Zalacaín

About Zalacaín

Zalacaín has been one of Madrid’s temples of fine dining since 1973 and was the first restaurant in Spain with three Michelin stars. It was opened by Jesús Oyarbide, who came from Príncipe de Viana, to compete with the great names of French nouvelle cuisine, and he named it after Pío Baroja’s novel “Zalacaín el aventurero” because of his Basque-Navarrese roots; with Benjamín Urdiain in the kitchen, José Jiménez Blas in the dining room and Custodio López Zamarra in the cellar it became a meeting point for the country’s social, cultural and political life. Today it is run by Íñigo Urrechu’s group, with Jorge Losa as head chef, Roberto Jiménez and Luis Miguel Polo as maîtres d’ and Raúl Revilla as sommelier, and it keeps its classics: the “Don Pío” búcaro, the mushroom and foie lasagne gratinated with champagne, Tellagorri cod and beef Wellington, served with soufflé potatoes. Its cellar is among the best in Spain, with port decanting and old vintages, and it has a cocktail bar and three private rooms named after women. It displays works by José Manuel Ciria and holds a Repsol Sun.

Zalacaín menu and prices
Prices from its website, VAT included; in a private room, 10% more.

Starters: beluga caviar, €5 per gram; hand-carved acorn-fed Iberian ham, €43; goose liver terrine, €39; lobster salad, €51; carabinero prawns wrapped in Iberian bacon, €48.
Fish: grouper suprême with achiote, €51; roast hake with lobster jus and Chartreuse, €48; wild sea bass with pink pepper, €52; cod kokotxas with artichokes, €49.
Meat and game: Landes pigeon, €48; Simmental beef loin with bone marrow, €53. All served with soufflé potatoes.
The classics: “Don Pío” búcaro, €49; seasonal vegetable menestra, €35; mushroom, truffle and foie ravioli, €37; mushroom and foie lasagne, €39; Tellagorri cod, €39; beef Wellington, €52; steak tartare, €46; Zalacaín tripe, €37.
Bread and appetiser: €9. Half portions with a 10% supplement.
Gastronomic journey (tasting menu): €190, for the whole table.

Private rooms
Rosita, for 30 guests; Catalina, for 12; and Linda, for 8.

Opening hours
Monday to Saturday, 1:30 pm to 5 pm and 8:30 pm to midnight. Closed on Sundays and in August.

Before you go
Jackets are no longer required for gentlemen. Wheelchair accessible, with an adapted toilet.
Metro: Gregorio Marañón (L7, L10) and Rubén Darío (L5).

Gallery