Let's meet at the Landscape of Light

Let's meet at the Landscape of Light. More specifically, near the Puerta de Alcalá gate, which turns 245 in 2023. There are numerous restaurants with outdoor seating in the area around the monument, making it a culinary attraction in the heart of the city.

In the middle of Plaza de la Independencia, next to El Retiro Park, is one of five old royal gates that once provided access to the city. This gate was on the road between Madrid and Alcalá de Henares. It has stood there since 1778, when Carlos III commissioned it to replace its predecessor, built in the 16th century. Featuring a neoclassical style and the air of a Roman triumphal arch, it was designed by Francesco Sabatini. It has five openings, and four boys sit on the frieze of one of its two facades. They represent the four virtues⁠—Prudence, Justice, Temperance and Strength⁠—that the monarch wanted Madrid’s citizens to keep in mind should difficult times arrive. Today, the Puerta de Alcalá gate is part of the Landscape of Light, which is been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. As Ana Belén and Víctor Manuel put it in a mega-famous Spanish song from the 1980s: “There it is, watching time go by”. But it also sees other things happening around it, including the latest culinary trends of the area’s restaurants. Let’s check them out!

Published in esMADRIDmagazine in January 2023

RAMSÉS

Plaza de la Independencia, 4. RETIRO. Tel. 91 435 16 66 

Its al fresco dining area is one of the liveliest and most sophisticated in Madrid, a meeting place for travellers from around the globe looking for great views⁠—it faces the Puerta de Alcalá gate—and good food. Climate controlled in both summer and winter, its menu is an extension of the offerings in the interior restaurant space, Kitchen, where fantastic seasonal ingredients are paired with an open kitchen and a cocktail bar. The decor features exposed brick walls and the menu has a heavy focus on charcoal grilling (wild sea bass supreme, Galician beef tenderloin with foie gras, Ibérico pork shoulder, etc.). You’ll also find other delicacies (oysters, caviar, almadraba-caught bluefin tuna tartare) that are perfect for sharing. If you have a sweet tooth, try the banoffee with chocolate and passion fruit.

HORCHER

Alfonso XII, 6. BANCO DE ESPAÑA / RETIRO. Tel. 91 522 07 31 / 91 532 35 96

This Madrid classic has just celebrated its 80th birthday. Located right in front of El Retiro Park, the restaurant is currently run by Elisabeth Horcher, the granddaughter of Otto, its founder. It’s a sure bet for foodies, with a menu that’s particularly interesting in the hottest months of the year, with starters like the outstanding sherry consommé, herrings with cream sauce and kartoffelpuffer, and gazpacho with lobster and salmon roe. Signature dishes include turbot grillé, partridge à la presse, roast loin of deer and, for dessert, the famous baumkuchen, or “tree cake”, which is cut into thin, carpaccio-style slices topped with vanilla ice cream, hot chocolate sauce and whipped cream. The wine list is truly phenomenal too.

LA ÚNICA

Claudio Coello, 10. RETIRO. Tel. 679 054 746

Andrés Madrigal was one of the chefs responsible for the success that Madrid’s culinary scene began to enjoy in the late 1990s. His return to our city is big news, a fact highlighted by the utterly innovative culinary concept he’s brought with him: Mexiterranean cuisine, which blends flavours from Mexico’s northern region and Pacific coast, with others that are a bit more Spanish. It’s pure fusion, with dishes like grilled scallops with chimichurri sauce, Sepúlveda suckling pig tacos with pibil, guacamole and xnipek sauce, and choriqueso with chistorra sausage, tequila and wheat tortillas.

BRIBÓN DE MADRID

Alcalá, 54. BANCO DE ESPAÑA. Tel. 620 886 782

Pickled mussels, oxtail pasties, pisto topped with two-yolk fried egg with lace edges, grilled hake with stir-fried vegetables and ham powder, pluma pork flank and flame-sautéed shiitake mushrooms... Are you hungry? Then welcome to this restaurant, whose ultimate goal is to ensure that diners enjoy their experience. And then some. Located between the Puerta de Alcalá gate and Cibeles Palace, it has multiple spaces, including two outdoor areas, where you can relax as you explore Madrid’s best dishes, which have been given a modern twist. DJ sessions and live music always encourage diners to stay even longer.

BARETO

Alcalá, 55. BANCO DE ESPAÑA. Tel. 91 297 71 41

Draught beer, vermouth and wine! It’s impossible to resist the offerings at Bareto, where everything revolves around the marble bar and outdoor seating area that bring back the spirit of Madrid’s old bars. It’s a tribute to those old neighbourhood bars with simple but filling fare. House specialities include pork rinds, patatas bravas (fried diced potatoes with spicy sauce) and cured and fresh anchovies served on bread.

PATIO DE LEONES

Serrano, 1. RETIRO. Tel. 651 55 50 00

This taberna with a gypsy vibe pays tribute to Spain’s culinary tradition. The colourful decor, featuring hand-painted tiles and canvases, has a flamenco air consistent with the establishment’s celebration of local food. The menu includes potato omelette made to order, ham croquettes, crunchy cod fritters and golden-brown fried calamari strips.

BERRIA

Plaza de la Independencia, 6. RETIRO. Tel. 664 864 322

A “must-visit” wine bar with over 3,000 wines in its cellar and serving 120 wines by the glass. The incredibly extensive drinks menu is complemented by a food menu based on delectable mouthfuls (brioche with butter, Iberian pork jowl with caviar, prawn and octopus salad, Santoña tuna and potato salad) created under the guidance of Juanjo López.

AARDE

Plaza de la Independencia, 10. RETIRO. Tel. 91 088 93 30

This restaurant is a journey to the roots of the African continent and all of the riches it offers us. The open kitchen turns out food full of cheerful flavours and textures, served on tribal pottery dishes. Chingulugulu mushroom lasagne, bock tartare with wild blueberries, and aloe vera ceviche are some of the most popular dishes, based on recipes virtually unknown in our city.

BAKAN

Plaza de la Independencia, 5. RETIRO. Tel. 91 138 26 84

Craftsmanship at the table. That’s what you’ll find at this restaurant with an al fresco dining area that has over two hundred cactuses, an interior with ceilings decorated with Huichol art, an open kitchen where you can watch tortillas being made and a wooden, glass and gold shelving unit that holds over three hundred types of mezcal and tequila. Michoacán pineapples provide a fun touch of colour. Everything combines to make you feel like you’re in the heart of Mexico, a feeling that's helped along by the sensational grill fired with oak and cherry wood that’s used to cook meat and fish.

LE CLUB SUSHITA

Alcalá, 63. BANCO DE ESPAÑA

Welcome to the 1970s! Walk through the doors of Le Club and you’ll feel like you’ve stepped back in time. It’s the perfect restaurant for Japanese fusion food lovers, but also for the nostalgic, who will feel like they’re in a trendy hotspot decades ago. The decor is elegant and retro, with an Art Deco-style feel that lends itself to fun evenings and nights, with a menu of unique dishes (nigiri, poke bowls, rice and noodles) and an unbeatable ambience featuring cocktails and live music.