Staying in Madrid during the summer or coping with the days in the city until the arrival of the promising holidays does not have to be particularly hard. The capital is very willing to take you out of the urban routine. As? With cocktails from here or from Buenos Aires itself, delicious snacks on a rooftop, an experience for very few diners, a candlelight dinner and even a pool party in the heights. Plans that will make you forget that the best is yet to come or that this summer it's time to stay here. Take note!
Eating with your hands based on rich bites is what Mordiscos by Cebo proposes, the result of bringing Cebo's haute cuisine, transformed for the occasion into an accessible and informal concept, to the Urban Terrace. In other words, from the ground floor to the roof. The Hotel Urban (c/ Carrera de San Jerónimo, 34) has inaugurated its terrace season with a new gastronomic proposal.
Javier Sanz and Juan Sahuquillo, the chefs at Cañitas Maite, recently winners of a Michelin star with Oba -their second restaurant in Casas-Ibáñez (Albacete)- elevate the Cebo experience -which they have run since its reopening in 2022- to an iconic space located on the sixth floor with a perimeter shape and with views that extend from the Austrias neighborhood to places as iconic as Gran Vía, Calle Alcalá and El Retiro.
Mordiscos by Cebo builds its gastronomic proposal in four blocks: De bocabit (salmorejo and tuna belly sandwich or citric ceviche of wild sea bass and crispy corn), Del mar (mini octopus hotdog a feira and homemade kimchee or cocochas al pil croissant -citrus pil), From the land (savarin brioche with classic cheek stew and tartar sauce or smoked pastrami muffin, havarti cheese and truffle) and Sweets (such as its famous Cacao en Potencia or a red fruit ice cream). Delicious and easy-to-share bites available every day from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. on one of the best terraces in the capital.
Since its opening in 2017, its namesake in Buenos Aires has become one of the most popular venues in the Palermo Soho neighborhood, a focus of trends in the Argentine capital. Now, located next to Orense street, Parque Bar Botánico (c/ Basílica, 17) replicates in Madrid the concept of the local Buenos Aires with a menu of ten signature cocktails, signed by the young bartender Alan Parrilli, which revolve around the same axis : a journey through natural parks around the globe that serve as aesthetic inspiration, and as a source of flavors and aromas.
Both the personality of the drinks and their ingredients and tableware are a tribute to destinations such as Gran Paradiso (a national park in Valle d'Aosta, Italy), which gives its name to a cocktail served in a grapefruit emptied of pulp on an inspirational base animal, prepared with Cynar liqueur, Santoni, grapefruit, lime, mint and muscovado sugar, or Shiretoko (national park of Japan), presented in a beautiful tea service for two, with sake, torrontés wine, elderflower, cucumber, tea green and nori seaweed.
Much closer is the cocktail in honor of our Sierra Nevada National Park, a fat washing of mushrooms, leeks and olives in London Dry Gin with filaments of red pepper. The cocktail menu is completed with a gastronomic proposal signed by the young chef Manuel Porillo. Based on a local product from the best suppliers, he has created dishes such as the octopus salad; ceviche with leche de tigre, passion fruit and patacones; Pularda risotto with boletus and Parmesan or roast strip with chimichurri and French fries, cooked at a low temperature for 18 hours and lacquered in its juice. Among the desserts, we could not miss the dulce de leche pancake with PX molasses, chai and caramelized pecan nut.
In the game that chef Luis Caballero (D'Stage, Kabuki and the Danish Geranium) proposes with his Japanese, French and Nordic-inspired haute cuisine, you can only win. His is a very personal project that, as the name of his restaurant indicates, Playing Solo (c/ Manuela Malasaña, 33), becomes Caballero's solitary playground, in which he evokes the experiences collected and lived throughout throughout his long professional career in different kitchens around the world.
The Kaiseki philosophy (a product of seasonality and, for the most part, from Madrid, with the exception of seafood and some details from Japan) guides a menu of 11 passes that, with each of its dishes, opens a dialogue between the chef and your diners. Because that's what it's all about: breaking down the barriers between the kitchen and the diner, so that both coexist during the service. The bar for only eight diners and the kitchen (Caballero and his assistant understand each other without saying a word) face each other. Jazz music cradles the moment, while its room staff pampers each change of cutlery or glass.
