The best Madrid restaurants open in Phase 2

This Dani García venture that opened in 2019 showcases fish that come from Spain's coasts while also giving a leading role to paellas and different kinds of popular rice dishes, plus there's practically an altar to tuna. García's second spot in Madrid features a bar area that's perfect for indulging in 'choco' squid croquettes and seafood tripe, a bustling main dining room and two private rooms. 

If you're a fan of vegetables, you can't go wrong with this restaurant, where they insist on working with seasonal products, and they're fans of the grill. At Verdura y Brasa they return to the earth, to the foundational roots, to build a temple where the likes of pumpkin, artichokes, fennel and peppers reign supreme. They have their own garden and first-rate suppliers they use to fill the kitchen pantry that's in the capable hands of Chef Ignacio Sánchez. 

From well-travelled chef brothers Roberto and Sergio comes this breath of fresh air on the busy Paseo de la Castellana. We can fervently recommend their (addictive) sweetbreads, their chilli crab, their suckling pig's ears, and even the dim sum you'll find on the menu from time to time. But really the dishes are all so excellent that you'll want to order a few and go with someone you can share with; the portions are generous so sharing is practically a must. It won't be easy to choose the first time you go, but of course you can always go back over and over again.

What's fresh at the market and what strikes the fancy of Chef Saúl Sanz can determine what else is on the menu, but what's clear is that this restaurant has become a place of pilgrimage for lovers of cuisine that incorporates plenty of game. If you're among them, you'll find authentic traditional cooking techniques applied to the best of the season's hunts. 

Salino is a comfortable space where the Aparicio brothers can display the noble side of their cooking (sea bass with chanterelle mushrooms), look toward the sea (rice with 'salmorreta' sauce and carabinero prawns), and continue bringing back and updating dishes (superb pork 'castañetas' and tripe that tastes like a hit). Their skill even reaches to their own 'torrija' (similar to French toast), making Salino a mandatory stop on your Madrid restaurant route.

The cuisine at is inspired by that from Cantabria, where restaurateur Paco Quirós hails from, though the restaurant has two distinct lines. One is more traditional, with unshakeable classics such as Russian salad, fried clams, their famous fried calamari, artichoke flowers with oxtail, an excellent hake in green sauce, and the celebrated free-range chicken and rice stew, among others. And the other line is more of a signature cuisine from Chef José Manuel de Dios, which features a tasting menu that changes with the seasons; it's here that the chef really lets himself go and shows off his creative side.

One of 2020's latest and perhaps most unexpected mergers to come to the restaurant sector in Madrid is found in El Hombre Pez. Cantabrian and Indian cuisine are intertwined on the regular menu, and in one of the two tasting menus. Throughout the space, in an elegant and warm atmosphere, you'll find something from both culinary origins. Meats and fish from the north of Spain are cooked in a tandoori oven and combined with Indian spices, resulting in quite the colourful palette for first-rate raw materials.

The work Massimo does at Pante is such that it can spark the spirit of first love. Outstanding produce is transformed into dishes – from the unbeatable aubergine-based caponata to the fragrant spigola al cartoccio fish dish – that are simply dressed but are deeply flavourful and made with impeccable execution. The interior design evokes the lines and colours of Pantelleria, the island where the three partners get some of their authentic ingredients.

Sure maybe high prices come with high quality, but that's not always a drawback, as you'll find you're happy to spend more for such divine pleasure. At 99 Sushi Bar you are guaranteed excellent quality in the raw materials and elaborations that combine exactitude and creativity, flavour and elegance in equal parts. Chef David Arauz has more than proven his record when it comes to demanding excellence. 

This place has been passed from father to son since 1930 and is still a good option for those who appreciate fine dining. A classic and, as such, with plenty of staple dishes that never leave the menu: hake cubes, escalope Armando, omelette with clams... Good, properly cooked products and courteous service. There’s an appealing terrace for warm evenings. 

Another venture from Sergio and Roberto Hernández, of Latasia fame (see above), Taramara is where the brothers' local past is mixed with all their visits to Latin America and Asia, where they take all they have learned and serve it to you on a plate. A Russian salad with tobiko roe, a tartare of ‘zamburiña’ scallops (served in the shell, with citrus notes), a corvina ceviche, and gorgeous dim sum of prawns and red curry are on the starter menu. As main dishes, a marinated and baked butter fish with ‘causa’ and fried yucca is a bold twist to the fish dish, and there's a delicious ‘lagarto’ cut of Iberian pork sautéed with pickled garlic and scallions. It’s all presented with attentive service, and that’s with about a hundred diners at rush hour. 

Food fans in Madrid go wild for this modern Mexican restaurant that, with its flavourful recipes, good cocktails and reasonable prices, has carved out a space for itself among the most recommended eateries in the Chamberí area. Among the tacos, a standout is the ‘gobernador’, made with sautéed prawns, Oaxaca cheese, ancho chilli sauce and pickled red cabbage in a blue corn tortilla. From the dining room menu you can get a low-temperature-cooked beef rib with morita chilli barbecue sauce and pico de gallo that melts in your mouth and leaves you perfectly happy to lick your fingers in public.

The big draw here is grilled meat, but it's not just any meat: it's aged in Capricho de Jiménez de Jamuz (León), a restaurant that Time magazine once said served the best beef in the world. Meat lovers can delight in variety as well, with entrecôte carpaccio, steak tartare or beef burgers. You can choose other dishes such as some great rice recipes made like they do near the Mediterranean, fish options, and starters that show of a bit of creativity, like a delicate grilled red shrimp lasagna.