Deessa — Restaurant in Madrid

Over the past ten years, we’ve frequented many Michelin-starred establishments. During last year visit to Madrid, our dining experiences included Ramón Freixa, Smoked Room, OSA, and Cebo. This time, in our recent visit, we dined at Coque, Desde 1911, Deessa and Paco Roncero.

FOOD Deessa offers creative and unique dishes that live up to its two Michelin star rating. The meal starts subtly and gradually intensifies in flavor as it progresses. Unfortunately, the signature dish, “Roasted Veal Sweetbread and Black Truffle,” fell short for us. Its flavor profile was unappealing, and the sweetbread was overly chewy and unpleasant.

Thankfully, this was the only misstep in an otherwise exceptional dining experience. The other courses were expertly prepared and innovative. The “Mellow Albufera Rice with Meat and Red Peppers Roasted in a Wood-Fire Oven” was bold, flavorful, and perfectly balanced. I particularly enjoyed the refreshing “Cold Beetroot and Dill Soup, Kefir Ice-Cream and Salmon,” which delivered an intriguing mix of earthy, tangy, and creamy flavors. The meal concluded with one of the most straightforward yet flawlessly executed desserts: “Chocolate and Hazelnut Gianduja,” a truly delightful finish.

A constructive point about Deessa is the arrangement of its first amuse bouche: “Deessa's Aperitif Time” Positioned at the entrance of the restaurant, it is exposed to outside visitors and diners inside, offering little privacy. Additionally, the serving portions were quite large, making it difficult for us to finish while the cook stood politely nearby, seemingly waiting for us to complete the dish. This, combined with the unwelcoming experience upon arriving at the hotel—which I’ll detail further—makes Deessa stand out as a restaurant with a weaker sense of hospitality and welcome.

SERVICE The service at Deessa is undeniably professional, befitting its two Michelin stars. What truly sets it apart, however, is its warmth and hospitality. The servers went above and beyond to build genuine connections, showing interest and tailoring a personal experience for each guest

WINE SERVICE The wine service lacked distinction. I arrived with a pre-selected list of wines and sought the sommelier's input. Unfortunately, her initial recommendation was a wine that exceeded my budget by double, and it was only after redirecting her that she suggested one of my pre-chosen options. The interaction felt brief and somewhat uneasy, failing to provide the engaging or personalized touch one might expect.

AMBIANCE Deessa offers a spacious, luxurious, and welcoming atmosphere, as expected from an upscale restaurant. We felt comfortable. However, our arrival was unsettling. With no designated lobby, we were directed to the bar before the restaurant opened. Lacking a clear host, we seated ourselves but were later informed this was improper. Although we were eventually welcomed after explaining our situation, the absence of a proper waiting area and the confusion left us feeling unwelcome—an unexpected shortcoming for such a prestigious establishment. When visiting a restaurant in a five-star establishment, it’s reasonable to expect a comfortable and well-appointed lobby area for guests to wait. It’s a standard that enhances the overall experience and sets the tone for what’s to come.

VALUE FOR MONEY Deessa is certainly not inexpensive, but its prestigious reputation and exceptional offerings justify the price. It delivers strong value for money, making it a worthwhile choice for an upscale dining experience.

VERDICT Deessa has firmly established itself as one of Madrid's premier destinations for upscale dining. It earns a five-star rating in my book, fully meriting its Michelin star for seamlessly combining innovation with luxury. I wholeheartedly recommend Deessa to seasoned diners and I look forward to returning for a...

