Whenever I would visit my home to New York my primary mission would be to devour as many real bagels as possible with a strong sense of urgency knowing that I would not be able to find them in my regular day-to-day life in Madrid. That has been the case until now.

I learned of Mazál Bagels via word of mouth, this new establishment opened in Mid-January. I jumped at the opportunity to interview its founder, Tamara Cohen from Philadelphia, to showcase her inspiring pivot from English Teaching to baking and entrepreneurship.

Tamara originally arrived in Madrid as many of us do, to teach English via the Auxiliar de Conversacion program back in 2015. Upon realizing that Madrid was lacking in the area of authentic pumpkin pies at Thanksgiving, Tamara filled this niche by selling homemade pumpkin pies and other baked goods to the international community, taking orders at first via social media and later a website devoted to her craft called Bruja’s Bakery. 

After the Thanksgiving influx of demand came to an end, Tamara contemplated other products that she could bake that would appeal to her audience year-round. With her creative spark ignited, she became a self-taught bagel baker, selling bagels made at home three at a time in the toaster of her tiny Madrid apartment. Tamara thrived in the digital space, releasing bagel-themed content to social media to garner visibility. Demand for her bagels skyrocketed and her small-scale operation quickly became a full-time job. This permitted Tamara to step away from the teaching sector to focus on her passion for gastronomy. 

As an American Jew of Sephardic origins, Tamara was eligible for and proceeded to obtain Spanish nationality via the Law of Return after a complex three-year legal process. Now a citizen of her adopted country, Tamara set forth to expand her baking operations by opening Mazál Bagels in Madrid’s Chamberí neighborhood. Her storefront is equipped with a proper commercial kitchen, enabling the production of bagels in larger batches to satiate the masses with comfort food.

The origin of the name Mazál is that Tamara wanted her business to have a name that was easy to pronounce in both languages while holding cultural significance. “Mazel” is the Hebrew word for “luck” and mazál (spelled with the accent) is the Sephardic pronunciation of the word. 

Tamara wants to make it very clear that true bagels have a long fermentation period and are then boiled and baked. “Bread with a hole in it is not a bagel.” As an ambassador of Jewish gastronomy, Tamara’s bagels are crafted with love, and the sandwiches she prepares are built with precision, with their presentation in mind.

I sampled an everything bagel, served with lox, capers, onions, and plain cream cheese. This bagel’s texture and flavor lived up to my expectations, outshining any competitors whose works that I’ve sampled here in Madrid or during my time in Paris. 

Mazál offers the following cream cheeses: Herbal with dill and parsley, salmon, chive, and honey cinnamon nut. Her bagel selection includes sesame, poppy seed, plain, everything, and cinnamon raisin with daily special bagels such as jalapeño cheddar, onion, garlic, pumpkin, gingerbread, and blueberry.

There’s a learning curve as Spanish people have heard of this product, but are yet to try it themselves and don’t know how to properly eat it. Recently I had a customer come in and for a pan con tomate on a bagel. I wasn’t offering this but it sounded like a good idea. I would like to find creative ways to blend the bagel with Spanish gastronomy.

As I sat in the freshly opened shop, many joyous anglophones entered, thrilled to savor Tamara’s culinary gems and Spanish people passing by would peer in to see what all of the commotions were about. Tamara would charismatically explain to curious locals what this niche foreign product is, in a flawless Spanish accent,  which can be attributed to her Madrileño partner who played an instrumental role in navigating the red-tape of opening a business.

What became clear was that at Mazál Bagels, Americans, local Spaniards, and the international community can gather in an environment where they can feel at home.

Mazál Bagels

• Website, Facebook, IG: @mazalbagels
• Address: Calle Alonso Cano, 30
• Metro: Alonso Cano / Ríos Rosas

Does anyone else find the run-up to Christmas just one big guilt-laden box of chocs? Surely it can’t just be me? As soon as December 1st swings around, I struggle not to be reaching for the party favours and my booze intake sky rockets – well it ‘tis the season. So in an attempt to not become 50% mulled wine, 50% turrón, I headed to La Espumosa, the new Chamberí hotspot which combines healthy grub and bubbles, of the champagne variety.

