Zalacaín Restaurant

Zalacaín – A Culinary Gem in Madrid Zalacaín in Madrid offers a truly exceptional gastronomic experience, reflecting its well-deserved reputation and rich history. The elegant and sophisticated ambiance immediately captivates guests, while the attentive and professional service enhances the dining experience. As a starter, we chose the prawn salad, which impressed us with its freshness and perfect balance of flavors. The prawns were cooked to perfection, and the ingredients complemented each other beautifully, resulting in a light yet flavorful dish. For the main course, we tried the tripe, a traditional dish of Spanish cuisine. At Zalacaín, this dish stood out—the tripe was tender and flavorful, with perfectly balanced seasoning. It truly showcased the chefs’ expertise and deep respect for tradition. The restaurant’s wine list is also remarkable, offering a wide selection of high-quality wines that pair excellently with the dishes. Overall, Zalacaín is a place where traditional Spanish cuisine meets modern gastronomy in an elegant yet welcoming setting. We highly recommend it to anyone looking for an unforgettable culinary experience in Madrid.

We had a fantastic experience at Zalacaín in Madrid. Everything was impeccable—from the warm and professional service to the exceptional cuisine. The bogavante was incredibly fresh and cooked to perfection, the steak tartare was expertly seasoned and had an amazing texture, and the oyster in champagne sauce was simply outstanding—a delicate and unforgettable combination of flavors. The elegant atmosphere and attention to detail make this restaurant a perfect choice for a special occasion or a refined dining experience. I highly recommend Zalacaín and look forward to returning soon!

Beautiful restaurant and really great service. A classic in Madrid. I enjoyed the food but was not wowed by it. The star dish (not shown on the photos) is the callos - very good smoky flavour. The beef Wellington is also quite good. It is an expensive restaurant where most dishes start at 28+ euros. Starter portions are small but I do recommend sharing the wellington as it is a heavy dish.

For the first Michelin star restaurant I ate at. This place blew me away. The complexity of the dishes and tastes were phenomenal. If you are thinking of trying a Michelin star restaurant out please do it and you will not regret it. Only thing you may regret is the bill at the end but I guarantee the atmosphere and flavors will make this a memorable experience. Upon walking in you are greeted by the staff. You see a very well lit area before walking to your table. You will have some decor and upon sitting will be given some dishes. These are very light but contain so much flavor. For a starter I tried the lasagna and if your looking for a cheesy dish and has that decadent cheese flavor. You have to try it. On top of that was the croquettes these were so delicious. Containing that amount of cheese that makes you instantly want to grab another. Don't forget the endless supply of fresh bread that will hold you over just enough until your main course arrives. I ordered the Hare and what a dish this was. For my first time trying this I was blown away the the taste and tenderness of the dish. Finishing the night I went with the crepes. I figured how could a dessert item get any better. Not only was it cooked fresh infront of me but the flavor was immense. Fresh fruit taste and the inside was very creamy. Finally, for the review I would have to give this place a 9.9 out of 10 on that 🔥 scale. Not only was this place unique and packed with flavor. It held a standard I have never seen before. Thank you Zalacaín for the deliciousness and I will be back. For future travel and food adventures look at my bio.

Very delightful restaurant with a great ambiance and impeccable staff! It’s a must visit for foodies. You want be disappointed. The prawns as an appetizer and the Beef Wellington were my favorites. Enjoy!

Classy and classic. Worth a visit. Take the recommendations. Come early for the tasting menu.

A high level cuisine, elegant vibe and excellent service. Expensive but I’d say worth the experience. Everything was mouthwatering, fresh and delicious. Will return for another special event.

Classy restaurant and top notched food and service. The sommelier was very good.

I had a magnificent dining experience here last week while vacationing in Spain. The food, service, drinks were all wonderful. I tried gazpacho for the 1st time and loved it. For my main dish I had the oxtails - delicious, reminded me of braised short ribs. I had a coffee after and they served it with tiny sweets and an amazing almond tuille/cookie "tunnel". I took the tunnel with me and have been enjoying little pieces witb my coffee at home all week!! The serving staff was excellent - friendly, attentive, professional. Highly recommend this restaurant and hope to visit again one day!!

