El Invernadero Rodrigo de la Calle — Restaurant in Madrid

This is a creative fusion restaurant awarded both a Michelin Star and a Michelin Green Star. The menu is seasonal and plant-focused, offering both fully vegetarian options and selections that incorporate animal proteins. The interior features warm wood tones and lush greenery, with seating divided between a chef’s bar and a general dining area. The staff is friendly and attentive, providing detailed explanations of each course in both English and Spanish.

I chose the “Gastrobotánica Experience” tasting menu, which included around 20 small courses—ranging from appetizers and mains to desserts. Every dish was thoughtfully composed and packed with flavor. The opening plates had a refreshing vinegar-based profile, while the standout main featured fish paired with grilled avocado. Another highlight was a black garlic risotto with pork cheeks—an aromatic, layered dish that left a lasting impression. I also opted for the wine pairing, which featured 7 distinct drinks. My top 3 were the hibiscus sparkling wine, floral cava, and apple sake, all of which were unique and perfectly matched to the food.

This is a fantastic destination for those who appreciate botanical-forward cuisine, inventive fusion, or thoughtful wine pairings. Whether you're vegetarian or simply curious, there's something for you. The menu is offered in 2 versions: vegetarian (158 EUR) or with animal protein (168 EUR), with the optional wine pairing priced at 60 EUR. Since seating is limited and the courses follow a timed service, reservations and punctual arrival are essential. Btw before leaving, the restaurant also gave all the guests some small Goodbye Gifts which it was a...

It was a fantastic experience. The food was modern, had a lot of depth, and - most importantly - was extremely delicious. If you don't believe that a mostly vegetable-based, meat-free meal can be a dining experience on the highest of levels, go eat at El Invernadero. You will leave happy and proven wrong!

Going into detail about our 18 courses would take us too far afield here but let me just say: we had several tremendous highlight dishes - eg. the risotto dish, the waffle dish, leaks and pear, an insanely good smoked butter to only name a few - zero disappointments and maybe one dish that was a bit boring relative to the others (or maybe simply "more subtle"?!).

The restaurant's spacious and casual atmosphere was very much to our little family's liking. The service, delivered by the chefs themselves, was very kind and personal - and from a technical standpoint on par if not better than in many "regular" restaurants.

The wine pairing, composed of mostly regional wines, did accompany the courses very well. You will not find any ostentatious stuff but smart - and sometimes surprising - choices, including a couple of splendid wines. Another pairing option that we tasted consisted of wines and Cavas aromatized (and in some cases fermented) by the team. It was also very enjoyable and interesting - Celery Cava is definitely a great discovery! - though in a few cases maybe a bit too far on the sweet side, depending on your taste.

Long story short: Great place, great food, definitely something that should rank high on your culinary to-do list - not only the one...

We really loved their focus on vegetables - that’s so rare in Spanish fine dining, some dishes were really good (beetroot, onion, radish…), some good. Overall the food was super tasty, there was a lot of umami, great play with fermentation and acidity. The desserts were underwhelming though. We loved the pairing with kombucha and water kefir as well. Much more interesting than standard wines. The service was not top notch, not always coordinated and sometimes missing ab explanation to a dish but really friendly and nice.

The ambiance was casual and nice but the air conditioning is not working well and there were moments with intense kitchen smoke in the serving room.

And to finish, here‘s the HUGE but: We asked multiple times for getting at least a moment to finish our small plates before the next courses (sometimes the next 2-3 little courses) were served. It wasn’t possible to eat at a normal speed, there was clearly time pressure with the second shift of reservations coming in later, and it was said openly. A normal seating time in Michelin restaurants for dinner service tasting menus is 3-4 hours, we were ready for a shorter experience but we were served all courses within less than 80 minutes, then the bill was brought to the table without asking. We left the restaurant after approx 90 minutes with a bill of 500€.

However good the food is, the overall experience was not worth coming back. We want to leave relaxed, fulfilled and joyful when going out for dinner,...