The burgeoning food culture of Madrid didn’t emerge overnight. The gastronomy scene has been shaped over the centuries by the region’s prosperity, the cultural influences of Islamic and Christian traditions and adaptation to the lifestyle of Madrileños.
Today the destination has become a compulsory stop for the world’s gourmands in search of traditional fare and boundary-pushing cuisine. Spotlighting this culinary excellence is the Michelin Guide who currently bestows 28 restaurants with at least one coveted star for gastronomic excellence, thanks to household names of Spanish cooking like Dabiz Muñoz, Dani Garcia and Mario Sandoval.
Stamping their signature dishes on the destination's dining experiences, here are nine Michelin-starred restaurants you need to visit in Madrid.
1. CEBO
Downtown Madrid is no stranger to incredible artworks thanks to being the centre of Spanish arts and culture - the Paseo del Arte (The Art Walk) - and providing its artistic touches to the district is the intimate offering from Javier Sanz and Juan Sahuquillo, CEBO. Nestled beside the Hotel Urban, this chic venue focuses on simplicity and superb technique resulting in great presentation and flavourful tastes. Midweek luncheons are characterised by the 10-dish Clásicos menu while those making a reservation for the evening or the weekend, will tuck into the more extensive Temporada (Seasonal) menu. Dishes include Cristal baby squid with de la Granja beans, corn feed quail and the wonderful, sweet finish of fresh goat’s milk with oxidised corn. And if you love sunsets over cityscapes, head to the rooftop terrace for a glass of wine and unimpeded views of Madrid.
Michelin Stars: One
www.cebomadrid.com
2. COQUE
This Michelin-starred restaurant brings a whole new meaning to an interactive dining experience. Under the auspices of Sandoval brothers – Mario, Rafael and Diego, Coque guides gourmands on an adventure through 1,100 square-metres of Jean Porsche designed-space in Madrid’s Chamberí district. Guests begin their 18-course menu – accompanied by drinks pairing for every course - in the Cocktail Room before gracing other touchpoints in the Wine Cellar, Sacristy and Kitchen. Each stop showcases a creative cooking demonstration that reflects Head Chef Mario’s homage to the best in seasonal ingredients as well as the research he carries out in his ‘agrolab’ at the Jaral de la Mira farm-estate. Once seated in The Dining Room, waiters deliver each plate with a sense of showmanship with the Mediterranean stew heated in science laboratory equipment and the smoked sheep’s mile with flambéed blueberries enjoying memorable displays.
Michelin Stars: Two
www.restaurantecoque.com/en
3. DSTAgE
High-ceiling interiors, exposed brick walls, retro design features and a studio and events space – DSTAgE is a haven for creativity both inside and outside the kitchen. Set over 300 square-meters and two floors, Diego Guerrero’s restaurant housed in an industrial loft in the coloruful Chueca neighbourhood , welcomes foodies and creatives to express their indulgences through set menus and the DSPOT Studio. While artists busy themselves in the event space on the ground floor which is also home to a private dining room, a wine cellar and show cooking space, diners can cast their eyes on two set menus; DSTAgE with 15 courses and Denjoy with 18 courses; on the top floor. The experience begins as soon as guests step through the entrance where they are offered snacks at the bar before being led to the dining room that holds only 40. Once in place, guests can watch the culinary team showcase their skills in the open kitchen that can be seen from every point of the restaurant while savouring the likes of roasted avocado, fermented yucca and mole and octopus with squeezed king prawn head.
Michelin Stars: Two
www.dstageconcept.com
4. CORRAL DE LA MORERÍA
Serving Madrilenians with dinner and a show since 1956, the legendary institution of Corral de la Morería lights up the evenings in the heart of the city centre. The tablao (flamenco dinner show) has been noted as the finest in the world and welcomes guests to pull up a chair and delve into a Michelin masterclass by Basque chef David García. Taking inspiration from recipes from his native region in northern Spain, the menu spotlights Basque dishes. Think scallop carpaccio with tomato tartare, dates and coconut garlic, grilled salmon accompanied by smoked leek sauce and young cabbage ragout, rack of roasted and rested lamb drizzled in caramel sauce and a creamy ragout of winter vegetables. Save room for dessert that is crispy rice pudding with cinnamon frozen cream or caramelised torrija (Spanish style French Toast) in fresh milk with banana ice cream. Wine connoisseurs have the pick of the finest wines from Madrid, Marco de Jerez and more including a unique collection of long-lost labels that cannot be savoured anywhere else. Once cravings have been satisfied, it is time for the castanets, the singing and the powerful movements of bailaoras (dancers).
