Viridiana

Das Geld nicht wert, leider. Grüner Salat und nur Salat 21 €!? Etwas abgezockt hab ich mich gefühlt. Mein Lamm war eher ein Schaf, trocken und kalt. Gaspaco war gut. Wein den ich wollt war aus… hmm
Mich sehen die nichtmehr.

Great appetizer or starter I would say.
the meat is just ok. worth to try, if you are sick with tapas :)

A friend from Madrid suggested this restaurant if we were carrying around some extra cash. Yes, it is quite expensive. More so than places we normally go, though we do indulge once in awhile.
I think people will fall into two camps on Viridiana. Some will think that the menu is brilliantly creative, while others will find it a bit fussy. We tend to fall towards the latter. That said, the cooking itself is unquestionably top notch. Further, the service was absolutely flawless with a couple of exceptions early on when the head waiter, one of the finest waiters we have encountered in many a year, got pulled away to do seatings while in the middle of taking an order. The rest of the service staff was equally as professional, though not necessarily as genial as the head.
Customers receive two dishes on the house: a parsnip soup with potatoes and ham, which was perfect in texture and taste, as well as a white pork with various side ingredients. The pork was an interesting concept, and the pickled cucumber was heavenly, but it seemed like a lot of effort for a fairly insignificant side dish.
The 6 mushroom risotto was out of this world. One of the top 2 or 3 we have ever had. Plain and simple. A chick pea tortilla filled with Ropa Vieja was a very interesting concept, but very large portion coming on the heels of the house dishes and risotto. The tortilla itself was very light, and the Ropa Vieja avoided a lot of the extreme spicing or over-​preparation one often finds in the dish. An accompanying baked apple was a nice though some what incongruous complement, but the cactus seemed a bit extraneous.
A chocolate panacotta with berries was a perfect way to round out a very satisfying, though at times slightly precious, meal. Still, the best meal we had on our trip to Spain and very highly recommended if you have «extra cash» and can negotiate some of the culinary whims of the otherwise top chef kitchen.

Bueno, pues por fin he comido en Viridiana, con las ganas que tenía. No he quedado, en absoluto, defraudado con la experiencia; platos generosos y creativos sin caer en la modernez absurda, carta de vinos inmensa y adaptable a cualquier bolsillo, buena atención sin caer en el chupaculismo de los garitos más pretenciosos… Y el mismísimo chef, Abraham García, toda una leyenda de los fogones madrileños, sirviéndote el vino, recomendándote algunos platos fuera de carta y haciéndote chistes guarretes. Hemos pedido un vino chileno excelente, unos huevos con setas y trufas de quitar el hipo, un pescado y casquería sorprendentemente suaves y deliciosos y unos postres de bandera. Bravo, bravo y bravo. Un 5 estrellas en toda regla.

I liked this place but didn’t love it. He’s done a pretty good job of mastering a bunch of different cuisines but not a perfect one and some of the dishes seemed forced.
A good example is the squab tajine. The breast was braised and really lost its distinctive squabby taste. I would have made a squab sauce and seared the squab and served it with it.
A beautiful restaurant with great service but the food is not consistent enough to be great.

Food was beyond excellent here. I like pigeon and this place did it up right: Dijon sauce with plums, a healthy bed of «arepa» that felt more like polenta, and a perfectly cooked, very tasty bird. Makes me want to catch and kill a street pigeon back home in NYC!
The rest of the party thoroughly enjoyed their dishes enough to order dessert, which was also good (though not mind-​blowing). Service staff were very good and spoke enough English where my grad school Cuban Spanish didn’t need to rear its ugly head. I will be back the next time I am in Madrid.

