Santerra Restaurante

Ambience The fine dining restaurant of Santerra is located in the basement of the main establishment, well separated from the more casual dining area. The setting is elegant and intimate, creating a refined atmosphere that immediately conveys exclusivity. Unfortunately, while the ambience sets high expectations, both the food and service fell noticeably short. Service The service was one of the weakest aspects of the evening. Explanations of the dishes were mumbled and difficult to understand, and even when comprehensible, the descriptions rarely went beyond what was already listed on the menu. Considering the complexity of the cuisine and the relatively quiet dining room, this lack of engagement felt disappointing. Furthermore, after declining the wine pairing at the beginning, we were briefly asked about alternatives. Once those drinks were finished, however, there was no further follow-up on additional beverages or even water – an inattentiveness not expected at a Michelin-starred level. Cuisine The 16-course tasting menu is ambitious and deeply rooted in the culinary traditions of La Mancha, reinterpreted through a modern lens. In concept, this was well executed, yet the actual experience was uneven. Low points: The frequent use of offal created a recurring bitter undertone across several dishes. The Royal Duck, presented as one of the highlights of the evening, had an overpowering flavor and a crumbly, unappealing texture. A pre-dessert accompanied by chicken skin chips felt overly fatty and carried an aroma more reminiscent of a fast-food stall than of refined dining. Similarly, the roe deer dish was paired with a sauce based on anchovies – overly sharp, slightly fishy, and distracting from the otherwise strong main component. The quail was tasty but cumbersome to eat, with meat that clung stubbornly to the bone. Highlights: Among the few truly memorable dishes was the Wild Boar Parfait with Calvados and Reinette Apples. This course beautifully balanced sweetness, acidity, saltiness, umami, and smoky roasted notes, showing the kitchen’s full potential when all elements came together in harmony. Conclusion While Santerra’s tasting menu carries ambition and a strong conceptual foundation, the execution left much to be desired. With too many courses marred by heavy flavors or for us rather unusual flavor combnations, only a handful of dishes stood out as memorable. Combined with inattentive service, the overall experience lacked the finesse and consistency one would expect from a Michelin-starred restaurant.

I had such a great dinner here. This was the 3rd and last tasting dinner I did on my 3rd night in Madrid. They made me wait at the bar(ish) area upstairs after I checked in for my reservation. I was then led downstairs to the main part of the restaurant. In my opinion, I got the best seat in the house because they put me at the table directly facing the set up area so I got to watch the guys do work all night. I once again did the wine pairing. It was 10 plates of some of the tastiest dishes I’ve ever eaten. Their wine bottles were huge. I always perked up when the guy would come over to pour me a serving by using a chingadera to scoop up a glass worth. The wines I was given were all so tasty. They paired perfectly with every dish I was given. It was all so good So good that every plate that got dropped off at my table went back clean. I ate it all Service was good. There was always someone around if you needed anything.

Food was 10/10 in terms of quality, taste and presentation. Special courses we never tried before with amazing texture and fine taste. Service was professional and very attentive, but we could’ve gotten the single courses faster.

🍽: Mediterranean 🧑🏻‍🍳: 4/5 🤵🏻‍♀️: 5/5 💰: 5/5 🔂 : 4.5/5 📍: Madrid, Spain 🇪🇸 Tasting menu €110pp Pickled quail, carrots and mussels Grape leaves sandwich, mid-season pate and 'arrope' (syrup made from grape must) Artisan Iberian Ham croquette Pickled partridge rillete, melon sherbet and flame-cooked anchovy Wild pigeon soup and salmis doughnut Puff pastry celery, smoked eel leek soup and acidulated english cream Trout galantine, gribiche sauce and flowers and aniseed vinaigrette Roasted deer loin, stewed cherries in Grand Veneur sauce and roasted shallots Creppe Suzette of orange duck Trout cake Pinares de la Serrania Baja Boletus, white chocolate and tonka bean The wine pairing here is nothing short of extraordinary! Some wines are crafted exclusively for this restaurant, and a few local producers offer limited bottles solely to this venue. You’re in for an exclusive and captivating grape journey! With a fantastic ambience, excellent service, and delicious food, this spot in Madrid is an absolute must-try for its price point.

Fantastic place! Service at an outstanding level. Very friendly and knowledgeable, they look after the guests from the first second! Food brilliant. Croquettes top! The deer is one of the best dishes I have ever had. I think all the dishes on the menu are great!

Santerra offers wonderfully unique food, with standout game dishes that are a must-try. However, the service could use a bit of tweaking, the “glass” of wine felt more like a tasting pour, and the wait between courses was longer than expected. That said, the flavors and creativity in the dishes made it worth the visit!

Fantastic dinner. There are two restaurants, street-level is nice casual and the fine-dining(this review) is one step down. The food is very high quality and creative. Great wines and sommelier. The boletus bonus dessert at the end was awesome!

Amazing dining experience in a unique and cool restaurant. While everything was delectable, the croquettes and the venison really took the spotlight - they shouldn’t be missed. The atmosphere was also intimate and very pleasing. Would return whenever I’m in Madrid