Myself and my vegetarian date (who is dragging a self-confused carnivore kicking and screaming into healthier habits) headed out last Tuesday and found ourselves salivating over La Espumosa’s menu. Juliette, the owner who coincidently quit her day job to follow her dream of opening La Espumosa, has curated a menu that sits perfectly within the era of clean eating. These days millennials (much like myself) enjoy a tipple but then again, we also love an avo – everything in moderation is my mantra.

So to this end, the menu sounded delicious, but not dangerously calorific. We split the following offerings; sautéed veggies which provided an instant shot of virtuous-ness, a burrata with pesto, halloumi fingers (I could’ve eaten a bucketload of these) and La Espumosa’s take on ‘patas bravas’ that was baked sweet potatoes with a vegan mayonnaise, which were less of the naughty, and a lot more of the nice.

In addition to the nutritious nosh, the cocktails were to die for (I wasn’t polishing my halo the entire time, we definitely embraced the notion of ‘a little bit of what you fancy does you good’). The waiter whipped us up a gin-based cocktail using my all-time favourite gin, G’vine and a yuzu-based bitter hailing from Japan which was dangerously more-ish. However, as it was a Tuesday evening and not a thirsty Thursday, we exercised a bit of self restraint. Come the weekend though, La Espumosa is the perfect place to enjoy a hard-earned glass of champers to toast farewell to the working week.

One of the other somewhat unique aspects of La Espumosa in a city with more restaurants than you can shake a stick at, is that the owner Juliette really wants the restaurant to become a social hub. There are already live music nights, fashion brunches and a whole host of events in the pipeline, even one of my own @littlemissmadrid mixers is pencilled in – so watch this space. And when Madrid edges its way out of its recent cold snap and people can feel their toes once again, I predict that the terraza will become quite the hotspot for Sunday morning brunches and post work cañas too.

La Espumosa looks set to to become my local, and not just for fizzy Fridays. It’s hard to walk on by when a venue boasts a menu that’s going to leave you feeling great, rather than guilty. The decor, the food and indeed the concept got my corks popping *couldn’t resist a champagne pun. And to this end, we all know there’s only one thing better than a glass of champagne, a bottle.

2020 update: monthly brunches!

Given the healthy nature of La Espumosa, the Chamberí locale is now offering what is currently planned to be a HIIT workout followed by a healthy brunch. As La Espumosa does a great line in champagne, the combination of burpees and bubbles is sure to be an appealing one! One Sunday per month, you can workout for 30 minutes at the venue with a fully qualified UK personal trainer and then enjoy a delicious (and nutritious brunch) – ensuring that there’s zero guilt about the calories. The brunch includes a healthy detox juice including green apple, cucumber, ginger and pineapple. A coffee of your choice meaning you get an endorphin and a caffeine hit. Followed by either scrambled eggs or avocado on toast. So don your leggings, grab a friend and put your Sunday to good use. Stay tuned to Naked Madrid for the date of the next one and kickstart your 2020 fitness goals.

La Espumosa

• Facebook & IG: @laespumosa.es
• Address: Calle Santa Engracia 60
• Metro: Iglesia

Galician chef Manuel Domínguez took a big risk when he decided to open a restaurant offering an exclusively fixed menu 14 years ago in Madrid. The concept was almost unheard of at the time. But today, that bet has paid off.

His award-winning Restaurante Lúa continues to offer Galician-inspired dishes with truly innovative touches. The quality and creativity of his cuisine has even earned him a Michelin star – Lúa is the only Galician restaurant outside Galicia to hold one.

Lúa, which means “the moon” in Galician, is Manuel’s personal project that he’s been dedicated to for well over a decade with a signature culinary style and unique tasting menu. He bases his cuisine off traditional Galician recipes made with seasonal, fresh and local ingredients.

His success led him to move from the original location to a larger space on Calle Eduardo Dato with a dining room, a bar area with high tables and a terrace that opens up in summer.

There’s even a private room that can be booked for special occasions.

Manuel’s personal passion for design is reflected in all the decor, from the furniture to the art.

