Try something different

Fancy eating in a museum? Or perhaps in a park, a shop, a theatre or even a flamenco tablao? Don’t be surprised by the fact that it’s increasingly common to find dining tables in unexpected places around our city. Gastronomy knows no bounds.

Founded in 1725, Sobrino de Botín is the world’s oldest restaurant. This classic culinary institution’s past diners range from Benito Pérez Galdós to Ernest Hemingway. It was originally an inn that served food and offered lodging. The opposite is true of the Gran Hotel Inglés, which opened in 1886 and was the first hotel in Madrid with its own restaurant. Combining these two businesses—accommodation with a food and drink service—has always been a very common practice, but today gastronomy has found new spaces in which to gain a foothold. The Guggenheim Museum Bilbao broke new ground when it opened its doors to creative haute cuisine, and the Garment Museum later followed suit. In 1935, a small tailor shop called El Corte Inglés transformed itself into a department store that revolutionised our concept of shopping. In 2010, in its building on Paseo de la Castellana, it opened its first Gourmet Experience, a space with an irresistible range of lunch and dinner options. These days, there are lots more can’t-miss places where you can also book a table. Here are just some of them.

PAPAGENA

Teatro Real. Plaza Isabel II, s/n. ÓPERA. Tel. 629 70 78 85

Sophisticated and cosmopolitan, this restaurant opened a year ago on the sixth floor of Teatro Real, Madrid’s opera house, which is why it’s named after the counterpart of Papageno, one of the main characters in Mozart’s opera The Magic Flute. The magnetic quality of the building itself pervades every corner of the space, thanks to meticulous interior design by Luis García Fraile and a menu by chef Ramón Freixa featuring offerings designed for sharing. Starters include delicious options like the curried chicken dumplings with bell peppers sautéed in hoisin sauce, and the artichoke flowers. These can be followed by irresistible dishes like aged Galician steak tartare with a hint of spice, or fried turbot—every part of which is meant to be eaten—and desserts like molten chocolate cake. It’s a place that celebrates art... and pleasure.

THE PENTHOUSE BY WOW

WOW. Gran Vía, 18. GRAN VÍA

A universe like no other that brings brands and creators (of fashion, decor, technology, etc.) together in a space that straddles the line between the physical and the digital. That’s what you’ll find at WOW Concept, a next-generation shopping centre housed in the former Hotel Roma, which opened in 1915. Back then, its manager lived in the penthouse that occupied the fifth and sixth floors, which have been recently transformed into one of the city’s most irreverent gastro spaces. Every three months, a “tenant”⁠—the first was influencer “The Spanish King”⁠—welcomes us to their home, where we’ll be able to eat in the dining room, bedroom, bathroom, etc. The menu features culinary creations by Javier Goya, from Triciclo restaurant group, who will invite renowned chefs to cook alongside him throughout the year.

RAVIOXO

Plaza Manuel Gómez-Moreno, 5A. NUEVOS MINISTERIOS. Tel. 91 764 89 92

What is RavioXO? Dabiz Muñoz explains it to us as: “The luxury of eating time. Every dough, every filling, all the preparation and every fold of a dumpling is individually made, unique and handcrafted. Each piece represents hours and hours of preparation from start to finish. Time, creativity and product”. Located inside Gourmet Experience on Paseo de la Castellana, in the most iconic building in Madrid owned by El Corte Inglés department store, this restaurant specialising in pasta earned its first Michelin Star in 2022, just six months after it opened. The Red Guide highlights the original, avant-garde character of its cuisine, which has irreverent, international touches. Don’t miss the chance to try some of the menu’s offerings! Options include cold pickled ravioli, steamed buns with black trumpet mushroom cream and Korean Bolognese bao buns.

