Caluana — Restaurant in Madrid

A high priced Fastfoodrestaurant

Searching for a solid Restaurant to celebrate my 50th Birthday with my Family, I choosed the Restaurant Caluana in Madrid. I got a confirmation for the reservation, for a table at 8 O'Clock p.m., on the 11.5.2024. After a warm welcome, we got seated and started the evening with a delicious bottle of Cava, enjoying the nice atmosphere of the Restaurant. We (5 Person) ordered several courses (starter, first-, maincourse and dessert). The starter and the first course were served at the same time. Each of us had to handle two plates with warm food at the same time... I was surprised, as the Restaurant Calauna did not make the impression to be a Tapas Bar, where it would be normal that different courses are beeing served at the same time. We asked the waiter to tell the kitchen to wait with the main course, as we wanted to finish the bottle of white wine and enjoy the evening. Instead, he immediately served the maincourses accompanied by some red wine. His excuse was, that the kitchen had finished the dishes before he could not tell them to slow down. Just before finishing the maincourse, I ordered a second bottle of red wine. While serving the wine, the waiter asked us if we want some sweet or coffee? Again we asked him to slow down, as we just started to enjoy the second bottle of red wine. But instead and again, he immediatly served the dessert and coffee we had ordered minutes before. While serving, the waiter told us, that the table is booked again at 10 p.m. and we will have to leave in 10 minutes. I asked the waiter, why he did not tell us this fact in the beginnig of the evening, or at least at the moment, when i ordered the second bottle of red wine? No answear... Leaving the restaurant, i stopped at the reception to tell them about the unpleasent "Fastfoodrestaurant like" stay at the Caluana. The answear of the Receptionist was, that I should have read the policy of the restaurant more carefully, as they reserve a table only for two hours. Other restaurants in Madrid were able to extend the booking of a table when they noticed, that i was going for a gourmet menu with several courses... I really enjoyed the architectural atmosphere, food and drinks at the Caluna. It is a shame that the Caluana turned out to be a tourist trap "High Price Fastfood Restaurant" where you get pushed through by the...

Starter - tuna tartare with grilled avocado and truffle. The tuna was severely overpowered by the truffle to a point that it was unpleasant. The avocado was inedible - too lime-y, salty, and just odd tasting. Mains - grilled beef entrecôte was decent but under seasoned. To accompany the entrecôte, we ordered the mashed potatoes, which were delicious in flavor but the consistency was literally potato soup. There was no way to eat it with the beef, because it was a liquid sauce. Also ordered the truffle pasta, which was beyond salty. Could not eat it at all. The waitress asked if something was wrong, and we explained that it was way too salty. Then another server came over and asked if we had Parmesan on it, because that sometimes makes it extra salty, but we had not. Dessert - pavlova. The sauce on top tasted like balsamic vinegar reduction, and the meringue was not sweet at all. Terrible dessert, the flavors were horribly off. In all - beautiful setting, great drinks, would never go back again because all of the food was poorly flavored and executed. Our main server was avoidant after seeing that we did not like the food. They gave us one after drink on the house but did not take the truffle pasta or the dessert off the bill when we clearly did not eat either and neither was edible. Would not recommend. Go to the cocktail bar downstairs for a nice environment but skip the restaurant, the food was some of the worst...

This is the WORST restaurant EVER!!!! I went there with some friends, and when we got there we were received by a rude waitstaff rushing us to choose the dishes, they came back every five minutes asking if we had chosen already. Afterwards, they simply put a piece of bread on our plates without asking if you actually wanted it.

After placing our order and eating the dishes, the waitress put the bill on the table without us asking for it, again rushing us to leave. We decided to share the bill according to what each one had ordered and while we were calculating everything the waiters were again impatient for us to leave. Two of the dishes were billed at higher prices than those listed on the menu. When we brought this to the staff's attention, we were informed that the menu was outdated but they agreed to adjust the charges accordingly.

As if it wasn't enough, the waiter came to us when we were at the restaurant door and said that we had underpaid by 20 euros. To avoid more conflict and believing he wouldn't be dishonest we paid it. Finally, when we got home, we went to each credit card statement we saw that we had paid right initially and there was no 20 euros missing.

This all is just unacceptable! I really hope this helps anyone avoid similar situations in this place. Though it is a really beautiful restaurant, the staff's treatment of customers clearly overshadows...