Like most people living their best PL life (post lockdown, incase you were wondering), I am making it my mission to eat out with gusto, and plough some money back into the hospitality industry—albeit rather selfishly as I wind up well fed, so it’s not entirely altruistic.
However, there’s one place in the city that I keep going back to. Not only in order to support a small business, but because their food is beyond delicious and the service feels akin to being greeted by old friends. Nina Pasta Bar is the restaurant equivalent of my new favourite toy, and long may it continue.
Nina’s is tucked away, just off of Calle Ruda, making it easy to miss and the definition of a hidden gem. The menu isn’t overly long; instead they focus on a few specialities, such as spaghetti carbonara which they absolutely nail, every.single.time.
I’m currently in the midst of a love affair with their gnocchi bravos, an Italian take on the Spanish classic. They’re little panfried pockets of deliciousness, served with a spicy bravas sauce and a creamy alioli. Challenge yourself to share the dish: I inhale an entire serving these days and don’t break a sweat.
There’s no shortage of places to dine out at in Madrid, but there is a shortage of places (in my opinion) where you literally don’t want the meal to end. From the cosy yet understated decor, to the reasonably priced vino tinto and the delectable specials, each morsel tastes as heavenly as the next—you can taste that it’s been cooked with love.
Most recently, I had the pumpkin gnocchi with pancetta and I genuinely had to pace myself, such was the urge to faceplate into this hug in a bowl of meal.
In light of the weird times that we’re currently living through, Nina’s feels homely and a safe cocoon (when, frankly, the outside world is leaning heavily towards doom and gloom).
The service is always warm and welcoming, the tiramisu always decadently rich and the glasses of wine always err on the side of what I affectionately refer to as a ‘generous pour’.
Torn between shouting about Nina Pasta Bar from the rooftops and wanting to keep it quiet so that I can still get a ‘reso’, here I am recommending it wholeheartedly as words cannot ‘espresso’ how much I love this spot. Sorry, couldn’t resist topping and tailing with a pasta pun.
By Cat Powell @littlemissmadrid
Nina Pasta Bar
- Website, Facebook & IG: @ninapastabar
- Address: Calle de Santa Ana 21
- Metro: La Latina
- Phone: +34911374660
