Restaurante Zalacain - Madrid
The Restaurante Zalacain is a Spanish restaurant in Madrid which serves traditional Spanish food from Navarre and the Basque Country in an exclusive setting. This Spanish restaurant has been rewarded for its contribution to tourism in the city as well as to gastronomy with many prestigious prizes.
The Restaurant
The Restaurante Zalacain is one of the most exclusive restaurants in Madrid and although it is located in the far Northern part of the city, it is definitely worth a visit. Everyone who knows anything about Spanish food, from Spanish Royalty down, has eaten at this restaurant since the restaurant opened in January of 1973.
The Zalacain restaurant is truly a luxury establishment which can be seen in all aspects of the restaurant. The interior of the restaurant composes of three adjoining dining rooms which are decorated in a warm and luxurious red colour that oozes prestige and class. The furniture is classically designed in dark wood which contrasts with the modern paintings in their gilded frames on the walls. There are also a number of private rooms which can be hired for celebrations and meetings. The restaurant also has a small bar which is where you can enjoy an aperitif or drink before or after your meal. Even the table items are exclusive; the dinner sets were designed specifically for the restaurant by Villeroy and Boch while the cutlery is the work of Plata Meneses.
All of the staff at the Restaurante Zalacain in Madrid are highly trained and will tend to your every need. This restaurant goes beyond the service you get at most restaurants by employing chauffeurs to park your car for you, as well as sommeliers and Maitres d'hotel.
Among some of the illustrious guests from the upper classes in Spain who have visited this Spanish restaurant, one must highlight King Juan Carlos I of Spain and his wife Sofía. The restaurant has also served many politicians, presidents, Nobel Prize winners and executives and directors of large companies. You never know who you might meet if you have a meal at the Restaurante Zalacain when you visit Madrid.
The Menu
The cuisine at the Restaurante Zalacain in Madrid is characterized by its attention to detail, use of fresh local products of the highest quality and in particular its adherence to the use of produce which is in season. Thanks to these principles, the restaurant has become one of the finest reference points of gastronomy in the Spanish capital and has been duly rewarded.
On the main menu of the Restaurante Zalacain are such dishes as 'ensalada de pichón con aceto de manzana y germinados' (Pigeon salad with apple and bean sprouts vinegar), 'costillar de cordero lechal asado con su riñón y ñoquis de hoja de acelga' (Roast suckling lamb rib cooked in its own juices with Chard leaf gnocchi), and 'Ragoût de rape y carabineros guisantes al aroma de Jerez' (Hake ragu with red prawns sautéed in Jerez sherry).
The Restaurante Zalacain is similar to every other great Spanish restaurant in Spain as it has a great wine collection. However it would be fair to say that the Zalacain has the best wine collection in Spain, composing of over 35,000 bottles from 800 different varieties. The wines come from a range of countries including Spain, Italy, Germany, Hungary and Poland to name just a few. The wine is looked after by the master sommelier, Custodio López Zamarra; a man who is an expert on wines having written many books on the subject.
The Prizes
The Restaurante Zalacain has received a large number of prizes and commands a high position amongst the restaurants of Spain. The Zalacain was the first restaurant in Spain to be awarded three Michelin stars, making it part of an exclusive group of restaurants. The restaurant has also been awarded nine out of ten by the Gourmetour Guide and three Sols by the Repsol Guide. The Zalacain has been recognised for its contribution to tourism in the city of Madrid too with the Gold Plaque of Tourism Merit by the Spanish King, Juan Carlos I.
