Beata Pasta - Gran Vía — Restaurant in Madrid

I’m writing this review to save you 1–2 hours of your life — because if you come here without a reservation, you’ll probably waste that much time standing in line for one of Madrid’s most overhyped restaurants.

We came as a family with kids, fooled by the 4.8 Google rating and the long line outside. We thought, “This must be amazing.” Big mistake. We stood for 1h30, outside, with kids, no place to sit, watching empty tables inside the whole time.

The hostess at the door was rude, arrogant, and completely unprofessional — acting as if she’s handing out tickets to heaven. She kept repeating that the empty tables were “reserved,” even though they stayed empty the entire night. She clearly has no idea how to manage a restaurant, but plenty of attitude to make you feel small.

When we finally got in, we were placed next to another group, right by the kitchen, surrounded by heat, noise, and waiters rushing by. After such a wait, we stayed anyway. One of the kind waiters later confessed that many reservations never show up, but management won’t use those tables. So yes — you stand for hours outside while they protect ghost seats.

The decor is fun — spaceship vibe, astronaut theme — and the waiters (apart from the hostess) are truly kind people. The girl serving the pasta in the big cheese wheel was sweet and smiling, and our waiter was an absolute gem — patient, understanding, and clearly embarrassed by the disaster around him.

Then came the food. If any real Italian chef walked in, they’d probably cry, faint, or call the police. If they tasted what was done to their beautiful ingredients here, they’d jump straight into the Tiber.

The ingredients look fine, but what happens in the kitchen is a crime against Italian cuisine. • One pizza came burnt, • The pasta was nearly raw, • The pesto tasted like saltwater, • And the rest was either flavorless or brutally salty.

We even sent one dish back — it returned even worse. We lasted 45 minutes inside before giving up completely.

The cups were dirty, the toilets are mixed and poorly maintained, and the whole place feels like no one’s in charge.

It honestly breaks my heart, because I would have loved to give our waiter 6/5 — he was that good — but everything else was a total train wreck.

Summary: • Hostess: 0/5 — rude, arrogant, and unfit for the job. • Food: 1/5 — Italian food turned into a crime scene. • Service: 6/5 — angels working in hell.

Unless you already have a reservation (and no taste buds), don’t waste your evening. The line outside is just a tourist trap illusion. Even Domino’s or Pizza Hut would make Italy prouder than this place, and just thinking that something could rank higher than these 2...

My friends and I had the absolute pleasure of dining at Beata Pasta Gran V, and our evening was made unforgettable thanks to our wonderful server, Chiara. From the moment we sat down, she greeted us with a warm smile and genuine kindness that instantly made us feel welcome.

Her attentiveness was remarkable — she seemed to know exactly when we needed something without ever interrupting the flow of our conversation. She explained the menu with such passion and detail that it made choosing our dishes a delight, and her recommendations turned out to be spot on.

The food itself was beyond delicious, but what truly elevated our experience was Chiara’s service. She was professional yet personable, attentive without being intrusive, and consistently checked in to ensure everything was perfect. The little touches — like remembering small details about each of our orders, topping up our drinks before we even asked, and making sure everyone felt comfortable — made the evening feel so special.

It’s rare to find a server who combines efficiency, warmth, and genuine care the way Chiara does. She clearly takes pride in her work, and it shows in every interaction. Thanks to her, our dinner felt more like being hosted by a friend than just another restaurant outing.

If you visit Beata Pasta Gran V, I cannot recommend asking for Chiara enough — she truly turned a wonderful meal into an exceptional experience.

Thank you so much! Will recommend...

If I'm honest, I find it hard to get excited by pasta, but this is one of my daughter's favourite restaurants so I agreed to join her. It absolutely pays to reserve, there are always long lines to get in (when we left people were being told there was a 90 minute wait for a table) so reserve for sure if you want to eat here. My kid made the reservation online so we were able to arrive and be seated immediately. I was happy to see we were going to be seated in the downstairs seating area, it seemed a bit more relaxed there. My well-travelled daughter had the Carbonara, and she assures me this is the best she's had outside of Italy, certainly the best in Spain. Having a little taste of it myself, I found it hard to disagree. I had a plate called 'Call Me Mama', and wow it was exquisite. I could've devoured two plates of it, that's how much I enjoyed it. Portion wise I suppose the dishes were a fair size, I could always eat more but I've got a big appetite but I think they're a fair size. I had two Italian lagers and my daughter had a soft drink (and we then shared a dessert) and the bill came to 46€. I think it's a pretty fair price for the centre of Madrid, there are probably slightly cheaper places to get pasta but you'll find it hard to beat the quality found here. In fact I went to the chain restaurant Gino's recently with my younger daughter and paid almost that and Beata Pasta was...