La Tasquería — Restaurant in Madrid

My husband and I took the recommendation of a friend to go here. My husband is extremely adventurous eater- has had unique experiences all over the world of eating strange foods and foods that have not been traditionally associated with elevated dining. I was excited because the hospitality we had in Spain had been great and was looking forward to these foods that I would never think to eat. This was going to be an experience for husband and I to enjoy on our last night in Spain.

The ambiance of the restaurant is very chic - definite place to be seen . However, I quickly became very uncomfortable. When the waiter went through the menu, he suggested that we both get the menu that incorporated their foods from their years of being in business. When my husband voiced that he wanted to get the other tasting menu - he said it was “horrible decision.”

When it came time to drinks. We had got a glass of wine and a cocktail. We were then prepared to spend 40- 50 euro on a bottle of wine. We never spend above that out of principle - as we feel like we do not appreciate fine wine enough to know the difference above that monetary threshold.

We were steered toward the 70 euro wine. When I voiced the amount of money that we wanted to spend on a wine, I felt embarrassed by the reaction from the staff. We were obviously prepared to spend money at a fine dining restaurant- but not prepared to be feel inferior because we weren’t willing to spend 100 euro on a bottle of wine when we had some really good wine up to then for far less.

And then to add insult to injury- we were told at the end that service was not included . We were asked to provide a 10% service fee- a practice we know is not traditionally done in European countries.

Now for the food - the food was interesting innovated and something that am I glad that I tried. It uses all the parts of the animal that a chef would traditionally discard. It was a little sauce heavy and fried compared to other culinary experiences I have had with intestines and tendons. We appreciated the presentations of the dish. All the elements came together to create something special- a tribute to the animal they came from.

Overall, I think that this a place for adventurous eater who appreciates creativity and is prepared to spend 150+ euro per person. You will enjoy the experience.

My rating for the restaurant is based on how some of the staff made me feel- unwelcomed. Thanks to the rest of the staff who were incredibly sweet and kind enough to translate each dish. We really...

I came to this restaurant 2 years ago, not knowing much about it - and was completely blown away and how they treated their offal. From the friendly English speaking service, to the sweet red sangria, and all the amazing tasting menu dishes for €30/person. Everything was simply amazing.

Now I’m back in Madrid for a few nights and thought I would take my boyfriend there after hearing me rave about it forever. The tasting menu was now €42/person so we decided to just order a few bites instead. We ordered the Baby Pigs Tail/Eel, the Tongue/Beans/Octopus, the Partridge Dip/Apple, Lamb Sweetbreads/Chestnuts. We also ordered a beer. It was around 3:15 once we finished ordering and were waiting for our food - most of the other tables were done eating and were on their way out, so we had the whole restaurant to ourselves.

They came and brought some bread, beef tongue, and olives, which we thought we complimentary but ended up paying for. We had the Partridge dip and weren’t really huge fans, but loved the crostini they served with it. Then they brought us the Braised Beef Cheek, which we didn’t order. When we told the server, she told us she’ll correct the order and that we could have it - but when we ate it we found it too rich and heavy and didn’t end up eating it. We then had to remind the server about the beer as it was now 3:45pm and we still were missing the only drinks we ordered, and 3/4 of the dishes we asked for.

In the end, we found all the food far too gelatinous, covered in the same sauce, and really just mushy and with no texture. I can confidently say we didn’t enjoy anything other than the olive oil that came to the table. They ended up comping our beer and the Beef Cheek they accidentally sent, but the bill still ended up being €50.60, and we didn’t eat two of the dishes.

I was so embarrassed that I told my boyfriend how amazing this place was when really, it was terrible. Even though the server was very nice, the food was bad, they took too long, and it was too expensive for what it was.

I’m so unhappy about our experience that I’m now going to take down the positive review I wrote a few years back.

Will...

Quite the experience. Booked and arrived on time. Place was full. Great vibe.

Tables and guests weren’t like other places we visited where the atmosphere is quiet and reserved. This place was buzzing with conversations, laughing guests and staff. Friendly, a little tipsy and warm.

We knew what we were getting ourselves into and we came ready for some nasty innards and all the wonderful delicacies you’d never try at home or dare to find on a menu. Super stoked and excited.

Options were simple. Tasting menu, small, medium and full. Full had the famous (infamous) suckling pig head. More options and dessert. We went full hog and the adventure began.

First few plates were just warm ups. Expertly crafted flavors to enhance and make good of the bits no one really wants to eat. Perfectly executed.

Then came the head. Crispy. Stunning if you’re into crackling. Hands dirty is the way we were told to enjoy it. It was fab. Missing some acidity to break the salty fatty flavor which just kept on giving when two of us shared the one head.

Dishes kept coming. Some were favorites, some less, some just strange but in a good way.

Verdict: food and wine was well done and very creative. Deserving of the one Michelin Star the restaurant has. It was an absolute must in terms of experience. Innards and offal served Haute style.

It’s something that I may try again, as into this, however the wifey is less keen on albeit she enjoyed the experience of it.

The only thing I’d say is lacking was the service. Whilst everyone is super friendly and attentive, the food was often slower to come between dishes. Other reviews state the opposite and that they were rushed between dishes. So maybe it’s the day or time you arrive. This was only an issue for us as we had another appointment we couldn’t miss and left half way through dessert.

Overall highly recommend to foodies. It’s an experience...