Dinner started with an amuse bouche and a delightful strawberry gazpacho with Iberico ham. As appetizers, we split the egg boleta, a farm-​fresh fried egg served in an iron skillet with porcini mushroom mousse with a generous table-​sized shaving of black truffle, and the maple smoked duck foie gras with bitter orange chutney, in a silver serving dish shaped like a duck, which was serverd with a gewürztraminer from the Rhin region (Othegraven, Auslese 2002). We had a bottle of Albarino with dinner and shared 2 entries of Galician hake cheeks in a touch of Albarino wine in some sort of green sauce, and the deer loin from Toledo in a wine-​reduction sauce that had the consistency of chocolate but tasted like vinegar, and served with potato gnoche, sprockets, and a delicious salty red cabbage. For dessert, we split the bison gras sorbet with vodka, and then chocolate truffles and peaches in raspberry sauce were served with the check. Everything was delicious, although the gazpacho and the appetizers were our faves, followed by the deer loin and dessert. The hake was cooked well, but too fishy for our tastes and the sauce made it a bit watery.
The chef greeted us at the door, but spoke to the other tables about the dishes; given we didn’t speak fluent Spanish we weren’t really bothered by it. Our waiter spoke very good English, and recommended a nice reasonably priced wine. The meal was pricey, but we thoroughly enjoyed it and the ambience. I would definitely recommend it, we very much enjoyed the meal and the playfulness (without the over-​the-​topness) of the flavors and the presentation.

So, I have never written a review on any of these sites… yet I check them often when traveling to a new place. I always wonder about other’s reviews as I know everyone has different tastes. I am a lover of good. It does not have to be expensive (often times the low cost meals are much better than the expensive… It just has to be great for what it is).
Anyhow…we were recommended Viridiana by the concierge at the hotel, looked it up online and saw that the prices were up there… but really only as a result of the crappy exchange rate with the dollar.
We ultimately made a reservation and I’m very glad we did.
It’s annoying to be forced volumes to find out whether a restaurant is good or not. So…
In short: Awesome awesome food. One of the best tasting meals I’ve had in a long time. The flavors and were amazing and the presentation was fantastic. The servers were really nice in their own reserved way. Very laid back ambiance that needed some prodding to get going (I’ll explain below). Cost: 217 Euros including (2 vodka martinis, 1 delicious Swedish herring special appetizer that we shared, 1 great bottle of Spanish red wine, 1 perfectly cooked and flavored grilled steak main course, 1 amazing stewed ox-​tail corn tamale wrapped in banana leaf main course, 2 spectacular desserts (mango panna cota and a chocolate custard), and 2 cups of coffee). I would recommend to any good friend.
Here’s the long version.
Leaving our hotel at 10:30 pm, we hoofed it up a slight hill and found Viridiana. As we walked into the intimate space with about 10 small 10 tables, we were immediately hit with a furnace blast of hot air (though no one seemed to notice as most of the men were eating with their jackets on). Thinking that maybe it was us (having just walked uphill in the cold) and not them, we tried to push away the impending freak out and waited for our body temperatures to normalize.
They took our coats and sat us near the window at a really cute bench style table and poured us water immediately.
We ordered two dry vodka martinis (one dirty) and they were made perfectly. After a few minutes, we realized that it was not us and that temperature was out of control. However, the crisis was easily averted after we asked the server (with broken Spanish and hand signals) if there was any way he could lower the heat. Rather immediately, it cooled to a normal temperature.
We scanned the menu and realized that appetizers were the same price as entrees at around 30 euros, so we decided to split one and make it up on the desserts. We ordered wine and our main courses. It had begun.
We were glad we only ordered 1 appetizer as they soon brought out a couple welcome dishes – two small copper pots of the most delicious soup I have tasted in recent history: cream of asparagus with pancetta. They also brought us these great cheddar popover bread balls. This was in addition to the offering of rustic bread rolls with olive oil.
The Swedish herring appetizer special was beautifully presented on a bed of shaved beets, some really flavorful coulis and some frisee. It was also served with a traditional shot of iced hard alcohol. We asked for another plate so we could share,
This was about the time that I realized that it was oddly quiet in the restaurant. with only the din of muted conversation. We asked the server if there was music and with an «Oh yes,» quickly tunred to the kitchen, flipped the music switch and the ambiance immediately went from sterile to perfect with some traditional spanish guitar music.
The main courses came next. The steak was presented quite nicely with a baked potato cake. My oxtail tamale (which was not called this, but what it was) came to the table wrapped and tied in a banana leaf that the server ostentatiously cut and unwrapped for me. It was served with a spectacular side of mole. Delicious.
We ordered two desserts from a list of ten. Both had fantastic flavor combinations of fresh fruit and berries, chocolates in various forms, vanilla and fruit coulis.
Coffee was great (hot, bold and the server poured steamed milk at the table).
The service was great in every way. The timing was perfect… neither rushed nor too slow. We always had full glasses of wine, yet never realized the server filling up our glasses.
In summary, the food was amazing. If you can successfully communicate your wishes to the very friendly staff, they are more than willing to accommodate. Price (217 Euros plus 20 euro tip) was well worth the experience.

