El Pato Mudo — Restaurant in Madrid

Today I visited "El Pato Mudo" with a group of friends, looking for a quick bite before heading to the airport. Unfortunately, our experience at the restaurant was not as positive as we had initially hoped.

Upon arrival, the staff seemed friendly and accommodating, and we were able to find a table for our group of seven people. However, when we ordered the Paella, we were informed that it would take over an hour to prepare them, which was simply too long given our time constraints. We asked if there was anything else we could order instead, and suggested Tapas as a quicker option. However, the waiter was quite unpolite, stating that tapas wouldn't be served as a meal and taking back the menus from our table, muttering "this is no McDonald's!".

As someone who has dined extensively in Madrid, I was shocked by the poor service and attitude of the staff. While I understand that certain dishes may take longer to prepare, it's disappointing when a restaurant isn't willing to work with their customers to find a solution that meets their needs. In this case, it seems like "El Pato Mudo" MISSED the mark by a LOT.

It's possible that the restaurant may be better suited to smaller groups or more leisurely dining experiences, but for those looking for a quick and easy meal, it may be best to look elsewhere.

I certainly hope that the management takes this feedback to heart and makes changes to ensure that all diners feel valued and welcome at their...

I was very interested in trying the place out but after experiencing the sour and unfriendly attitude of one of the waiters when I asked if there were tables available I decided to turn around and never try again. Perhaps he was offended that I dared to ask if a table was available without having a reservation. I came back to ask from what time would it be possible to reserve and he snapped back "check the internet!". Maybe he had a bad day, but this rating reflects my experience. Additional note: on April 9th the owner posted a reply to my comment. I have taken a screen capture for my own amusement, in case he deletes it. Glad he wasted a good while (apparently from Mexico) writing a reply that reeks of arrogance. That the owner appears to be even more rude than the waiter just proves that my first impression wasn’t a stroke of bad luck. Glad that their business is going so well during these difficult times that they can afford to be this obnoxious. Additional note, May 12th: the owner did delete his initial obnoxious and arrogant comment, but I still have the screenshot, which I might translate to English one of these days and...

We came here based on a recommendation from Lonely Planet, and were completely delighted. El Pato Mudo has a large interior with a white and blue Mediterranean decor divided into several smaller rooms to give an intimate, quiet dining experience. They offer a decently broad menu of typical Spanish fare with some imagination plus some options for unadventurous travelers, with a good range of modestly-priced wines from across Spain. The portions are huge for two people! We had the complimentary olives, a lovely house pate and a delicious goat cheese salad with caramelized onions and mixed greens and a honey-Dijon dressing that we just couldn't get enough of. For the main we had Valencian paella, very good indeed. All this was capped with attentive, discreet yet friendly service and reasonable prices for the neighborhood. I'd recommend this to couples, small groups or families...