Bar Toboggan is one of the best new additions to the area of Arganzuela, located just around the corner from El Matadero. This lovely little restaurant is nestled between a courtyard and playground, so it’s away from the cars and you feel like you’ve left the city – almost as if you were at the beach!

The outdoor seating area is spacious, and family- and pet-friendly. The restaurant itself is also very open, with high windows, and modern, colorful decor. The servers are young and friendly. As for the menu, you’ll find a great selection of options from small dishes to mains.

The last time we went, our drinks arrived with an extremely fresh and gooey tortilla de patata – a nice change from the potato chips and industrial olives that we’re so used to these days.

We decided to order an array of small dishes to share: patatas bravas Toboggan, croquetas de jamón, salmorejo, and a pepito palentino – a filet of meat, a slice of brie cheese and sautéed green bell pepper on a baguette.

We were completely full by the end of the meal. In total, we had ordered four small dishes along with two drinks each, and our bill came out to less than 30€. A bargain in this city nowadays! 

The first time we went, we ordered the Toboggan-style burger with brie, caramelized onions, bacon and mustard; and the tuna tartar with shrimp and avocado. But we didn’t take pictures that day. Sorry! I definitely recommend them though. 

Food aside, what stands out most about Bar Toboggan is the welcoming atmosphere and unbeatable terrace. Seriously, it might just be my favorite terraza in Madrid.

Bar Toboggan

• Website, Facebook & Instagram: @bar_toboggan
• Address: Plaza Rutilio Gacis, 2
• Metro: Legazpi

One of the things I love about living in Madrid is that it’s a bustling international city, and when it comes to food you can find just about any kind of cuisine your heart desires. As an Iranian American living in Madrid for over five years and founder of the Madrid Persian Food Lovers Facebook group, I thought it was about time that I shared this guide to all things Persian in Madrid. 

Here’s all of the knowledge I’ve gained about Persian restaurants and cultural happenings across the city:

FOOD

Banibanoo

Photo from Banibanoo – also in the feature image

For something totally different, check out this modern and casual restaurant, whose name translates to “Miss Bani” in reference to its young owner, Banefsheh. What’s unique about this restaurant is that it serves up dishes usually only found in Persian homes.

The menu changes regularly, but some things you might typically find are sweet rice with chicken (shirin polo), egg frittata with a mix of herbs (kuku sabsi), or eggplant dip with walnuts and strained yogurt (kashke bademjan), each with the chef’s own creative spin.

Order the combo meal, and choose three items from the colorful variety of items on display behind the counter. Stay for dessert and typical drinks, such as Persian lemonade or cucumber and rose water. Also check out our previous review of Banibanoo.

• Facebook & Instagram: @banibanoomadrid 
• Address: Calle de las Mártires Concepcionistas, 19
• Nearest metro: Manuel Becerra

Mesón Persa Mr. Kabab

Photo from Mr. Kabab

Don’t be confused by its name. The kebab served at this traditional Persian sit-down restaurant has little to do with its fast-food cousin, the Turkish doner kebab. In Iran, the term kebab, or kabab, is used to refer to meat skewers cooked over an open flame. Mr. Kabab is a favorite of the Iranian community in Madrid, and in addition to delicious kebabs made of tender beef, lamb, seasoned ground beef (kubideh), and chicken marinated in Persian spices, you can also find traditional Persian stews and appetizers. The owner, Mustafah, also runs the Persian store next door where you can find a selection of Iranian dry and canned goods to make your own creations at home.

• Website
• Address: Calle de los Artistas
• Nearest metro: Cuatro Caminos

La Palmera del Retiro

I was so excited to learn that Mina Rashidi, the former owner and chef at my absolute favorite Persian restaurant in Madrid, has a new project. Her previous venture, the very traditional Tehran restaurant in Salamanca, sadly shut its doors in 2012 during the recession.

Her new Spanish-Persian tapas bar concept offers a limited menu, but everything as delicious as you’d expect from Mina. Among the Persian tapas she typically serves are an eggplant dip known as kashke bademjan, as well as stuffed grape leaves, or dolmeh. It’s a great place to stop for a caña and a tasty snack after a stroll in nearby Retiro.

• Website
• Address: Av. de Menéndez Pelayo, 53
• Nearest metro: Ibiza

Sabor Azafrán

Photo from Sabor Azafrán

This restaurant is another great place to try typical Persian cuisine. It’s a bit off the beaten path, in Madrid’s Cuidad Lineal neighborhood, however it’s well worth the visit. Try one of the delicious stews (khoresh), such as one made with meat, potato and split peas (khoresh gaimeh), or another with a mix of herbs, meat and red beans (khoresh gormeh sabsi).