Tengo que reconocer que me decepcionó un poco (estuve hace pocos. meses). Demasiadas expectativas.
Todo estaba muy bueno, sí, pero no era asombroso.
Voy a concretar más: Lo primero que me sorprendió, fue que hubiese dos cartas, una con vinos y otra sin ellos, la que tenía vinos sólo para el caballero… este detalle me parece de un machismo trasnochado que podrían haberse ahorrado.
Abraham vino a atendernos, fue muy amable, y mientras nos iba cantando los platos fuera de carta, se interrumpió un momento para despedirse de sus hijos que salían, que me parecio un detalle entrañable.
Elegimos una ensalada con queso de cabra (fuera de carta), el pez mantequilla, y unos tacos de ternera con ñoquis (fuera de carta, también). Todo para compartir. Y un postre, que no recuerdo exactamente que era, pero muy similar a un tocinillo. Una botella de vino Rioja que nos recomendó: todo 144 € (y comimos de sobra)
De entrante trajo un cazito con unas lentejas con curry y unos arenques con ají amarillo que para mi fueron con diferencia lo mejor de la cena, por sorprendentes sobre todo. Y luego el postre, que tenía una textura y un sabor muy agradables. El resto estaba bien, muy bueno, sin más, nada sorprendente, nada que justificase la fama ni el precio… no sé, ya digo que quizás lo tenía muy idealizado.
Le hubiese puesto 4 estrellas, pero lo he dejado en 3 precisamente por esa sensación de que el precio no se justifica.
Además que elijas un vino, por mucho que te lo recomiende Abraham, que te lo traiga en un decantador y no llegues a ver la botella, es un detalle que no me hizo ninguna gracia.
El servicio es correcto y nada más. Abraham está encima de todo y creo que es un error porque da la impresión de ir acelerado en exceso. De hecho no tuvimos tiempo de mirar con calma la carta, yo no pude leérmela entera. Y cuando estás terminando de pedir casi se está yendo ya… es mejor delegar más e ir un poquito más relajado.
Por este precio me quedo con Astrid&Gastón donde cada plato era una estupenda sorpresa. O incluso con la Taberna de Liria. Pero había que ir y se fué. Y se cenó bien.

Un restaurante muy acogedor con cocina tradicional excellente! El chef saluda a los comensales. Hemos estado dos veces ya. Desde que no se puede fumar disfrutamos del sitio todavia mas. Repiteremos!

Abraham García, chef y propietario de veridiana, proclama en su pagina web que llevan «mas de tres décadas y lo que resta defendiendo una cocina rotunda, sabrosa y distinta, a contratiempo»
y para menos, y es que en su local, que toma por bandera el film de Buñuel que tanto ama, decorado con fotografías de la propia película, nos ofrece una cocina creativa, ojo! que no de vanguardia, sino creativa, osea los platos de siempre de maneras diferentes.
Este bistrot de dos pisos próximo al retiro me a sorprendido mas de una vez, aunque también es verdad que otras veces me he quedado un poco desilusionado (No suele ocurrir, pero puede pasar). Pues por lo general su cocina es excelente. Que no busca juegos tecnológicos modernos, nada de nitrógeno liquido, sino que juega mas con la fusión de la gastronomía de distintas culturas (Marroquí, mexicana, asiática…)
También podréis encontrar productos tan olvidados como «la casqueria», a la que Abraham dedicó un libro.
Su carta de vinos también es sorprendente, con muchos vinos extranjeros (Aunque me gustan mas los patrios).
solemos volver por que como es un Bistrot y su carta cambia según el mercado de ese mismo día, siempre es una experiencia totalmente nueva comer allí.

