Illustrated tavern, bourgeois eatery, refined gastrobar... Impossible to find the most appropriate label to describe Barra Alta's proposal. An establishment with the product as its flagship that, after succeeding in Barcelona, landed in the Salamanca district of Madrid a few months ago, perhaps following the path of other compatriots who have recently opened an embassy in these parts: from Rafa Peña (Gresca-Santo Mauro ) to Rafa Zafra (Estimar-Madrid), passing through José Carlos Fuentes (Don Dimas). Less than 70 meters from Jorge Juan street and its crowded fashion restaurants, on that perpendicular that is most conducive to fashion and decoration shops that is Lagasca, Daniel Roca has come to settle in to discreetly carve out a niche among the handsome public of the district.
Having worked in the most illustrious Catalan houses or appearing in Time Out and Michelin reports as one of the best gastronomic bars in Barcelona is of little use. In Villa y Corte, Roca and his team have started without making a sound, earning the loyalty of the parish with a simple formula: staying faithful to the essence of the original establishment on Carrer de Laforja, with its rigor mixed with ease and its traveling touches motivated by trips to Mexico, Peru or Thailand, but also with a menu that accurately includes nods to the plateau recipe book, the local pantry and the uses and customs of the Forum.
That the diner from the capital always likes to share the first courses -I even the second ones-, well, don't talk anymore! New recipes with a slightly traditional touch, designed to seduce the most recalcitrant Madrid swallowers. For example, those succulent tripe with trails that are a hallmark for the host, are seen here enriched with chickpeas at the request of some customers. And why not some scrambled eggs your way, with a bird velouté, grilled foie gras and truffle? Or some papas bravas –another emblem of the capital– with an astonishingly complex sauce that includes mayonnaise, gochu yang, chipotle chili and other unexpected ingredients?
Unlike the founding house, decorated in a contemporary style, the one in Madrid has more of an air of a chic tavern, as if it were waiting for the passers-by from the Retiro to come in without a reservation to improvise a gargantuan aperitif. The menu, yes, maintains the strict order of the original, with the Normandy oysters opening the parade in various preparations, from the acevichadas with kimchi and cilantro to the tibis with teriyaki, a veil of bacon and roe.
At the end of it, two tasting menu proposals with eight savory and sweet passes, at €56 per head, which are as advantageous as they are recommended for the neophyte. The Madrid menu and the Barcelona menu coincide with an inalienable classic such as the scallop and lobster tartare. The rest is governed by the novelties created for landing on the banks of the Manzanares (the first) and the favorites of the regulars of Sant Gervasi (the second). The good thing is that you can order one today and the other tomorrow, without repeating almost any bite...
On our initiation visit –which will by no means be the last–, we were lucky enough to run into the patron, who has been spending more time in Madrid than in his homeland lately, so we asked him to make us a personalized proposal. What a party, hey! Surprising blue shrimp salad with flying fish roe. Impeccable scallop and lobster tartare, on a crunchy corn toast with avocado cream. Original warm squid cebiche with mussels and pickled cucumbers. Delicate roast meat croquettes with foie. The meatball casserole the way his grandmother used to make it, the irreplaceable tripe, the addictive almost melting cheesecake, the chocolate dessert in various textures with oil and salt that is another endearing memory from childhood... And everything in that laudable line of clear flavors, succulent textures and joyful combinations that invite you to keep coming back.
Young and efficient service. Wine list short, but varied and at reasonable prices. Several environments, which allow everyone to eat at the pace they want at the bar, at high or low tables, faster or more leisurely. Measured invoices. A haven of peace and sensible gastronomy two steps from the hustle and bustle of Jorge Juan.
