Located just a few steps from the majestic Royal Palace, El Tormo awaits. This charming restaurant by Clara Cuberta invites us into the authentic essence of the finest Manchegan cuisine.
A traditional restaurant, with an impeccable culinary offering rooted in the heart of La Mancha, El Tormo is constantly evolving, winning us over on each visit with delicious dishes steeped in tradition, always crafted from the finest ingredients.
El Tormo welcomes us with an exceptionally cosy and familiar atmosphere, highlighted by a simple, unpretentious interior design, homey and inviting, where you can savour those typical dishes of Manchegan cuisine. Robust and flavourful recipes, lovingly slow-cooked with the best ingredients, making each visit an unforgettable experience.
A carefully selected array of tempting dishes is always best enjoyed paired with wines from their carefully curated wine list, which offers a wide variety of wines from Castilla La Mancha.
Our evening at El Tormo began with a delicious starter of Manchego cheese and freshly baked candeal bread, which we savoured in the delightful company of a marvellous white wine. This sensational 2023 Blas Muñoz Chardonnay, barrel-fermented, impressed us so much that we chose to continue with it for the following dishes. First came an original salad of asadillo manchego with Tudela lettuce hearts, fillets of smoked sardine in oil, and a flavourful asadillo manchego prepared with very ripe tomatoes, red peppers, and seasoned with garlic and cumin.
We moved on to a robust morteruelo, a warm game pâté featuring partridge, hare, rabbit, and hen, one of El Tormo’s star dishes. This recipe dates back to the 15th century, and we enjoyed every bite before continuing with a hearty pisto manchego, topped with a perfectly fried egg. Their pisto is made with red and green peppers, onion, and courgette, crowned by a splendid fried egg that simply calls for more of that irresistible candeal bread.
The next dish we tried was gazpacho manchego with shepherd’s flatbread, a 15th-century Jewish dish. The original recipe includes wild mushrooms, rabbit, and snails, though at El Tormo, they prepare it with partridge, rabbit, hen, and free-range chicken. A true delicacy that led us to atascaburras, also known as ajoarriero manchego. This 17th-century dish is prepared with mashed potatoes, cod, garlic, and plenty of extra virgin olive oil—a simple yet delightful way to enjoy fish, as Clara explained to us.
Before moving on to the sweet finale, we also sampled exquisite quail in a chocolate sauce. The quail is oven-baked with brandy, salt, and pepper, then dressed with a sauce made from vegetables and a red wine reduction. Finally, cocoa and a touch of butter are added, giving the dish a rich, velvety texture that we thoroughly savoured before heading to the sweet finale: a delightful cheese mousse with quince and alajú.
El Tormo, a spectacular Manchegan kitchen in the heart of Madrid’s La Latina neighbourhood, is sure to delight lovers of fine food and drink. A must-visit in the capital, where enjoyment and good times are always guaranteed.
What are you waiting for to discover El Tormo?
El Tormo
Address: Travesía de las Vistillas 13,
28005 Madrid
Telephone: +34 640 87 25 29
Website: https://eltormorestaurante.com/
Average Price: €45