The restaurant’s main attraction is the Menú Lúa tasting menu (€68) consisting of three aperitivos, two starters, two main dishes (meat and fish), a pre-dessert and a dessert. Oenophiles can order this same menu along with a wine pairing, Menú Lúa Chea (€90). If you’re not in the mood for a tasting menu, not to worry – you’re also welcome to order off the regular menu, which features half- and full-size portions of Galician-inspired dishes with a twist.

What’s more, Lúa has over 150 wine labels on offer and a short list of champagnes from small producers. We shared two bottles of the restaurant’s very own red and white:  “A Tiro Fijo.” Both are made exclusively for Lúa and with local ingredients from the Coto de Gomariz bodega in Orense. The wine’s flavor was truly unique, with a hint of Albariño which is my favorite.

The star of the menu is Galician-style octopus prepared in two ways: the classic pulpo a feira, the authentic recipe from the owner’s hometown of Carballiño; and the oven-baked octopus accompanied by potato purée and garlic sauce. We tried the first and for anyone who’s ever been to Galicia, you’ll know it’s the real deal.

We sampled several other small portions of their most popular menu items, such as the foie micuit over pear empanada and caramelized San Simón cheese which was a burst of so many different flavors in just one bite.

We also had the patatas bravas made of shrimp – a deliciously deceiving trompe-l’œil. The list goes on but I’d rather you experience it first-hand for yourselves.

For dessert we grabbed a seat out on the terrace and ordered the cheese cream with violet soup. The cheese itself was outstanding, and the “violet soup” was inspired by traditional Spanish Violeta candies. We rounded off our meal with some licor de café, straight from Galicia of course.

This was my first Michelin-starred dining experience and now I do understand what all the fuss is about. I won’t give away too many more details about Lúa, but let’s just say that if you appreciate the art of gastronomy and have a love for good food, it’s well worth a visit.

Restaurante Lúa

• Website & Facebook
• Address: Pº Eduardo Dato, 5
• Phone: 91 395 28 53 

Fratelli Figurato is a newly opened pizzeria in Madrid’s Chamberí neighborhood, brought to us by two brothers hailing from Naples who share a strong passion for pizza and innovation.

Before founding Fratelli Figurato, Riccardo and Vittorio had both worked in marketing and lived in different parts of the world. It wasn’t until December of last year that they decided to give it all up to pursue their true calling: reinventing the Neapolitan pizza.

The mastermind behind the kitchen is Riccardo, who’s been a pizza-making aficionado for years, creating his own methods and putting spins on Italian culinary tradition. You’ll always spot him sporting a blue New York Yankees hat.

Vittorio is in charge of marketing and communication, and designed the restaurant’s image and peronsality. He’s the crazier one of the two, although he shares the same passion for gastronomy and creativity as his brother.

Together, the Italian duo has made their dream come true with Fratelli Figurato. Lucky for us, we now get to delight in their welcoming, family-run restaurant serving delicious Naples-style pizzas featuring innovative techniques, elaborate processes and special ingredients.

Their pizzas stand out in particular for the light dough – Figurato’s trademark recipe created by Riccardo. It’s fermented for an impressive 36 hours and made with top-quality ingredients. With each pie you order, you get to choose from three dough options: traditional, wheat and five-grain.

After greeting the two brothers and hearing all about the restaurant’s story and mission, here’s what went down at the table:

We each ordered a glass of Italian wine: a white Casal di Serra, and a red Lacryma Christi. To whet our appetites we were given slices of Tuscan-style salami. A perfect and simple appetizer.

You can’t go wrong with any of the pizzas listed on the menu, but seeing as it was our first time, we asked to try the most standout options – mortadella and pistachio, and squash and pancetta.

The first is made with a cream of ricotta and pesto, and provolone cheese. After leaving the oven, it’s topped with thin slices of mortadella from Bologna, bits of toasted pistachios and basil. We had it prepared on traditional dough.

The latter is made with cream of roasted squash, provolone and crispy pancetta. It’s topped with walnuts and basil. We ordered it on five-grain dough.

The mix of ingredients and flavors was so unexpected and delicious. Not to mention the dough was outstanding and very light.

