Restaurante NuBel — Restaurant in Madrid

Wanted to visit the Reina Sofia museum with my girlfriend but not on an empty stomach. We thought of grabbing a typical cafeteria sandwich in the museum, but discovered this spot... and it was amazing. First of all: the building alone is worth the visit. A beautiful combination of the red auditoria and the cocoon style bar and restaurant. We had brunch wich was delicous and we took the formula with coffee and churos (it has a reduced price compared to taking it seperatly), but could swap the coffee to chocolate milk without any extra cost... not a lot of places would allow this. Next to the churros we had the iberico brunch. 15 euro's is not expensive at all in my opinion (I would have to pay 20 or more in Belgium for the same experience). It was actually such a nice experience that on that same day we were wandering the city, passed the Reina Sofia and decided to have dinner there as well. We had no reservation but the head of staff was kind enough to get us a table in just a matter of minutes. Our server did not really speak english but tried as good as possible, plus the head of staff helped when needed, big compliment to both of them. The food was excellent (my girlfriend calls it the best food experience in her life and we eat out at around once a week). Service was excellent, but probably depends on the staff at that moment. The food is not that expensive, okay it is more expensive than going for tapas, but the dishes are on a whole other level and would not fall out of place in a michelin star restaurant (cheese cake of blue cheese with amareto, licorice and perfect raspberry icecream, is not just an average dish). And it uses local products on top of that. So overall the perfect modern local cuisine! Small recommendation: get a cocktail with your food, they are well balanced and could perfectly match...

The restaurant of the Reina Sofia Museum, Nubel, was designed to enhance visitor’s experience at the museum. However, the restaurant can stand on its own, as offerings such as breakfast, dinner, appetizers and snacks round out a delicious menu created by chef Javier Muñoz-Calero, while award-winning bartender Joel Jamal concocts signature cocktails to compliment.

I was thrilled to enjoy dinner at Nubel with my friend, who had set up a reservation for when we were visiting the museum. The restaurant is an art exhibit in itself, with modern curves and circles setting the scene for dining with individual ambient lighting and a year-round terrace.

We started with a unique appetizer of spirulina crackers, stuffed with lard and shrimp ceviche. The crackers were crunchy and a beautiful shade of dark green, while the ceviche was fresh and packed with flavor. Definitely something to try. My friend ordered a starter of egg yolk, flax seeds, and tempura, which she said was one of her new favorites.

My calamarata pasta with langoustines was perfect! The pasta was melt-in-your-mouth tender, while the langoustines had a fresh taste, bursting with lobster flavor. Her rack of baby lamb, moss, smoke, and quark was plated with a gorgeous presentation that was as appealing to the eye and the taste buds.

For dessert, I chose the lemon curd, shortbread, and marshmallow, which was light and fluffy, and subtly sweet with the right amount of tartness. I stole a taste of my friend’s amaretti cheesecake with raspberry sauce, and it was creamy and rich, but not heavy.

Dining at Nubel is an experience in its own, but when combined with all the Reina Sofia has to offer, along with the fresh raw ingredients and culinary artistry, Nubel is more than worth a visit. I can’t wait to go back...

Afternoon tea. We paid 21 euros for afternoon tea with cocktail. When we arrived we were getting the last parts of the brunch, drunk hen dos and big tables of really loud girls screaming. They sat us right next to them and we had to move. The Dj was playing a really loud set , to be honest it didn’t suit the mood for an afternoon tea. The waiters don’t come near the tables and it took quite a while for them to take an order for a hot drink. It’s not like normal afternoon teas where you get a constant flow of hot drinks. We were served one each. They brought over the afternoon tea which was 4 quarters of a white sandwich (2 each- so half a sandwich of white sandwich bread) 2 flat scones which had not risen, and some cakes . The cakes were good but we didn’t get salmorejo we got yogurt instead (I imagine what was left over from brunch). You get a choice of cocktails (from 2) and it came in a cava glass. It wasn’t very nice so overall I wouldn’t recommend the afternoon tea. You end up at the last part of the brunch and everyone is v drunk and it seemed the waiters were pretty tired and fed up. Just needs to decide what it is as it was a very weird set up for an afternoon tea. Not what we expected at all. Not...