EAT AND DRINK IN THE DISTRICT OF CHAMARTÍN BY JUAN ANTONIO COSTA LEO

2024/06/07

The Chamartín district is an eminently residential area and home to many independent professionals such as lawyers, doctors or notaries. It is not, however, a pole of attraction marked by cinemas or theaters, much less of tourist interest for its monuments and museums...if we exclude one of the most visited in the city, which is none other than the Santiago Bernabéu stadium.

Let's shed some light, both for regular residents who sometimes don't know what they have around the corner and for those intrepid visitors for whom gastronomy is enough (and they are right) reason to spend the time in Madrid. necessary, which can be a lot, if they put their mind to it, even without leaving this district. From Michelin stars to secluded dining rooms, through themed dining rooms or places that are difficult to classify but are well worth one or several visits.

In this context and starting from the top, we have to highlight Diverxo and its three Michelin stars, one of the best, if not the best, place to eat and drink in the capital. Fighting against the reservation system is mandatory and now time is more pressing than ever due to its imminent transfer to the neighboring town of Pozuelo de Alarcón. If you can't get a table here, don't rush, and try one of the city's brightest stars called Ugo Chan and his peculiar vision of Japanese food. I don't assure you that it will be easier to reserve tables, but at least try dropping by its wonderful attached cocktail-bar and in addition to enjoying an outstanding cocktail, you will be able to accompany the drink with a dish that will allow you to understand why. my rating. If we want to “truffle” our route with a little more drink without neglecting a notable sausage shop, don't forget to enter Castellana 113 and don't be fooled by the blandness of its façade; Inside there is a small gem where you can spend a few hours with your favorite cocktail or distillate.

We continue randomly, like drones safe from traffic, combing the district and we cannot forget what is perhaps the best market in the city, that of Chamartín, which also houses two gastronomic proposals that are well worth knowing, even at times ( upon reservation) in which the market remains closed. Pasta Mito is a stall that turns into a tiny Italian restaurant on request and the neighboring Akatsuki , a kind of sushi bar (there are no tables) where anything is possible, even allowing diners to bring their own wine. And if it's about Japanese, don't forget that we have a 99 Sushi Bar , unchanged over time and with astonishing regularity, which despite the subsequent openings of the 99 group, has continued to be its flagship. Or go (and tell me what you think), to the very recent opening, just a few days ago, of what promises to be the “Japo of Japs”, called Sen Omakase , just 12 positions arranged in a bar and located on a quiet street. of the district but who aspires to appear very high on public and private lists of gastronomy lovers (with economic resources, of course).

If a Japanese is not exotic enough, don't worry, go to the tiny Marzeah Taberna and Casa Mui , bustling and somewhat uncomfortable where you can find oriental fusion dishes and curries inherited from Sudestada respectively, at really friendly prices.

There is no shortage of small treasures in the area, with cuisine that is difficult to describe but well worth a visit, El del Medio , especially in good weather, where you can enjoy its tiny, quiet terrace and its Mediterranean and somewhat traveler cuisine. Or the modern steakhouses, so fashionable now in the capital and of which Rocacho was one of the pioneers, with food brought directly from El Capricho , a carnivorous temple in Jiménez de Jamuz. “Fine” steakhouse is also Rubayat with its Brazilian-inspired dishes and cuts and one of the best terraces in the district, along with that of the neighboring Sacha , an uncatalogable bistro that I dare to define as one of the favorite places of any Gastronomy Academic. in Madrid and in general, to any fan of good eating and drinking.

Labeling La Ancha is easier, since they have been providing great food for more than half a century and are the creators of the iconic Armando escalope. If they want more meat, we have more; The recently opened Casabula defines itself as an “Asturian grill” and is nothing more than a place where you can grill some short-aged cuts of meat with notable flavor, at reasonable average prices. If they are ichthyophagous, there is no problem either, since we already have the overwhelming Bascoat , for product quality, the very classic Carta Marina , an immutable local seafood restaurant or much more informal and bustling, El Quënco , a sort of Andalusian that has nothing to do with it, beyond family ties with Quënco de Pepa , much more formal and a regular meeting place for the serene celebrity who does not display his Instagram skills on Jorge Juan Street. For well-understood ambitions, the brand new Velasco Abella , a relaxed spirit and closer to the market food of that great bourgeois dining room that was Sant Celoni, led by the couple that forms the former chef and pastry chef of such a longed-for dining room.

If we move away from the hustle and bustle, inside and outside, we cannot forget Sal Negra , heirs of the old Almírez and one of the very few places to eat lamprey in Madrid, yes, in season. Let's not overlook the Fonda de la Confianza either, with its spoon dishes, its market cuisine and diligent service where you can stop and recharge your batteries, at really sensible prices. We also find sensible prices in El Lince , the friendly and moderately rough branch of La Tasquería or Quinqué , which has quietly become the restaurant with the longest waiting list in the capital, something caused not only by its good work. with pickles or pitu caleya rice but for having been recognized (and known by many) as the best croquette in Madrid.

And since I'm talking about croquettes, we could think about bars and perhaps it is in this section where we should make a greater effort to share references, since it is not a neighborhood especially given to fine tapas (let's forget for the moment branches and large restaurant groups) . Even so, if you search, find and if your pocket is elastic, take advantage of the cozy terrace and the uninterrupted cooking hours to try the Telégrafo seafood or, if it is the end of the month and you have to be more careful with the zeros on the bill, order some fine wines and as much salad as you can eat at La Contra tavern or try all kinds of sausages at Marcelino Vinos y Ultraporcinos . Finally, if you are more of a liquid than a solid, don't forget that right in front of the latter you have one of the best food and wine stores such as Coalla , which has some tables to taste its products, so divide your time and heart. budget and account for a good appetizer or snack in both.

Not all of them are there, but they are all of them or at least, those that this humble Member of the Board of Directors of the Academy of Gastronomy of Madrid has visited and visits with a certain and unequal frequency, depending on the circumstances and that, With a click, they can save to a Google Maps list and plan their visits for the coming days, weeks and months.

We leave you the prepared route HERE .