Of course, as any good traditional Persian restaurant, this one also has all the variety of kebab you would expect, served up with steamed saffron rice and roasted tomatoes. This place is great for large groups, as it has a very large dining room, and long tables.

• Website, Facebook & Instagram: @sabor.azafran
• Address: Calle del General Aranaz, 65
• Nearest metro: Cuidad Lineal

Stop Pizza

Photo from Mohammad Riahi

You wouldn’t know it from the outside, but this unsuspecting pizza and doner kebab take-away stand is a landmark for Madrid’s Persian community. Call ahead and the owner, Mehdi, will prepare you some traditional Persian barberi bread in his pizza oven. Or stop in any time for a pizza served on crust that has a texture suspiciously similar to barberi, giving the pizza its own unique taste. You can also find typical Persian stuffed grape leaves (dolmeh). Finish it all off with a strong black tea served from a traditional Persian tea pot. Note: there’s nothing Persian about the rest of the menu.

• Website
• Address: Calle del Dr. Santero, 6
• Nearest metro: Cuatro Caminos

Restaurante Esfahan

Photo from Restaurante Persa Esfahan

The most central of Madrid’s traditional Persian restaurants, this one is located right around the corner from Plaza España. Its menu contains some Middle Eastern fusion, with dishes like hummus and pita bread and salmon with orange sauce. However, they also feature many of Iran’s most typical dishes, and even some you can’t find in other Iranian restaurants in Madrid.

Standout dishes are the herbed rice with roasted lamb (bagali polo) and barley soup (soupe jo), which is a common staple in any Persian home. The restaurant’s walls are covered with traditional Persian paintings and handicrafts, including woven carpets that cover the lower part of the walls. That, along with the traditional music played in the background, will make you feel like you’ve been transported to Iran.

• Facebook
• Address: Calle de San Bernardino, 1
• Nearest metro: Plaza de España or Noviciado

CULTURE

Tried the food, and hungry to learn more about Persian culture? Check out these cultural institutions:

Centro Persepolis

Photos from Centro Persepolis

A Persian cultural center that hosts cultural events, a bazaar where they sell Persian handicrafts, and organizes trips to Iran. They also host talks on Iranian art and literature, including poem recitation sessions in Spanish and Farsi.

Each year they organize a few concerts in Madrid, both by Iranian bands or those made to connect Iranian and non-Iranian music. These events have included some outstanding Iranian musicians, such as Shahram Nazeri, Hossein Alizadeh and Alireza Ghorbani to name a few.

• Website & Facebook
• Address: Calle Sta. María, 20
• Nearest metro: Anton Martin

Casa Persa

Photo from Casa Persa

The Casa Persa is an association dedicated to the diffusion and teaching of Persian mysticism, poetry and music. Every Saturday it hosts an improvized performance of Sufí music and dancing. The regular performers, Majid Javadi, Antonio Fernández and Carmen Sánchez, are often joined by other musicians from the community. It’s recommended to reserve by phone ahead of time, as space is limited. There is an entry fee of 15 euros, and includes wine.

• Website & Facebook
• Address: Calle Silva  nº5, 5ª planta
• Nearest metro: Santo Domingo or Callao

MORE

When it comes to finding Persian products, whatever you can’t find at the Mr. Kebab shop in Cuatro Caminos mentioned above, you might also look for at one of the many Arabic shops surrounding the Islamic Cultural Center of Madrid. Many of these shops carry Iranian products, including the coveted sweet, black dates from the region of Bam.

Photo from esmadrid.com

Interested in hearing an innovative blend of traditional Iranian and Flamenco music? Then check out the band Baramu, made up of Babak Kamgar, Pedro Pedrosa and Manuel Espinosa, collectively representing Iran, Extremadura and Andalucía. Based in Madrid, they regularly play events around the city. The trio mix traditional instruments from Iran and Spain to create a sound you’d be hard-pressed to find anywhere else in the world.

Photo from Baramú

La Tasca is a Spanish bar near Príncipe Pio run by a Persian family. There’s no Persian food on the menu, but it’s great for a beer and a tapa, and if you mention you love Iranian culture, you may get invited to some tea on the house.

If you make your way out to Alcobendas, a suburb northeast of Madrid, then you might check out Nuevo Espacio. It’s a  Persian restaurant founded by a former cook from Mr. Kebab that was so successful he opened a second location, also in Alcobendas. It’s also worth noting that Alcobendas is home to a substantial Persian community, and hosts Persian New Year celebrations, among other cultural events throughout the year.

Know of anything else that should be included in this guide to all things Persian in Madrid? Let us know in the comments!

We can now savor authentic lobster rolls in Madrid thanks to The Lobstar. Situated near Bilbao, this newly opened restaurant is bringing the best of New England comfort food to the city, with hearty dishes like clam chowder, lobster bisque and shrimp rolls.

