Let´s continue strolling around Madrid whilst James Blick surprises us with the best places to eat and drink in the capital of Spain. After filling our stomachs in Chamberí and Opera, now is the turn to explore the neighbourhood Letras. The original publisher that printed out Don Quijote de la Mancha used to be here in Atocha St 87. But now, leaving literature aside, you must know these streets will leave its most greedy character satisfied: Sancho Panza.
Bistronomika
Santa María St 39 is our first stop. As soon as we step in the restaurant Bistronomika, we appreciate the smell of tasty food invading this cosy place, with an open kitchen that allows us to speak to the chef, Carlos del Portillo. We follow his advice on the dish of today, an authentic success: white seabream stew, this rockfish pairs greatly with a fruity Montecillo Crianza. The special thing about this chef is that he modifies the menu depending on the best products that he finds on the market daily and has become famous for avoiding products coming from fish farms and for offering uncommon fish specialities like seabream and hogfish.
Gofio
The Chef Safe Cruz has brought to Madrid the different typical flavours from the Canary Islands to Madrid in his sophisticated restaurant Gofio, located in Lope de Vega St 9. To kick off the trip to these amazing islands Safe invites us to a sensory experience: the aroma of a Canarian pine inside a bottle helps to imagine the delicate smoked so characteristic in these dishes. Safe Cruz reveals to us, this is a tribute to the traditional family lunches that take place in the countryside, using pinewood to grill the meat. Following this tradition, the dish that we try meets the expectations: a rosbief with cheese from La Gomera and palm sauce, a delicious gastronomic tour around the Canarian archipelago.
TriCiclo
The 3 chefs that lead Triciclo (Javier Goya, David Alfonso y Javier Mayor) prepare an exceptional surprise in Santa María St, 28. In a place where the colours and textures of the rural houses have been modernized, they offer some specialities that cannot be found on the menu out of season. This is the case for the reindeer with autumnal mushrooms and mountain herbs, truly a masterpiece. To intensify the flavours, nothing better than a Montecillo Gran Reserva Selección Especial 2001. You can also choose some delicious dishes on the menu: potatoes filled with ox tail, or a typical soup from Castilla.
No wonder why James is wishing to start the next culinary tour!