CORRAL DE LA MORERÍA

Morería, 17. LA LATINA. Tel. 91 365 84 46

Housed in a former cowshed, Corral de la Morería opened in 1956 and is one of the world’s most famous flamenco tablaos. All the big names in flamenco song, dance and guitar have passed through this legendary venue, whose interior boasts a Michelin-starred restaurant. It only has four tables, which play host to a parade of creations by chef David García. Sensory immersion is guaranteed: the long, deep dishes and their selection of unique pairings—with liqueur wines as the restaurant’s hallmark—make it a one-of-a-kind space. There’s no à la carte menu, but the tasting menu “Gargantúa” reveals the chef’s Basque roots. The potatoes in green sauce with cod cheeks and the squid “noodles” with a hint of spice in baby squid broth are just two examples of the offerings we can enjoy.

ZIELOU

Madrid - Chamartín - Clara Campoamor Station. Agustín de Foxá, s/n. CHAMARTÍN

Right up in the sky. It’s there, on the top floor of this iconic train station, that you’ll find a restaurant determined to take us on a journey to other cultures. The innovative cuisine of chef Juan Sánchez takes the form of two different menus. One is more formal and has options ranging from nixtamalised blue tacos stuffed with angus beef cheek in sauce to cocido (chickpea stew) won ton—fusion also has a place here! The snack menu includes treats like the governor’s dim sum and pickled lobster ceviche dumplings. Zielou has a covered area as well as a terrace which is the perfect place to enjoy its signature cocktails. How does a “Kiss Canalla” (Edgy Kiss) sound?

PACO RONCERO RESTAURANTE

Alcalá, 15. SOL / SEVILLA. Tel. 91 532 12 75

Two Michelin Stars attest to the skill of one of avant-garde Spanish cuisine’s leading lights. His innovation, based on technical prowess and creativity, finds expression not only in his culinary style but also in the way he understands and serves up gastronomy as a unique sensory experience. He does this from an enviable location: the restaurant is on the top floor—and includes the terrace—of the marvellous building that holds the Real Casino de Madrid, a social club founded in 1836. The tasting menu includes unforgettable dishes like charcoal-grilled sea urchins, trotters, pear and miso, and ray in black butter.

BLOOM

Alberto Aguilera, 54. SAN BERNARDO / ARGÜELLES

Inspired by the Asian colonial style of the 1920s and teeming with flowers, the entrance to this restaurant, located in the accessories shop Salvador Bachiller, is one of the most Instagrammed in Madrid. You can head here for breakfast, a snack, brunch, a cocktail or, of course, lunch: try the special pad thai, chicken tikka masala or wok-fried prawns. Enjoy the great atmosphere while you’re there!

11 NUDOS TERRAZA NORDÉS MADRID

Augusto Figueroa, 24. CHUECA. Tel. 91 330 02 94

Iberian pork cheek cannelloni, curried noodles with mussels and citrus herbs, green bean and mushroom ragout with baby squid... Land and sea come together on the menu at this restaurant with Atlantic influences. The dishes are made with first-rate ingredients, thanks to its location in San Antón Market, an old food market where you can do your daily shop... but you can also try the food on site.

NUBEL

Argumosa, 43. ATOCHA / ESTACIÓN DEL ARTE. Tel. 91 468 46 04

The restaurant at the Reina Sofía Museum has a very inviting atmosphere and serves urban cuisine, with a menu that’s fittingly organised by colour. After all, art runs the show here. In the pistachio section, our pick is the artichoke confit with fresh foie gras. Of the mustard offerings, we’d choose the pan-baked rice with octopus and scallops. They go down a treat after viewing Picasso’s Guernica!

El PABELLÓN. FLORIDA PARK

Paseo de Panamá, s/n. El Retiro Park. IBIZA. Tel. 91 827 52 75

Located in El Retiro Park, the city’s green lung, the once-legendary nightclub Florida Park is now a gastronomic mecca that contains various spaces including El Pabellón, helmed by chef Iván Cerdeño. Its menu is inspired by Madrid culinary tradition, with perfectly chosen flavour counterpoints achieved through contemporary techniques and calculated compositions.