The decor is inspired by restaurants you’ll find along Maine’s quaint coastal fishing towns. It mixes industrial touches with a casual vibe. Lots of light streams in through the tall storefront windows, and the brick and metal walls contrast with the wooden floor.

There are just a few tables and booths, and an open kitchen where you can see the chefs preparing casual American seafood dishes following traditional recipes. As for the music, classic hits are played back to back, so you’ll probably know all the lyrics. Feel free to sing (or hum) along.

In true “lobster bar” fashion, we first ordered beer – a trusted Sam Adams and an excellent pilsner from Marbella. As for the menu, our servers were very helpful and recommended we start with the buffalo shrimp tacos.

We also asked for a bowl of rich clam chowder, for nostalgia’s sake. Both were delicious and filling enough to be a complete meal on their own.

Next up, our main dishes. Of course we ordered the star of the show – “the lobstar roll” – and it was the real deal. The lobsters arrive alive from Canada, boiled up and served on a toasted and buttered homemade brioche bun, with lots of flavorful mayonnaise. Absolutely perfect.

We also ordered the swordfish burger which was gigantic. It had several generous-sized pieces of grilled fish along with the works: lettuce, tomato, onion and mayo, also on a sweet bun. Both were served with a heaping portion of the best sweet potato fries I’ve tried in the city so far.

And the most surprising part for me? The side of coleslaw. It was real coleslaw! The kind you find at New York City delis. We also couldn’t help but take a peek at the delicious-looking mac and cheese dishes that kept coming out of the kitchen. We’ll definitely be going back for those next time.

We needed to take a short pause before we could even consider having dessert. After two slowly sipped cups of espresso (each served with a cute “Lobstar” marshmallow), we decided to go for it. The first items to catch our eyes were the cider donut and the butterscotch with honeycomb milkshake…

They sounded amazing, but given the meal of champions that we’d just devoured, we asked for a lighter option. The server recommended the key lime pie, one of my favorite desserts and the perfect finishing touch for an incredibly satisfying meal. Let’s just say we walked all the way home, happy.

The Lobstar

• Website: www.thelobstar.es
• Instagram: @thelobstarbar
• Address: Calle Carranza, 4 (Madrid)
• Metro: Bilbao

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

Sometimes you walk into a restaurant and you can just sense that somebody has put their heart and soul into it. That’s exactly how I felt last Tuesday evening when visiting Atlantik Corner for the first time. From the little details, to the big concept that envelops their entire menu, no aspect of the dining experience had been overlooked; no aspect deemed too trivial.

Atlantik Corner is a Portuguese restaurant, but with a twist. There’s no cliched chicken peri peri on offer here. This is fusion cooking at its best. Unbeknown to me, Portugal has strong historical links with Brazil (that part I knew) but I wasn’t aware of their ties with Africa and India. So with flavours from these foreign lands having been thrown into the mix, the result is a menu that can only be described as a masterclass in uniqueness.

They say that practicing an attitude of gratitude is the key to a calm and content life. I’m never quite sure who “they” are when I make reference to them in this sort of context. I guess what I’m trying to say is that gratitude continues to be a buzz word for 2018, along with self care and lagom. Trust me, look ‘em up.

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Gracias Padre

• Facebook, Website & Instagram: @gracias.padre
• Address: Calle de José Ortega y Gasset, 55
• Phone: 910 66 00 85
• Metro: Lista

We also had a lagarto ibérico (a special cut of Iberian pork) served on top of a rich, velvety layer of yuca purée with white truffle. If you’re into truffle, this is your dish.

We rounded off the savory part of our meal with the Sicilian-style Iberian burger that was topped with provolone cheese and grilled onions, and came with a side of homemade fries.

Feeling completely satisfied and not overly stuffed, we couldn’t have asked for a better pork-filled experience! That is, until dessert came.

The chocolate salami cake with ice cream was the perfect finish – don’t worry, the only nod to pork in this dish was the fun presentation. After devouring every bite, we slowly finished off the delicious bottle of red. I don’t remember what type of wine it was, but it came recommended by Alex as a house special that night. So just make sure to ask your server for a suggestion!

So pork fans, La Porcinería should definitely be on your list.

Info

• Instagram, Website, Facebook
• Address: C/ Lagasca 103, Madrid
• Metro: Núñez de Balboa
• Phone: 910 33 38 74

The run-up to Christmas is undoubtedly (if you’re anything like me) a social whirlwind. I’m not quite sure where the need came from to see literally *everyone that you know* before Santa arrives; it’s almost as though we feel like the world might implode come December 25th.

In light of this, I often wind up feeling as though I’m over stretched having over committed. And therefore – rather than be filled with “Christmas cheer” – this quickly turns to “Christmas fear” as I realise I’ve spent too much time partying and not enough time purchasing (other people’s gifts that is).