Dining at Deessa is less a meal and more a carefully choreographed performance — one where even the smallest gestures are elevated into rituals of refinement. The service choreography deserves special mention. Black napkins are offered so that guests never feel self-conscious when wiping their lips; each time you step away to the restroom, your napkin is quietly replaced with a fresh one. Even the transition from savory to sweet is executed with precision: water glasses are changed so that no lingering flavor interferes with the final act of the menu. These seemingly subtle details reveal the philosophy of a restaurant where elegance lies in discretion. The wine pairing begins not with the very first bites but from the caviar course — a detail that would have been good to know from the outset. Yet, this was more than compensated by the sommelier’s presence: he offered precise, insightful explanations of each pairing, carefully tuned to my sensibilities, while maintaining a natural warmth and ease. Alongside him, the entire team radiated attentiveness and genuine smiles, which allowed me to fully enjoy the three-hour gastronomic journey without a single moment of stiffness. As for the menu itself, it is a masterclass in cultural reinterpretation. The “gilda with cockles”, a playful twist on one of the Basque Country’s most iconic pintxos, preserves the salty-spicy audacity of the original while elevating it with the mineral freshness of cockles. A bite that is bold, elegant, and unmistakably sophisticated.

The savory “crème brûlée with roasted onions, toasted pork, and seasonal mushrooms” is another standout: a french classic reimagined into a silken umami custard, layered with caramelized onion sweetness, earthy mushroom depth, and smoky pork crunch. A familiar form that startles the palate with unexpected strength and refinement. Equally memorable, the “cold beetroot and dill soup with kefir ice cream and salmon”, transforms rustic Eastern European roots into a luxurious fine-dining prelude — vibrant in color, refreshing in taste, and strikingly elegant. The “Ritz caviar and cured roe selection” pays tribute to the legacy of the Ritz while displaying Quique Dacosta’s devotion to purity of product, while the “coastal oyster and sea cracker” crowned with sea urchin infusion, becomes a true homage to the ocean: briny, creamy, mineral, and profound. Further along the journey, the “rice with dry octopus” resonates with Mediterranean tradition, its umami intensity layered over perfectly cooked grains, while the “duck from Albufera to Madrid” bridges rustic Valencian heritage with the cosmopolitan grace of the capital — a dish as cultural as it is culinary, and one of the finest duck preparations I have experienced. Desserts bring poetry rather than indulgence. “The Pine” evokes a forest on the palate, more sensory landscape than sweet, while the “chocolate berliner with iced vanilla powder” plays with memory and contrast — a childhood pastry transformed into a luxurious balance of warmth and coolness, richness and airiness. Deessa is not about extravagance but about narrative: tradition reframed through luxury, nature distilled into fine dining, and hospitality expressed through detail. With a team that embodies both professionalism and warmth, and a menu that alternates between cultural homage and avant-garde creativity, Deessa offers a gastronomic journey that is elegant, intelligent, and...

It says Michellin 2 stars but 2 stars is more accurate. But this is a One Star Reveiw just because of how terrible this experience was. First, we were greeted with friendly staff that told us we had to wait until it was open. That alone didn't bother us at all. When we went in, we ate the first part of the course for the season. It was this sorbet dish that was probably the best in the savory section. That's when things started to go downhill very fast. The waiters were kind and offerred us wine, water, and gave us napkins plus a plate with a wetcloth. That was a nice touch (The wetcloth). Then came the second dish. We had ordered a short version of the traditional menu because that sounded just enough. The second dish was a savory creme brulee with truffles and pork. The utensils were gold-plated and pretty fancy. Then I realized, within a few dishes, that the waiters do a much exaggerated show. Firstly, they would change the utensils before every single dish. Then, there would be an explaination of what the dish was (That, also exaggerated, kinda). Finally, they would clean your space with a wetcloth after every dish. It got boring very fast. Anyways, back to the food. The creme brulee actually tasted normal and I thought the other dishes would taste even better. I was wrong. The rest of the savory dishes tasted like utter GARBAGE. They were salty, greasy, and HORRIBLE in about 100 ways. I could ABSOLUTELY NEVER believe this place had 2 Michellin stars with this kind of horrible food. I mean they made the bread the same way! BREAD! One of the most important things in some resturaunts (Well, for me)! Plus, we ordered 4 sweetbreads and 1 pig for the The desserts, well, were also garbage (I probably could'nt think of the desserts tasting good. At ALL.) The homemade chocolate bon bons were good though. The rest, bad, Bad, BAD. How can this place mess up a CHURRO!? Overall, aside from the fancy part and kind waiters, this is definitly a tourist trap. DEFINITLY. It's basically for asthetic and definitly...