Num almoço com amigos ficámos a conhecer o El Gordo de Velázquez, o restaurante do chef José Maria Ibáñez o mesmo que ajudou o famoso Jockey a ser um êxito. E não há melhor cartão de visita que este, o facto de poder comer os pratos de um bom cozinheiro a um preço acessível. Como o nome indica fica na Calle de Velázquez em pleno bairro de Salamanca, com uma “terraza” acolhedora para os dias mais quentes e um espaço interior refinado ainda que descontraído.
In a lunch with friends we got to know the El Gordo de Velázquez, the restaurant chef José Maria Ibáñez the same who helped the famous jockey to be a success. And there is no better business card than this, that you can eat the dishes of a great cook at an affordable price. As the name implies it is on Calle de Velázquez in Salamanca neighborhood, with a welcoming terrace for warmer days and a refined interior space yet relaxed.
Let’s start with some fried artichokes, I did not like especially but now I love in this format and the El Gordo are very crispy with a perfect frying. Then came one tortilla with truffle accompanied with bread and tomato, which was also very good. Main courses followed the rhythm of starters, they were all great. I chose the “Canelones trufados (with truffle) como os de Semon”, thought it was a risky choice but it was fairly balanced, my husband chose the Pulpo a la Brasa, the favorite of the table.
The desserts looked expensive but still earn points for having the World’s Best Chocolate Cake (yeah … the same from Lisbon) and a Tarta Tatin Manzana. Prices are around thirty euros per person, normal if you eat in Madrid and relatively inexpensive to think about the quality of food from El Gordo.
Website:http://www.elgordodevelazquez.com/
Morada: Calle de Velázquez 80
Metro: Nuñez Balboa ou Velázquez
