La Biotika - Madrid

La Biotika is a Spanish restaurant in Madrid which is known as the oldest vegetarian restaurant in the city. Located just a few streets away from the famous Museo del Prado (Prado Museum), this restaurant provides vegetarian, vegan and macrobiotic cuisine.

The Restaurant

Restaurant La Biotika

La Biotika has been serving vegetarian food for over 30 years from its location in the middle of the 'literary' zone of Madrid, to the West of the Prado Museum. This means that they have perfected their vegetarian recipes over the years and could certainly claim to be one of the best vegetarian restaurants in Madrid, and not just because they are few and far between. However the owners of the restaurant believe that vegetarian food is more about being happy and content in your life as well as eating healthily and ethically.

To go along with the healthy theme at this Spanish vegetarian restaurant, the interior has been decorated in fruity colours and natural materials. The walls are painted in a mixture of pale yellows, oranges and lime greens which make the restaurant bright and fun. There are even some parts of the restaurant which have decorative tiles that depict pieces of fruit. The furniture at La Biotika is mostly wooden and has been lightly varnished so as to keep the natural grain of the wood visible, continuing the natural theme throughout the restaurant.

Within La Biotika restaurant there is also an eco-shop which sells a variety of organic, natural and fresh produce as well as products which are specifically designed for special diets such as vegetarian, vegan and macrobiotic diets. Alongside the nutritional products, the shop also sells a number of books which can help you to follow a specific diet as well as how to cook tasty food that is healthy for you.

La Biotika is very conscious of the fact that well-being is more than just eating healthily. Therefore the restaurant holds many Spanish courses and workshops in other ways to live a healthy life such as Feng-Shui, yoga and soul therapy. However, if you're into your cooking then you could always attend one of their cookery classes which demonstrate how to prepare some of the best dishes from the restaurant's menu.

The Menu

La Biotika specialises in cooking the best food for a variety of diets. Although they mainly focus on vegetarian food, they also prepare meals for people on macrobiotic and vegan diets. Furthermore, they can even adapt some of their recipes, on request, to suit other special diets such as those on a gluten-free diet. This means that no matter what diet you are on, you will always find something to eat when you visit Madrid!

vegetarian dishes

For their vegetarian dishes, the restaurant ensures that it appeals to all of the needs of the vegetarian diner. The vegetarian food at La Biotika balances hydrocarbons, proteins, vitamins and minerals and uses lacto-vegetarian ingredients. Combined these nutritional elements ensure that you will be eating healthily and will feel full of life once you finish.

Nearly all of the dishes at La Biotika are also vegan friendly dishes as they avoid the use of any animal products. One of their best dishes for vegans is the chocolate cake, a dish which can often be hard to find on a vegan diet!

Finally, this Spanish restaurant also offers macrobiotic cuisine which is aimed at people on a macrobiotic diet. A macrobiotic diet is one that involves eating lots of beans, grains and local vegetables. This diet has become popular among celebrities and many believe that it is one of the healthiest diets. To ensure that La Biotika provides the best macrobiotic food, they only use the freshest local vegetables that have been organically grown and they always select and serve vegetables that are in season for the time of year.

Some of the best dishes on the menu at La Biotika in Madrid include 'Buñuelos de verduras' (Vegetable fritters), 'Guiso de lentejas' (Lentil stew), and 'Pimientos rellenos' (Stuffed Peppers). They also offer a number of set menus for lunch and dinner, weekdays and weekends as well as a tasting menu.