Es gozoso, todos sabéis, muy caro, pero gozoso.
En realidad, a mí no me importa una taberna o Viridiana, pero por fortuna, participo de todo. Aunque sea muy poquitas veces, merece la pena conocer todo tipo de lugares. Este es uno. La carta, a pesar de que la innovación culinaria puede ser tediosísima, aquí lo hacen con ingredientes tan auténticos y antiguos y típicos (tuétanos, chirivías, setas, ciervo, pintada…) que lo hacen diferente. Los canelones de pintada son para llorar de buenos.
De postre (entre otras cosas) me decanto por la bonita costumbre de tomar queso, aquí artesanos. Cartaza de vinazos.

Dentro de la excelencia que es, me gustó, pero quizá no tanto como otros. Me pareció, además, bastante caro, y algo obsoleto (sobre todo en la vajilla).
Decorado con fotografías de la peli de Buñuel, el ambiente es muy bueno e informal. Tiene dos salones, nosotros estuvimos en el de arriba. Muy buen servicio y todo riquísimo, aunque sobró de cantidad.
Lo mejor: que estuvimos hablando con Abraham García, el chef, unos diez minutos. El tipo sabe un montón de cocina, obviamente; pero es que, además, tiene tres o cuatro blogs y escribe una tribuna semanal en El Mundo.
Es de justicia otorgarle cinco estrellas, en cualquier caso. La comida estaba deliciosa. Carta de vinos inmensa, la mayoría muy caros.

Viridiana is first and foremost a tribute to the great film-​maker Luis Buñuel and his masterpiece Viridiana (1961). The chef and owner, Abraham García is a film fanatic as well as a highly acclaimed chef and author of food books. The restaurant often appears in guides (Zagat included) with highly enthusiastic reviews and high ratings. Some regard it as Madrid’s favourite. I went with an enormous excitement with a colleague and we had a seven or eight-​course tasting menu. Although two or three of the dishes were inspired, we were very badly let down by one, and therefore the whole thing became unconvincing. However the service was very friendly and the place is relaxed and convivial. This was possibly the star dish: Huevos de corral en sartén sobre mousse de hongos (Boletus Edulis) y trufas frescas (Tuber Melanosporum). The egg was amusingly presented in a classical Spanish pan, in a delectable mushroom mousse and shavings of black truffle. Brilliant, funny and sensual. The disappointment was Carrillada de cerdo ibérico estofada al whiskey de bourbon con tomates verdes fritos y risotto de vainilla. The ibérico was OK, but really nothing special, the bourbon sauce was like ordinary gravy, the fried green tomato a disaster — tasteless and shallow, and the risotto was hurried, the rice wasn’t soft or plump, the vanilla was imaginary and I didn’t detect any sort of cheese. Moreover, the whole thing didn’t get together conceptually. It was mediocre and pretentious. So all in all, a very mixed bag. Pity that one or two dishes were practically world-​class and another one was terrible. I recommend it, but expectations should be kept relatively low.

Comidad imaginativa y … cara
Un sitio muy original, debido a los platos que cocina, de todo con todo y de todos los sabores por así decirlo, menudas mezclas, el problema es que no sabes bien lo que pides. La decoración es muy extrambótica y las mesas están demasiado juntas, pero lo más negativo es el precio, carísimo, casi 60 euros por un menú de degustación se hacen muy elevados para probar un sitio nuevo