In Mercado Chamartin, in the central aisle on the lower floor, you’ll find a brand new, chic little Italian eatery called Pasta Mito. All food is freshly prepared in the on-site kitchen, and the owners definitely know what they’re doing. Also, the brilliant thing about eateries in neighborhood markets is that the ingredients they cook with tend to come directly from the market’s food stalls, so at the same time as being top-quality stuff, eating there is great for local businesses too.
My fella and I sat in the cosy 3-tabled dining area and, based on enthusiastic recommendations by the owner, we had… (ima write a list):
- Glass of the house white each
- Complimentary and HUGE antipasto appetiser
- Burrata Caprese with fine green pesto
- Truffle ravioli with only butter sauce and fresh parmesan sprinkled on top
- Tiramisu in a cup
- All accompanied by a fresh basket of focaccia
The food was absolutely incredible and plenty between us – we’re glad we shared! The bill came to €26 exactly, which felt very reasonable for the quality of food and wine and friendly service.
Whilst we were sat there, we saw lots of people ordering to take away. Great idea too, but the dining experience was way more fun.
The owners are a husband and wife duo. She’s Italian, he’s Spanish and speaks fluent English. We got chatting and he told us that he spent 4 years cooking under Heston Blumental, then worked in one of the UK’s top restaurants for a few more years before coming back to Madrid.
I asked him about future plans and he said that next month, they’re expanding into the veg stall just opposite, which will mean an extra 6 or so tables. Having only opened in September ’14, they’ll be staying put in Mercado Chamartin for now as the business is going well and they seem to love what they have.
Pasta Mito is by far the best Italian food we’ve had in Madrid yet – it’s really quite a gem.
By Leah Pattem
Info
Mercado de Chamartín: Facebook & Web (calle Bolivia 9 <m> Chamartín)
Pasta Mito: Facebook (inside the Mercado de Chamartín, central aisle, lower floor)