I have been called "Extra" by numerous sources but I call it treating myself. Traveling solo to foreign soil, eating at an upscale restaurant by myself and speaking in broken Spanglish was how I rolled when lunching at Zalacain. I have done this time and time again in different countries, speaking with my American accent and have never given it a second thought. I treat myself and highly suggest that you do the same. The legendary Zalacain was on my list of places to eat while in Madrid. It has been known as one the best dining experiences since the 70s with impeccable service and great wine pairing. My experience here on my own was phenomenal! I was well taken care of from start to finish. I also met the Director of Operations, Carmen, as well as Susana Garcia-Cereceda who is one pure boss babe. They were welcoming, wanted to meet me and gave me recommendations for my visit to Toledo the following day. Perks of being a female solo-traveler. As for the dining experience, it was incredible. My server did not speak a lot of English but that was fine. He knew exactly what I was ordering, with help of my finger pointing at the menu. He was knowledgable of wine and was wonderful at pairing my wine during the different courses. I had so much delicious Foie Gras here that I thought I would grow feathers. I decided to equal it out with a filet for my main course which sounds very reasonable! The little potato puffs that accompanied my filet were nice as they were not heavy. It was the perfect companion to the beef. I thought I would not have room for dessert but you know how that goes. We all have that second stomach for dessert! Upon suggestion by my server, he placed a beautiful chocolate rose cake with a bit of ice cream on the side. It was very rich, chocolatey and perfect. To make my second dessert stomach even fuller, I was given several plates of sweets that accompanied my espresso. A variety of peanut ladened bites that was quite "Extra" and yes I treated myself. I ate it! I love dining experiences like this in places like this. Whenever I come back to Madrid, Zalacain will be on my to-do list again. How can it not be?

Outstanding! Great food and wine! Attentive service. Highly recommended. (A hint: most of the male diners wore a suit coat, no tie.)

I recently went to Zalacaín for my bday and I absolutely loved it. The minimalistic decoration was very easy on the eye, that's a plus for me specially for a high price restaurant with a dress code. The food is an experience and extremely good. I ordered caviar, fish tartar, half ravioli of truffle and stake tar tar and everything was exquisite. For desert we ordered a cheese panna cotta, that was delicious, and a soufflé that it wasn't my favorite. The only reason I don't give this place 5 stars is because the entire place has a serious smell of seafood that immediately hits on you when you walk in. And because I went for my bday and they messed up the birthday desert, they brought it to the wrong person.

Every trip we go on we always have one grand dinner because why not, we're on vacation and while in Madrid, Zalacain was our pick. Although Zalacain is no longer a Michelin restaurant, the service is on point and the dishes are delicious, not to mention they have hosted the Spanish King and Queen. Want to feel like royalty? Zalacain is the place! Located in the beautiful neighborhood, you are sure to be met by valet and escorted into the restaurant where, if you are lucky, the owner and his wife will take your coats, seat you at your table and given the menu. Both husband and wife are very warm and personable, make great conversation and recommend some great dishes on the menu. To start, they offer complementary tapas because this is the Spanish way and I am not complaining one bit. Croquets and meats yum! Champagne and wine to celebrate. I ordered a half a dozen of oysters on the half shell to start off with. Oysters were plump and fresh and delicious. My main course, I chose Entrecote de buey al vino tinto con tuetano de ternera joven (beef steak in red wine sauce with young veal bone marrow on top). My steak was perfectly rare for my liking, sauce was luxurious without overpowering the meat and the bone marrow topping took the dish to a whole new level. Wow! We also tried one of their "classic dishes" the mushroom and goose liver lasagna which was unlike any lasagna we've ever tasted. For Dessert, we enjoyed an assortment variety of pastries and chocolates which were delicate and delicious and a wonderful dessert wine I wish I remembered the name of. Service is white glove and TOP NOTCH! Food is aesthetically arranged and delicious. Fantastic wine selection and Spanish modern luxury without being too pretentious. Great place to dine while in Madrid!

It's not really possible to talk about Madrid and food without talking about the legendary Zalacaín. No matter that it has lost all its Michelin stars, this is very much the business. It was founded in 1973 and is famous for its sumptuous interior, excellent seasonal cuisine and formal, polished service. I have been a few times now, for both lunch and dinner. A typical Zalcaín meal might start with a classical Spanish aperitivo with dry fino sherry, very good bellota ham and delightful tiny croquettes. Their mushroom lasagne is wonderful - soft, subtle, delicious. On two occasions I've had the superb mince of pig's trotters and suckling lamb. It's gelatinous to exactly the right degree, nuanced and elegantly understated. Desserts are very good as well, but not to die for. Disappointments include the bread was dull (a restaurant of this category should have its own baker, quite frankly) and a langoustine salad I had once which was plain, gracelessly thrown together; meaningless. Zalacaín retains an irresistible air of languid grandeur and formality. The service is world-class. It's classical Spanish service, which you can't beat for that precise balance between formality and discretion on the one hand, and gentleness and courtesy on the other. The sommelier, Custodio Zamarra, is also one of Spain's most knowledgeable, and utterly charming and helpful.

Underserviced and overpriced. Had a phenomeonal dinner at El Club Allard just two days prior and the difference was striking. If you are a mafia boss and like your food traditional, I suppose this place is fine. Complete lack of attention from the waiters, oen of whom at one point accidentally kicked my shoe and didn't even look my way to apologize.