The Barrel of Recoletos — Restaurant in Madrid

After Javier greeted me and found me a table, I soon got reminded why I love Madrid: People are so friendly and pay attention to good service. He recommended a fantastic full-bodied red wine that went super well with the delicious tartare de boef (hands-down the best tartare de boeuf I have had anywhere in the world, including even France!), a dish he mixed table side to my taste (I like it a bit spicy.) The paella (seafood, peel gamba roja grande yourself) was tasty, and the cheeses were fantastic, accompanied by a wonderful Noval oporto that Javier also selected for me.

What a wonderful place - I can't wait to bring my wife here when she comes with me on the next trip to Madrid...

Visited as a guest in the place for lunch just today. We were entertaining friends from California, and enjoyed our side table. We chose to stay indoors as it was cold outside. I just want to say that, in addition to a nice meal, we had a delightful waitress. She had just the right balance of friendliness and efficiency. She recognized that we wanted time to visit and did not rush us. She and other staff members made certain that we had everything we needed. Prices are resonable ,caffe made well and...

Unfortunately I was really disappointed with this restaurant. The seafood did not taste fresh, the scallops were overcooked and very small/not great quality, the paella was not worth the cost, there was barely any seafood in it. And the staff were not friendly. For two people we spent around 300 euros, and sadly we will not be going back. There are lots of other really good seafood restaurants in Madrid, please try...