Taberna LA CONCHA — Restaurant in Madrid

Absolutely loved this place. We came for dinner around 9:30pm and they were able to get us in downstairs just as many people were leaving. We started off with their classic homemade vermouth cocktails, which were perfectly balanced and delicious. My husband is gluten free, so we asked for the menu and to our surprise it was nearly identical to the normal menu, with only 2 options that were not able to be made gluten free. So 28 out of 30 dishes are available in the gluten free option - unheard of. We were going to get 5 dishes but they were out of meatballs, so when we asked the waiter what else he would recommend we replace them with, he advised that 4 might be sufficient for us. How kind and considerate because he was completely right, we were stuffed after 4 portions. We got the stuffed peppers, anchovies in pesto, migas and the stewed lentils. Everything was delicious, but the lentils were the highlight of the meal and I’ll keep dreaming about them anytime I think about our meals in Spain. They were exquisite, so simple but so much flavor in the broth and perfect texture. Our server was incredibly hard working and attentive. He was running up and down the stairs nonstop all night, but remained generous with his smiles and kindness. We will most definitely come back here. The clientele were a mix of locals...

It’s not the worst restaurant in Madrid, it’s not the worst restaurant in Spain, it’s the worst restaurant in the world. 30 minutes to get a drink, an hour to get the first tapas. We should have left when they brought us an amuse-bouches that was just mayonnaise on a cracker, but we waited. We should have left when the salmon salad took an hour and was a bagged salad with some thawed out frozen salmon on top. We should have left when the prawn carpaccio was partially frozen and are the bottom of a pool of oil, but we stayed. In total we tried 6 dishes and they were all worse than a hospital cafeteria.

There are a lot of positive reviews. Maybe they’re written by bots? Maybe the restaurant used to be good and has slipped under new management? I don’t know.

On the plus side, the atmosphere is fun and despite the bad service - the staff is nice. They also give you a chocolate at the end, so your last taste isn’t terrible.

If you’re thinking about going here, walk into the first restaurant you see and eat there instead. It...

We came here one evening due to a recommendation from a popular youtube vlog. What a mistake. The woman behind the counter couldn't have made it any more obvious our presence wasn't appreciated unless she straight up told us to get out. She was incredibly sour, unfriendly and not welcoming We stood trying to enjoy the vermouth we came here for in such an awkward environment. Shortly before we left, a small group of young women came in and asked the woman behind the counter a question in Spanish. Obviously they picked up on the woman's attitude after she responded poorly but they weren't having it. They got into a heated argument right there at the counter, menus were thrown, and then the group stormed out. So incredibly uncomfortable. We paid immediately and left.

We understand others have had a great time here, but our experience was horrible. Perhaps working directly with customers isn't a job this woman...