In Madrid’s democratic dining scene, bistronomía-style restaurants provide diners with the chance to enjoy world-class product and impeccable recipes without the commitment that might come with star-laden tables. Here are some of our picks to try.
Today all eyes are on Madrid, firmly established as a global food city on all fronts.
Porto has long been Portugal’s relatively sleepy second city, but in the last few years the city has woken up and become an exciting, cosmopolitan destination.
Priorat may be the star of Cataluña’s wine lineup. Since a few brave winemakers recuperated old vines here in the 1970s, Priorat’s quality has exploded, along with its reputation.
Today, Andalusia is becoming an incubator for creative cuisine. Using traditional recipes as springboards chefs are resurrecting cooking methods and reintroducing ingredients that had fallen out of favor. Fisherman’s stews, wild game, unusual fish from coastal estuaries, lesser cuts of meat…have all served as inspiration for contemporary cooks.
No visit to Cádiz, that mysterious city in southern Spain, is complete without visiting at least one ultramarinos store bar right in the old town. The surviving ultramarinos in Cádiz often morphed into purveyors of gourmet foods such as jamón ibérico, Payoyo cheese from the Cádiz mountains, mojama from Barbate, and canned fish from the best producers in Spain.
La Escribana is the flagship vino de pasto from Willy Pérez and one of the finest white wines made in Jerez. The grapes are sourced from Pago Macharnudo, one of Jerez’s top quality vineyards. Willy harvests the vineyard in two passes, with the first bringing acidity and the second ripeness and body.