To round it all off, we ordered their most in-demand dessert, the Sicilian-style cannoli. Divine.

All the star dishes certainly have a signature Figurato flair. We’ll definitely be going back to try everything else on the menu! 

Fratelli Figurato:

• Facebook, Website
• Instagram: @fratellifigurato
• Address: Calle de Alonso Cano, 37
• Metro: Alonso Cano
• Phone: 914 85 79 93

They say a change is as good as a rest and that’s exactly what I discovered on my visit to the recently opened Kamikaze. Located where Dray Martina used to be found, it’s now a tribute to all things awesome and Asian. So if like me, you can’t get enough of gyoza, and edamame is your everything, this is the locale for you.

Like all my favourite Friday night dinners we kicked off proceedings with a cocktail. A mix of gin, mango syrup and rose-flavoured tonic, it was downright delicious and packed a punch thanks to the additional cayenne pepper kick.

Our aperitivo came complete with a flaming dragon (I was told that I needed to squeeze his tummy three times for good luck) which I duly did even though I felt quite lucky at this point with my gluttonously gorgeous bowl of prawn crackers.

So onto the menu. Essentially there was nothing that I didn’t fancy, which meant that we ordered a lot – partly due to the excellent host that was Giuseppe who was able to tip us off regarding some of his faves.

We sampled spicy edamame (and these really did leave your tongue tingling), curried mussels, steak tartare on teeny, tiny tacos, gyoza (natch), chicken wings, spring rolls and just to really ensure that a loose-fitting dress has been a wise choice, a prawn Pad Thai. Everything was oooh and aaaah inducing and incredibly more-ish.

I had high hopes for the food, given that Kamikaze comes from the tour de force that is Grupo Larrumba and as such, the decor is second to none (we sat next to a Japanese cherry blossom tree that frankly I’d have liked to take home for my patio). There’s plenty of neon (perfect for Insta) and plate porn if like me, crockery is your 30-something fetish.

As we were wrapping up with our post-dinner coffees, a monkey appeared wielding a ghetto blaster with tunes blaring; leaving us in no doubt that Kamikaze is definitely a place to get your weekend party started.

Choc-a-bloc with pretty looking peeps, as equally easy on the eye as the food was, this was aesthetically pleasing Asian at its best. I recommend booking for a Friday or Saturday if you like your gyoza hot and your cocktails cold.

Kamikaze

• Website, Facebook
• Instagram: @kamikazemadrid
• Address: Calle Argensola 7
• Metro: Colon or Alonso Martínez
• Phone: 910810056

Being a full time teacher means that I’m lucky enough to get some pretty major teacher perks, aka, a lot of holiday days – which let’s be real, is something that money can’t buy. So this week I found myself with a blissful 9 days off and aside from the on-going trauma that is ‘buying a house’ in Spain (that’s a whole other blog post that trust me no one wants to read) I basically found myself at a loose end.

The upside of this being that I had time to become a lady who lunches – so having managed to persuade a friend to extend her lunch break, I sought out somewhere tasty looking near her office that wouldn’t break the bank – my pennies are now being directed towards furniture sadly, and not food.

Fast forward to Grosso Napoletano, a lovely little Italian spot serving up some of the best pizzas in the city. Located on C/Santa Engracia, it’s neighbours with a whole host of hip and happening foodie outposts that are emerging weekly in Chamberi.

The beauty of Grosso Napoletano in my opinion was the simplicity of the menu – a few salads are on offer to share (we plumped for chicken and avo to get the tastebuds going) followed by diavola and a quattro formaggi pizzas respectively.

The cavernous wood burning oven cooked them to absolute perfection – the base was light but not doughy, the toppings charred but not burnt. I ate every last crumb and my friend took her leftovers back to work – much to the envy of her colleagues.

As the nervous energy that comes with the quest to becoming a homeowner appears to be burning some of my calorie intake, I plumped by a matcha tea tiramisu to round things off nicely. It was a quirky twist on an Italian classic and every bite as delicious as the pizza.

Pizza places are essentially ten a penny, but decent ones are not. Grosso serves up authentic Italian eats at prices that, let’s face it, are far more purse friendly than a return flight to Rome to sample the same.

