GOURMET’S CHOICE: Spring’s Spectacular Signature Cuisine

 By Margaux Cintrano

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This spring bears the signature of exemplary epicurean cuisine both in Urban Madrid and around Spain´s rurals. Here are some spectacular selections.

1. Hotel De Las Letras Restaurant : Gran Via 11 – Madrid Capital – Metro : Gran Via 

Diners at this historic urban landmark boutique hotel restaurant shall experience regional haute cuisine that’s at once prêt a porter, a new gastronomical concept appropriately described as “informal haute cuisine” introduced by no less than Chef  Paco Morales. This magic mix of the haute stuff and the informal is reflected in the very hotel where the historical brick walls and well preserved sculptures, mosaic artworks and the old staircase in the interior of the building have been skillfully integrated into an avant-garde design. The refined exemplary dishes include the fresh catch of the day, squid seared on flame, and the pasta of the day which, on the day we were there, was fettucini. Flavors and textures of international and the new Madrid cuisine embody culinary knowhow and superb tastes. The wine list merits a score of excellence.

For more info, please go to the Las Letras official website: http://www.hoteldelasletras.com/

2. Restaurant Coque : Calle Francisco Encinas 8 – Humanes de Madrid – Metro : Atocha Renfe/Cercania Train to Humanes de Madrid

Chef Mario Sandoval is the youngest chef in Spain to have received a Michelin Star and that was in 2006. The triplex townhouse is only 1 /2 hour from the Capital of Madrid, 20 kilometres. This chef with 1 Michelin star and 3 Soles Repsol (3 Repsol Suns) has made it his culinary philosophy to draw on the bounty of local and seasonal products and a variety of tasting cartes. The venue houses an incredible wine cellar. The opening hors d´oeuvres with the Sandoval Brothers, Mario and Rafael, had been most accommodating with us. There are 3 set degustation cartes. Lunches run from 50 Euros to 85 Euros per person. Quintessentially exquisite.

For more: www.restaurantecoque.com/

3. Hotel and Enotaberna La Posada Del Leon : Cava Baja 12 – Madrid Capital – Metro : La Latina

This 17 room charming urban restored haven provides guests with a sense of privacy and a soothing blend of circa wooden accents. The restaurant is a sophisticated yet down to earth bistro serving a selection of gastronomical evolutionary Madrid Cuisine. Highly recommended are the foie gras with assorted bread toasts, the fresh catch of the day, and Chef Pedro Jiménez’s Filet Mignon. The dessert we were served was a chocolate concoction called a chocolate fondant with hot fudge!

www.posadadelleondeoro.com/

 .4. Sobrino De Botín : Calle De Cuchilleros 17 – Madrid Capital – Metro : Puerta de Sol

The renowned North American writer Ernest Hemingway had given this restaurant global acclaim. In the final 2 pages of one of his novels, The Sun Also Rises, Jake invites Brett to Sobrino De Botín  (Nephew of Botin). The Segovian specialties of the house are a carnivore´s dream: the Segovian Roast Lamb and the Segovian Roast Suckling Pig. Certified by the Guinness Book of Records as the world’s oldest, the restaurant was founded in 1725, and visitors shall still encounter an open kitchen, a charcoal hearth and antique copperware hanging above the fireplace. The 18th-century tile oven is still intact. A true enchantment .

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About Forbes’ Classic Restaurants:
http://www.forbes.com/pictures/ehkj45hghe/restaurant-botin-madrid-spain/