Bichopalo, the small yet grand gastronomic temple of democratized haute cuisine by the Pozuelo brothers

Daniel and Guillermo Pozuelo started their journey with Bichopalo in Madrid’s Mercado de Barceló. This tiny space quickly won over the Madrid public, necessitating a move to a larger venue. Their new location at 39 Cristóbal Bordiú Street in the Chamberí district put them on the map thanks to their high-end cuisine offered at reasonable prices.

They began with a six-course tasting menu priced modestly at thirty-five euros. This has evolved into their current offering: no longer thirty-five but forty-eight euros, featuring nine courses with even higher quality.

Bichopalo’s cuisine is constantly evolving, reflecting the perfectionist nature of its chef, Daniel Pozuelo. A passionate gastronome, he lives for his profession. A few months ago, he opened the restaurant Mosquito in Alicante, continuing his ambitious career with a project that offers a completely different experience from Bichopalo.

Daniel Pozuelo’s restaurants always have playful names related to insects. In the case of Bichopalo, it’s a clear statement of intent: just like the insect, in this intriguing Madrid restaurant, nothing is as it seems. Each dish is a true spectacle, and every course of their ambitious tasting menu immerses you in the essence of Bichopalo.

Our evening began with an impressive bite of red tuna tartare with truffle, accompanied by a playful Taiyaki with foie gras ice cream. These exquisite snacks led to a spectacular Sunomono of oyster with Granny Smith apple granita and celery. This fresh and balanced dish left us wanting more before we tried an original cherry tomato salad cured in sugar and salt, with kombu seaweed, lightly grilled octopus, tomato sorbet, and Japanese vinaigrette. This light and refreshing recipe immediately won us over.

We continued with a robust leek, first cooked at low temperature and then grilled, accompanied by a foam of browned butter and miso. This delightful surprise gives new meaning to a product that has recently become very trendy, making it an absolutely addictive dish.

Next, we enjoyed marinated salmon in Japanese Canarian mojo with sake and red miso, topped with celery air and dashi broth. This was a well-executed combination of flavors and textures, only needing a slight increase in temperature to achieve perfection.

Then we sampled two meat dishes. First, a delicious grilled duck breast with yuzu and chamomile escabeche, served with carrot purée and pickled mushrooms. This delightful dish, with a sweet touch from the star anise, had us scraping the plate clean. This exquisite bite led us to the second meat dish: splendid dumplings filled with Guadarrama beef, Japanese curry, fried lotus root, pickled turnip, and coconut foam. We will definitely return for this dish alone.

The menu concluded with a curious cherry dessert presented in various textures: foam, air, sponge cake, and gel of red cherry, all atop a base of black cherry ice cream, crowned with freeze-dried cherry and rice paper. This ethereal and canonical finish helps cleanse the palate and delights with its fresh, subtly sweet notes, avoiding any cloying sweetness.