for meat—we’ve come a long way in our knowledge of cuts and ageing processes—, fish or vegetables.

Following in the wake of classic grills like Casa Julián de Tolosa (No. 18 Calle de la Cava Baja) and Casabula (No. 21 Calle de Bolivia), which has now been fully renovated, other more modern grills have proliferated. In these spaces where meat lovers and vegetarians can dine together in perfect harmony, the décor also plays an important part. It would be hard not to enjoy a meal at any of the following restaurants. Don’t worry, licking your fingers is totally acceptable!

PIANTAO

Paseo de la Chopera, 69. LEGAZPI. Tel. 659 91 10 58

An Argentinian steakhouse with a contemporary flair would be a simple way to describe this impressive restaurant by Javier Brichetto, which is very close to Matadero Madrid. It’s a true haven for grilled food lovers. After all, in Argentine slang piantao means to be crazy in love with someone or something.

Naturally, meat takes pride of place, with an impressive selection of premium cuts including ribeye, skirt steak, sirloin and secreto ibérico pork. However, you’ll also find grilled vegetables (smoked peppers, Chinese aubergine, artichokes, etc.), as well as free-range chicken roasted with ñora pepper sauce. We just love the décor: the iron pillars, old radiators, wooden ceiling beams and exposed brick walls give the restaurant an industrial feel. The good news is that they also have another branch on Calle de Sagasta.

GRILLAO

Eloy Gonzalo, 4. QUEVEDO. Tel. 91 990 00 88

The heat encourages us to meet up with friends. It’s passion. It’s mesmerising. Welcome to a restaurant where there’s always something happening right before our eyes. Fire is the common denominator in all of the dishes at Grillao, which are made with top-notch ingredients whose flavour is enhanced by the embers.

For starters, try the grilled ham and cheese sandwich or free-range chicken wings. For the mains, we’re spoilt for choice: Angus skirt steak, steak tartare with marrow, bluefin tuna steak, salmon...and pizzas!

CEFERINO

Jorge Juan, 27. VELÁZQUEZ. Tel. 639 26 75 15

What sets this restaurant in the Barrio de Salamanca neighbourhood apart is its diverse menu, featuring an exceptional selection of beef cuts, each with unique origins and ageing processes

Options range from Argentinian Aberdeen ribeye and Basque-raised beef steak to German Simmenthal Tomahawk, aged for 40 days, and American Black Angus strip steak

Menu favourites include the short ribs, a staple in Argentinian steakhouses, which they cook slowly over a wood fire for more than three hours to preserve their rich, juicy flavour

In addition to the signature dishes of Jorge Maximiliano Danilewicz, there are other chef specialities like beef tenderloin milanesa, sweet potatoes cooked over glowing embers and charcoal-grilled white fish, all of which reflect creativity, passion and lots of skill.

RURAL

Marqués de Cubas, 8. BANCO DE ESPAÑA / SEVILLA. Tel. 91 542 98 36

With an approach based on curiosity and respect for ingredients, Rural has made landfall in Madrid with simple recipes, some of which are intentionally rather hedonistic. This space with a rustic, old-fashioned ambience, featuring elegant, discreet décor with clean lines, reminds us of a supreme truth: “With fire, the most vital invention of the Palaeolithic, cooking began”.

Its Basque grill produces fantastic steaks and Wagyu sirloin, while the barbecue turns out delicious lamb and chicken skewers.

TABERNA PEDRAZA

Recoletos, 4. BANCO DE ESPAÑA. Tel. 913 42 82 40

Elegance, balance and a deep respect for cooking are the three pillars of this taberna, which is renowned as one of the world’s best steak restaurants. “We believe in ingredients and what they teach us”, say Carmen and Santiago, who run the establishment.

Grilled meat and fish dominate the menu, from hamburgers made with Galician steer and premium T-bone steaks to Cantabrian turbot and grouper. With no disrespect, of course, to its famous cocido stew.

LANA

Ponzano, 59. RÍOS ROSAS. Tel. 626 86 98 55  

“Ingredients, charcoal and a love for doing things well” is the phrase that best sums up this restaurant by Argentine brothers Martín and Joaquín Narvaiz, which is located on Chamberí’s top foodie street. Featuring an open grill, it’s considered one of the city’s best steakhouses.

The menu includes a range of superb aged beef, but also vegetables (beetroot, leeks, peppers) and other delicious offerings like the knife-sliced flank steak empanada pasty.

LOS 33

Plaza de las Salesas, 9. COLÓN. Tel. 914 99 72 58

The cuisines of Spain and Uruguay come together at this trendy restaurant in Madrid. Large wooden and metal beams decorate the space, where fire has a starring role. The menu offers charcoal-grilled meat—you can’t go wrong with the beef sweetbreads—and vegetables.

LEÑA MADRID

Paseo de la Castellana, 57 (Hotel Hyatt Regency Hesperia Marid). GREGORIO MARAÑÓN. Tel. 911 08 55 66

This steakhouse by Dani García combines innovation, tradition and quality ingredients. It offers a captivating experience, with a grill that demonstrates the skill of cooking over different types of charcoal. The dancing flames bring out the pure flavours of each ingredient.

SAGARDI

Paseo de la Castellana, 13. COLÓN. Tel. 91 308 62 81

Featuring an extensive selection of snack-sized pintxos and a menu rooted in tradition, in every dish Sagardi demonstrates its commitment to honest cooking. This Basque grill serves the finest charcoal-grilled aged beef and wild fish, as well as seasonal vegetables.