So if you fancy living La Dolce Vita but the budget won’t stretch quite as far as Sardinia, Grosso Napoletano is no poor substitute. Both the service and the décor were spot on and if a simple lunch spot is what you’re after, then that’s what you’ll get. With two locations in the city (the other one on C/Hermosilla) it’s easy to grab a ‘pizza’ the action.

Photos from instagram @grosso_napoletano

Grosso Napoletano

• Website, Facebook, Instagram
• Address: Currently they have 8 locations
• Phone: 911 70 46 53

Among my friends it’s no secret that in the summer you can’t keep me in. I’m more than happy to play the part of being a social butterfly and my flat is rarely where you’ll find me between the months of May to September. But as the temps start to drop and the dark nights draw in, it becomes harder and harder to prise me off the sofa and to step away from the cocoon of scented candles, red wine and of course, Netflix.

But you know, a girl’s gotta eat. So when I heard about a new burger place that was literally a mere hop, skip and a jump from where I reside, I switched my pyjamas for a playsuit and headed out on the town.

The place in question was Santo Pecado. At first glance it could easily be dismissed as just another place to grab a burger, but appearances can be deceptive and Santo Pecado is not your average burger joint. First things first, the owners are serious about the good stuff, aka – the meat. The beef hails from a farm in Toledo and there is nothing remotely McDonalds-esque here about what’s between the buns.

All organic and responsibly sourced, the taste of the meat (having been cooked over carbon) was most definitely worth leaving the toasty confines of my casa. Next came the burger toppings. If you’re indecisive (quite possibly one of my worst afflictions), trying to decide what was going to delicately rest upon my beaut of a burger was not an easy choice. Along with all your standard options, cheese, bacon and the like – there was foie gras on offer – meaning that you could quite literally pimp your dins so to speak.

Aside from the Toledo hailing beef, Santo Pecado boasts having Wagyu beef on the menu – see, I told you this was pretty far removed from Maccies. My friend assured me that the Wagyu option melted in the mouth and was essentially accountable for us not having room for dessert (although that could also be partly due to us indulging in both nachos and chicken fingers to start – both of which were equally delicious).

The restaurant loving folks of Madrid can be a tough crowd. In these post crisis days (of which we’re all grateful for), you really need to have something that little bit special to cut it in an increasingly crowded market place. There are literally more restaurants popping up on a weekly basis in Madders, than Elizabeth Taylor had diamonds. So if you don’t have that USP nailed – you’ll struggle to survive. The fact that Santo Pecado has taken the humble hamburger and elevated it to gourmet status, suggests to me that they have what it takes.

Again, located in the ever increasingly popular barrio of Chamberí, there’s no shortage of nearby bars, making it the ideal place to line your tum before a night of drinking, dancing and debauchery. If good meat equals good times in your language, halt that Netflix binge momentarily and binge on a burger instead.

Santo Pecado

• Facebook & Instagram
• Address: Glorieta de Quevedo, 4
• Metro: Quevedo
• Phone: 91 057 13 66

You always feel quite smug when you stumble across somewhere that feels yet to be discovered. I was mooching around Chamberi on my way to an appointment, when I mindlessly spotted Navare Bar – and it piqued my interest.

Inside there were groups of friends chatting animatedly, enjoying a late afternoon merienda. But upon closer look, there was also a downright delicious evening menu. I papped the name of the restaurant on my phone and made a mental note to return with a friend in tow.

Fast forward a week and I found myself to be one of the locals enjoying this new neighbourhood hotspot. Navare Bar is somewhat impossible to be shoehorned into any set category. You want you breakfast? They serve it. A leisurely lunch with colleagues? You’ve got it. Dinner with your nearest and dearest. They offer it. It’s basically your one-stop shop for all your culinary needs.

Now to be all things to all people is no mean feat. However, after meeting (and chatting with the owner) it’s clear that the vision for Navare Bar is to be a local place for local people; somewhere that no matter the time of day, you can grab a coffee or indeed a copa with friends.

