Restaurante Barra Alta Madrid — Restaurant in Madrid

Came in for their tasting menu January 14 and left with a bad taste in my mouth. For the amount of money one ends up spending, you’d expect far better service. The food was enjoyable as expected seeing as they have a Michelin star. The focus is mostly seafood so if that’s not your jam, this place isn’t for you. I was in Madrid for 3 nights and visited 3 establishments with a Michelin star. Here’s where this place missed the mark: My server didn’t ask if I had any food allergies. Every other place I went to did. That’s literally the first thing they ask as soon as you sit down. My server, a man with glasses didn’t seem like he wanted to be working that night, let alone wait on me for that matter. They don’t do wine pairing. I thought that was odd. Why would you not? They charge you for bread which is typically free at every other restaurant that does a tasting. It was barely 3 euros, but had I known, I would not have opted for it. I only had a few bites anyway. The service went downhill when I asked for water. I asked my server for water after he dropped off the Negroni I ordered. He didn’t bring me water. Meanwhile, I watched as every other table with Spanish diners got their water refilled over and over again by the same server. I asked the same guy again by course 4 and he still didn’t bring water. Again, I watched as he refilled the water of the other diners around me. I started to think maybe this dude was racially biased cos I was the only person of color in the dining room. He was far more attentive to the Spanish guests and dismissive towards me. It’s not like he didn’t hear me because he leaned in every time I asked for water to confirm what I needed. He finally got me water after I finished course 5 after I asked for the THIRD time. It should not have taken that long. Run the tapes if you need to. I noticed all the cameras around so you can see when that guy finally gave me a bottle of water. I will however commend the female server working for being nice and giving me a free digestif at the end. My whole experience was overshadowed by how horrible the service was as a whole. I’ve gotten better service...

As a loyal diner to upscale establishments, I was expecting a memorable experience, but unfortunately, this was far from it.

We ordered seafood, and upon tasting, it was clear that something wasn’t quite right. The freshness of the ingredients was questionable, and the dish didn’t meet the standard you’d expect for such a pricey menu. I politely voiced my concerns to the server, hoping they’d take it seriously and perhaps offer an alternative or at least acknowledge the issue. Instead, I was met with indifference. To make matters worse, there was no apology or attempt to resolve the situation. The server didn’t even offer any explanation, and we were simply handed the bill without any discussion or attempt to make things right. It's one thing to have a mistake happen in the kitchen, but it's another entirely to take no accountability and ignore customer feedback.

For the price point, I expected not just good food but a level of service and care that would at least take concerns like these seriously. Instead, we were just treated as if our opinions didn’t matter, and were expected to pay and leave without so much as an acknowledgment of the problem.

A restaurant of this caliber should value customer feedback and strive for excellence in all aspects, not just the food. Extremely disappointing, and I hope they reconsider how they treat their customers...

Realmente increíble! The food was absolutely spectacular. The oysters were super fresh and flavorful, every dish surprises you with its simplicity and subtle flavors that blend perfectly together, one complementing the next.

The service was excellent, everyone friendly and outgoing to make sure our experience was one of a kind. Chef Daniel Roca explained the dishes in a very friendly manner and was an absolute pleasure to talk to.

The Huevo Mar y Montaña took me back to my childhood and to a very particular experience dining at one of the world’ best restaurants.

Barra Alta has nothing to envy the likes of Central, and should be recognized as one of the top restaurants in Madrid. After having travelled throughout Europe for 3 weeks, this has been the best meal we’ve had. Way to close out our European...