The menu, renewed for the summer season, on June 21, under the title Primeros Andares Verano (105 euros), starts with appetizers such as field rabbit bonbon or pickled pepper with habanero. It continues with proposals for fish, such as tuna with yellow cherry tomatoes, tomato water, watermelon and chives; trout with ikura, cucumber water, yogurt and eno; and San Pedro, with hijiki and vin jaume. A summer stew then makes an appearance with a Madrid summer stew. It is followed by a roe deer with red berries and a cheek wrapped in puff pastry with shitake, kimchi and pickles. Finally, the desserts arrive at the bar –which seek to move away from classic pastries– such as angle with sake, elderberry and rhubarb; melon with sake and Iberian bacon, and an original Sacher cake.
In the wine section, Playing Solo has more than 95 references from around the world and three different pairings: Expression Terroir (47 euros), with wines from young producers, mainly from Spain and France with very limited productions; Overseas trip (70 euros) which includes wines from the New World and Old Europe, and Fruit
From the basement to the roof of the Thompson Madrid (Plaza del Carmen s/n). This is the trip that Hijos de Tomás has made during the summer season. Under the name El Cielo de Hijos de Tomás, the Familia La Ancha cocktail bar moves, until the end of October, to the hotel rooftop to continue offering cocktails from the heights that bear the signature of Ana Gracia, in command of the drinks of Children of Thomas This summer the shaker wanted to pay homage to Madrid by creating blends such as La Violetera, prepared with Bombay Sapphire, sugar, lemon and violet liqueur, or Madroño, with Bacardi Superior, madroño liqueur, lemongrass cordial, ginger beer and laurel essence.
This ephemeral terrace also offers good music: flamenco sessions on Tuesdays and jazz music on Wednesdays. Sundays will be devoted to vermouth and there will be special thematic sessions. There is no shortage of snacks, designed by chef Nino Redruello, responsible for the gastronomic concept of Thompson Madrid. From classic options such as ham croquettes, bravas, calamari or a cheeseburger, to other more original preparations such as strawberry and red shrimp gazpacho, Caesar salad with chilli garlic chicken or grilled avocado with frittata and burrata. The Cielo de Hijos de Tomás, with independent access from the hotel, opens from Sunday to Thursday from 6:00 p.m. to 1:00 a.m. and Friday and Saturday until 2:00 a.m.
What better plan than to dive into the pool to combat the high temperatures of the capital? UMusic Hotel Madrid (c/ la Paz, 11) has created its own pool party and it's called Las Seratas. Located on the fourth floor, its pool will host every Tuesday and Friday, from 6:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., a great plan: live music, sophisticated champagne-based cocktails, refreshing snacks and one of the best pools in the center of Madrid. Sufficient incentives for a perfect afternoon a few steps from Puerta del Sol.
UMusic Hotel Madrid regularly hosts musical performances in different spaces that will also take place in the Seratas, between dips and dips. The gastronomy is provided by Nota Alta and its surprising fusion of Japanese bites and locally inspired tapas: “castizo sushi”, as they call it. The pairing comes from Mumm, which offers a special selection of cocktails designed ad hoc: such as the perfect serve cocktail, the classic Mumm Ice champagne that is presented with a few slices of strawberries to give a fresh and balanced touch; or the Mumm Ice Spritz, made with the famous brand of vermouth of Galician origin, st. petroni bitter, and garnished with some orange slices to finish.
Under the sky of Madrid, with the coolness of the Casa de Campo accompanying and views of the capital's skyline, with the Royal Palace, the Almudena Cathedral or the España building as a backdrop. And in the light of the candles, authentic protagonists together with the gastronomic proposal. Until the end of summer, Villa Verbena (Paseo de María Teresa, 3) celebrates its Evenings during the (magical) nights of Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays.
The experience begins when the diner arrives in the surroundings of Villa Verbena. A charming stand will welcome you and a path decorated with structures made of wooden boxes, candles and plants will lead you to the gazebo. In the central part, a spectacular flower arrangement hangs from the ceiling of the room together with a meticulously decorated main table for these meetings.
Already seated at the table, the tasting of a menu designed for the occasion begins (59 euros with three drinks) and consists of bloody mary tomato and Lima cause; cucumber gazpacho with green apple and cilantro granita; grilled avocado with burnt chile sauce and white shrimp; grilled tuna loin in season with marmitaco broth and piparras; Joselito Iberian pork tenderloin with roasted pumpkin, mustard juice and figs and, for dessert, an amazing Thai fruit ceviche.