Michelin Stars: One
www.corraldelamoreria.com/en
5. DEESSA
Hotels in Madrid are much more than just a place to lay your head. They are destinations where all entertainment, pampering and gastro needs are taken care of. And if you are looking for a venue that oozes class, exquisite interiors and mouthwatering dishes curated by one of Spain’s most celebrated chefs, set a course for Deessa at the Mandarin Oriental Ritz, Madrid. The two-star restaurant is the result of the culinary vision of the renowned Quique Dacosta who tempts guests to treat themselves to the likes of chard tea and prawn emulsion and mellow Albufera rice with meat and red peppers roasted in a wood-fire oven. Set in the fabulous Alfonso XIII room that sees white-washed walls, gold furnishings and busts of Greek Gods, make sure to sample the signature helping of caviar and fish roe for which the restaurant has become famous. However, if uncertainty should strike when casting your eyes over the menu, follow the recommendations of Dacosta with the Historic degustation menu that compiles a selection of his favourite dishes for your perusal and pleasure.
Michelin Stars: Two
www.mandarinoriental.com
6. MONTIA
Rising from the ashes of its first iteration, the second coming of Montia sees Head Chef Daniel Ochoa’s curate dishes based on local produce using his signature culinary techniques. Having been destroyed by a fire in 2021, the venue nestled in the heart of San Lorenzo de El Escorial - the town famed for the UNESCO World Heritage recognised Monastery of El Escorial - welcomes only 32 diners. Place yourself inside and you will experience Nordic-interiors with natural wood tables and a fireplace that roars during the cooler months. Or make your way to the conservatory and enclosed terrace that surrenders views overlooking the Montia gardens. Centred in the restaurant, connecting the two areas, is the open kitchen where the team prepares standout dishes including callos (tripe) and pepitoria of milk cap mushrooms and sea urchins from ingredients that Ochoa has farmed and foraged himself. And if you like to take notes, the Head Chef is more than willing to share some of the secrets behind the dishes.
Michelin Stars: One
www.montia.es/en
7. DiverXO
For two decades, the perennial World’s Best Chef Dabiz Muñoz has been thrilling gourmands by pushing the boundaries of gastronomy with an eclectic collection of mouthwatering plates. Described by some as fun, hedonistic, creative and even irreverent, dishes at his venues throughout Madrid take guests on a culinary rollercoaster with no time for convention or tradition. At his three-star DiverXO in the city’s Chamartín district, the tasting menu invites diners to sample local ingredients combined with exotic condiments for intense flavours including Japanese paella, roasted caviar, nigiri matured for 45 days and even pigeon. And while you are not being wooed by the gastronomic delights before you, soak in the eccentric interiors that see huge chrome ants and flying pigs; a light-hearted take on when a young Muñoz told his father he would own a restaurant one day where people would queue around the corner, with his father retorting: “Sure, and pigs might fly!”
Michelin stars: Three
www.diverxo.com/en
8. PACO RONCERO
A gentle stroll from the Puerta del Sol, sits Paco Roncero Restaurante. Perched on the rooftop of one of Madrid’s most storied buildings, Real Casino de Madrid, the restaurant has been a favourite haunt of locals since it threw open its doors in 1990, under the guise of La Terraza del Casino. Helmed by Madrid-born chef Paco Roncero since 2000, the eponymous restaurant’s interiors of crisp whites, lemon yellow chairs and mint green décor have been imagined by Spanish designer, Jaime Hayon, with Julio Guixeres providing his touches on the outdoor terrace. In this splendid setting, choose between two degustation menus: Esencia, served at lunchtime from Tuesday to Saturday and Afirmación, packed with 18 courses. With his famed penchant for using olive oil, guests are supplied with imaginative creations including Filipino of foie gras with white chocolate and cardamom, crawfish salad with pink tomato snow, Meunière clam with coffee and lime and Millennial olive tree.
Michelin Stars: Two
www.pacoroncerorestaurante.com/en
9. SMOKED ROOM
There’s nothing like dining with a sense of exclusivity and it doesn’t get more intimate than one bar, two tables and 14 seats. Located in the Hyatt Regency Hesperia Madrid and housed inside sister restaurant Leña, Dani Garcia’s Smoked Room greets guests with a matt charcoal palette and a cavernous space, evoking vibes of dining inside a very stylish coal mine. For the best seat to view the kitchen action, take a chair at the Japanese maple wood bar where the team employ classic Japanese cooking techniques with smoke the key seasoning ingredient. A sophisticated cuisine, Garcia’s Fire Omakase concept features combinations of matured fish and meats and even greens like seaweed.
Michelin Stars: Two
www.grupodanigarcia.com