However, there are some dates in the old diary that are no hardship to keep. In this case, it was dinner at the recently opened Sargo. Located in Barrio Salamanca – not my usual stomping ground, but in an area that I do aspire to spend more time in and around – Sargo felt like the sophisticated older sister to many of the restaurants that I tend to frequent.

I met my friend at the bar for a sparkly start (some gin-based fizz) and began to peruse the menu. It quickly transpired that whilst there were definite crowd pleasers to be found, innovation was the buzz word at Sargo with plenty of inventive options, of which I’ll elaborate on later.

For me, I’m all about the “three S’s” when I go out for dinner, so let me explain. Style, service and (lip) smackingly good food. It wasn’t wasted on me that the decor at Sargo was Pinterest worthy in terms of its prettiness and if I’m going to be sat still for hours, then I want something nice to look at.

On that note, next comes the service. It didn’t go unnoticed on myself or my dining companion that our waiter was incredibly attentive and essentially, he could’ve been plucked from the beaches of Rio. Pau was everything you’d want in a server, knowledgeable but not pushy. Friendly but not overbearing. Gorgeous but not so distractingly so that our food would go cold.

So onto the food, it passed the “S” test and then some. As I went with a veggie friend (we cover all food group bases) and tried A LOT of different things – what can I tell you, we were warming up for Christmas.

The standout dish for me was the sashimi de atún rojo, which was a work of art – quite literally, it was served upon a pintoresco. The concept of the menu is undoubtedly unique though – split into easy-to-read groups such as “de machete” – perfect for meat lovers and “de cuchara” which is ideal for those seeking comfort – which to be honest in these tiresome temps, who isn’t?

We bid the team at Sargo farewell having tackled the menu as a tag team and safe in the knowledge that we’d given their marvellously Mediterranean menu a good old bash.

If you’re looking for a spot that definitely isn’t style over substance, give Sargo more than just a glance. Set to become a darling of the Salamanca scene, set up camp now before the hordes arrive.

Info

• Facebook, Instagram, Website
• Address: Calle del General Diaz Porlier 57
• Metro: Lista
• Phone: 910 1066 57

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

Trikki restaurant was opened in Chamberí about a year ago by owners Yuliet McQuitty (New Orleans) and Rodolfo Rodriguez (Venezuela), and together they’ve brought the spirit of New Orleans to the neighborhood. As soon as you walk in, you’ll feel a refreshingly down-to-earth ambience and lots of jazz-inspired decor, from drum-shaped lamp shades to drawings of musicians and trumpets on the walls.

Yuliet will graciously greet you and walk you through the whole menu; while each dish will be prepared from scratch by Rodolfo, a.k.a. “the kitchen commander.” Everything at Trikki is made from traditional home recipes and select ingredients to bring the authentic flavors of New Orleans to your table. 

The menu features all the city’s classics: fried green tomatoes, gumbo, jambalaya, po’ boys and the famous bananas foster dessert. You’ll also find a few Venezuelan items sprinkled in there. Since it was our first time trying New Orleans cuisine, Yuliet suggested we order their signature dishes – all packed with flavor and spices.

Here’s how it went down:

We started with a half-portion of fried green tomatoes, a delicious introduction to what followed.

Next up was the gumbo, a hearty New Orleans stew filled with rice, chicken, sausage, langoustine and so many other delicious ingredients. What stood out to me the most was the okra – I don’t think I’ve ever had okra in Madrid.

Then we had the ultimate jambalaya. This rice dish is on the spicy side, so Yuliet recommends people try it on their second visit to Trikki, unless you like a little kick to your meal. It turned out to be James’ favorite dish of the night.

Yuliet also said a true New Orleans experience wouldn’t be complete without trying one of the Po’ boys, which are essentially gigantic sandwiches. We ordered the one with soft-shell crab, lettuce, tomato and a special sauce. So good.

Needless to say, we had a full-on feast! So when we got to the homemade dessert section, we ordered what seemed like the lightest option: quesillo, a typical Venezuelan dessert that’s similar to flan with a hint of lime.

On our next visit we’ll save room for the New Orlean’s classic: bananas foster, served on a dish that they flambé right in front of you. We did get the chance to watch the pyrotechnics at the table next to us, however, and it looked amazing!

Here’s a pic of the bananas foster from Trikki’s instagram so you get the idea.

So when it comes down to it, Trikki’s concept is rather simple: home recipes, traditional ingredients and Southern hospitality, which makes for a great combination. Just make sure to go with a good appetite and friends who like to try new dishes and flavors.

Trikki

• Facebook, Website & Instagram
• Address: Calle Santa Engracia 109
• Metro: Alonso Cano