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Unless otherwise stated, all restaurants accept credit cards and serve vegetarian meals
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Santceloni This
sleek Madrid outpost of renowned Catalan chef Santi Santamaría is one
of the city’s finest restaurants. The menu features superbly prepared,
imaginative dishes. Booking is essential. Hotel Hesperia, Paseo de la Castellana 57 91 210 8840 Closed Sat L, Sun, public hols
Botín On the authority of the Guinness Book of Records,
Botín is the world’s oldest restaurant, having opened its doors in
1725. The dining rooms retain much of their original decor including azulejo
tiles and oak beams, and the atmosphere is convivial. Botín is famous
for Castilian fare and the house speciality, roast suckling pig .
Botín
La Broche A
leading member of Madrid’s culinary élite, chef Sergi Arola has already
earned La Broche two Michelin stars for his creative way with
traditional Catalan recipes. A typical example is his turbot con patas de puerco,
where the panfried turbot is sprinkled with coriander and served with a
jelly of pig’s feet wrapped in onion. The minimalist decor helps to
create a relaxed, surprisingly informal ambience. Lhardy Another
Madrid institution, founded in 1839, Lhardy’s upstairs dining rooms are
wonderfully intimate and more than a touch elegant with belle époque gilded mirrors, wainscoting, Limoges china and Bohemian crystal. The cooking is madrileño rather than French, the house speciality being cocido (chickpea stew) .
Lhardy
El Cenador del Prado This
fashionable restaurant has a great location in the heart of Madrid’s
old quarter. Chef Tomás Herranz has been accoladed for his inventive
menus, inspired by Spanish regional cooking. His signature dishes
include beef carpaccio with pigs’ trotters in a mushroom sauce. Book ahead and ask for a table in the conservatory .
El Cenador del Prado
Isla del Tesoro Madrid
has dragged its heels where catering for vegetarians is concerned but
one exception is “Treasure Island”. The owner, Magdalena Madariaga, buys
macrobiotic ingredients whenever possible. Try the nido silvestre (“wild nest”), a spinach and mushroom salad, topped with parmesan . Viridiana Named after the Buñuel film, this cosy modern locale
is located between Paseo del Prado and Retiro Park, and is owned by
chef Abraham García. This is the perfect restaurant for a special
occasion; the menu is imaginative and the wine list is superb. La Trainera Named
after the long row boats in the Bay of Biscay, where the restaurant
owns a fishing vessel, La Trainera has expanded into a labyrinth of
rooms with pine tables and chairs. The menu uses a variety of seafood,
not only from the Bay of Biscay but also from Cádiz and the
Mediterranean. Try the delicious shellfish salad, salpicón de mariscos and grilled fish . Zaranda Co-owner
and chef, Fernando Pérez Arellano has worked with both Gordon Ramsey
and Michel Roux. His excellent training can be seen in the innovative,
international menu, and in the attention to detail. . Asador Frontón What madrileños
prize here is succulent meat and fish, cooked in the traditional manner
over charcoal. If you still have room, try the rice pudding (arroz con leche) .
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