Ganz — Restaurant in Madrid

An additional sign that certifies that Madrid is changing. Becoming (maybe) friendlier, no so much alcohol oriented as in the past, and with restaurants substituting bars (not sure if that's the most interesting outcome but that's the fact).

Ganz is in one of the areas where change is more evident. Now it seems to be called "Mercado de las Ranas", while in previous times (80s and 90s) it was called Huertas (or even Santa Ana). It used to be full of bares de copas and was progressively invaded by (then) modern tapas / raciones joints, while now it is becoming full of modern restaurants, part of what even JC Capel from El País calls the hipster trend. Close to Ganz you have lovely Motha, trendy TriCicle and populous (haven't heard much about it) Miranda.

Wooden tables, no tablecloths, black and white tiles in the floor, and even an encargado wearing pink sport shoes. There's no doubt about this place's affiliation as soon as you cross the door. No surprise anyway because today, being a Saturday, there is a blackboard outside announcing brunch at €18.

Even if some may think that families with 8 and 6 yrs old kids are not exactly the usual public here, they treat us fantastically. Doesn't seem to be a quintessential, successful brunch joint, because there are some free tables.

We have two brunches (for three of us) and I have coca mallorquina (de verduras asadas, very nice, close to Catalan escalivada concept) and tartar de salmón (not bad if maybe not that special). Brunch is OK. For dessert there is a home made tarta de naranja which is actually a bizcocho with orange marmalade inside and some oranged flavored cream on top (not bad in its simplicity).

With two Brabante beers it comes at about €25/head. I think it's quite nice a place, very similar to Motha (though maybe a bit less authentic than that one). Definitely deserves some...

Our experience was a mix of positives and negatives that merit a detailed account for potential clients. The summary is I would not recommend because of over priced food and rude attitude.

Food: The food, on my part, was okay but did not quite meet expectations considering the price; my €16 zucchini salad was a simple dish that seemed overpriced.

Service: Upon arrival, we were immediately informed, in a manner we perceived as unfriendly, that our failure to update our reservation from nine to six was inconvenient for the restaurant. We acknowledge this mistake on our part. Additionally, we were surprised when all of us ordering coffee that they told us "we only have 2 coffees left" as the restaurant just opened. When two of our group decided not to order food, the staff communicated in a way that felt dismissive emphasizing the policy of all guests needing to order to retain a table. This was followed by our meal being rushed, including receiving the bill and a request to leave just after serving me my desert, still untouched. While we understand the importance of restaurant policies, the approach taken felt unnecessarily harsh and unprofessional.

In summary, we recognize our part in the misunderstandings due to not updating our reservation and not all of us ordering food. However, we felt the response from the restaurant staff could have been handled with more professionalism and kindness. They...

The food at Ganz Café was exceptional. When visiting the restaurant, you immediately realise the quaintness of the boutique atmosphere. After sitting down with a family of five, we were immediately prompted for drinks and given a menu. The drink did not take longer than 5 minutes to arrive and the food was exceptionally quick. I ordered a mussles for a starter dish which were of a high quality, and we placed in a scrumptious whine sauce. This was no where near the quiry and refinement of the main dish, a takaki of tuna with wasabi ginger sauce, and a sweet onion salad. While the dish was small, the quality was very high, each detail was very thought out, and the taste combinations simulated a unique taste experience. The incredibly fresh and hot wasabi brought a spicy element to the sour ginger sauce and sweet onion. The tuna provided an amazing mediator for all the tastes discussed before. Finally, I had a pistache ice cream, which tasted homemade and was creamy yet crunchy with a great real...