I was a fan of this concept from the get go. Coming from the UK, I’m used to eating when I want – whether or not that ties in with siesta culture is of little importance. If I’m hungry I want options that will keep my renowned (within my social circle) ‘hanger’ at bay. It also didn’t hurt that the décor was a delight and the plates satiated my fetish for all things chintzy when it came to crockery.

So the food. In a nutshell it was lip smackingly good. After a full-on week at work I was in need of all the treats. We split prawn croquetas (you get eight, I could’ve quite easily refused to share). This was swiftly followed by grilled vegetables that conjured up the feeling of summer barbecues (and made me feel slightly virtuous after the deep fried delight that was the first tapa).

But the jewel in the crown was undoubtedly the solomillo that came with crushed new potatoes and some kind of sauce that I could’ve quite happily guzzled as though it were a G&T. To surmise, the food is heavenly and I left eager to return for breakfast, lunch AND dinner.

I have no doubt that Navare bar will be a success. The passion of the owner coupled with the zest for life that the local peeps possess, makes it an inevitable recipe for success.

Info

• Facebook & Instagram
• Address: Calle de Rafael Calvo, 29
• Metro: Iglesia & Rubén Darío
• Phone: 910 26 87 57

I don’t know about you but when I hear the word ‘Argentina’, pizza isn’t usually the first word that springs to mind AND I’ve been. I think of tango. I think of steak. I think of wine (more specifically I think of ruby red Malbec). I also think of the multiple jars of dulce de leche that I put away, for my sins.

So upon hearing that Argentinian pizza was able to rival a slither of wafer-thin New York pizza, I figured it was worth further investigation to see if the Argentinians didn’t just talk a good fight.

Photos by @adam_w_potts

Picsa is the Argentinian pizza mecca on Calle Ponzano. Foodies in the know will already be well aware that this street boasts a plethora of options that are all first class. However, in order to stand out you’d better have a strong USP up your sleeve and Picsa definitely has that; I’m yet to find anywhere else in Madrid that offers such gourmet pizzas in such a clinically chic setting – if there’s such a thing.

Picsa is almost sterile in terms of its appearance – it’s all white tiles and bare bulbs, but this just allows the food to take centre stage. Obviously the pizza is the big draw here, but the range of sharing plates isn’t to be dismissed. The bellota ham all but dissolved in your mouth and the Armenian roasted peppers were the perfect zingy compliment to the indulgence of the fat rippled jamon.

So after considering that a mere ‘warm up’, we plumped for a pizza to share and luckily (considering my topping tastes are relatively mainstream) you can do half and half and keep everyone at the table as happy as a clam.

On one side we split a chorizo criollo with provolone (a heart attack waiting to happen in all honesty but I was willing to take the risk). Whilst the other half was laden with roast duck and figs, like I said, Picsa isn’t serving up your basic margarita here. At this point, barely able to move and already pining for the thought of an elasticated waist, we figured in for a penny, in for a pound and split a chocolate cake with dulce de leche ice cream to really round things off.

If you’re working on your beach bod I strongly advise swerving Picsa unless you’re able to show any kind of restraint – of which I’m not. Picsa is not your average pizza joint and in light of this it was packed to the rafters on a Saturday night with patrons all looking for a ‘pizza the action’ – sorry, couldn’t resist one last pizza pun. Be sure to book, maybe skip lunch in preparation and stretchy pants are well advised.

Picsa

• Facebook, Website & Instagram: @picsa.madrid
• Address: Calle Ponzano 76
• Phone: 915 34 10 09
• Metro: Ríos Rosas or Cuatro Caminos

Read a previous Naked Madrid review on Picsa here!

As an ex-pat in Madrid there are a couple of things that I really miss from home. The M&S food hall (say no more). Boots – I mean who doesn’t love a decent 3 for 2 offer; and last but by no means least, a Sunday roast. So in lieu of Roast Beef and Yorkshire puddings, Sundays in Madrid are all about brunch, as opposed to lunch.

Image from Lady Madonna

Lady Madonna has always been a firm favorite of mine (you can even read my review on the restaurant here). With its pretty little terraza, it’s an ideal spot for a post-work drink, or a solid choice when you’re looking for a decent dinner that won’t break the bank.

Lady Madonna