Martinete, Cosmopolitan gastronomy from the Salamanca neighborhood

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Under a halo of a bistro and a terrace, perfect for both summer and winter, Martinete is a Madrid-born restaurant with an international gastronomy twist in which the good quality products allow the customers to discover different styles of cusine over one single table. With a refined interior and classic yet daring restaurant vibe, Martinete demonstrates how the Salamanca neighborhood has left the predictable and repetitive gastronomy behind.

Here at this restaurant, there is an evident twist of tradition and evolution with a menu that is both elegant and atavistic. Plates on the menu include the salmorejo, las berenjenas a la cordobesa and el ajoblanco, which give us a little taste of the south as well as a bit from the rest of the world. An example of this international cuisine is the fresh and exuberant burrata, of which the fresh basil tastes like a dream; the arroz (rice) salvaje with crujiente de pato (duck) and the langostinos (prawns) in tempura that allows us to skip customs and go straight to the more original Tailandia restaurants.

Although there is an international twist, traditional Spanish cuisine has not been forgotten; for example, with the croquetas- particularly melosas-, and salmon tartar with avocado, whose lightness is greatly appreciated with the Madrid heat. Without abandoning the element of liquid, Martinete’s menu parts the sea with selections like fish that coincide with traditional recipes. A few of the first plates that many have loved are the rodaballo a la bilbaína and the bacalao (cod) al horno (oven), which has a ground-breaking taste with its asparagus aioli. Along with these options is the nikkei de la carte and tuna tataki with yellow aji cream that unites Peru and Japan in the same place and time.

In Martinete there is also a large preference for meat. Signature plates include the duck ravioli with escabeche de miel (honey) and apple as well as the wings, ibérica ahumada (smoked ham) with puré de yuca (mashed yuca), and the tataki de lomo alto de vaca, served over a leg bone which adds to the elegance of the plate.

For the carnivores as well as those who love to eat with their hands, the hamburger joined between two loaves of bread, apple, and cheese in a powerful mix, carried by umami is a great option. There is also the French rack de vaca gallega (Galician cow), perfect for lovers of BBQ and slow roasts.

The sweet ending to this meal is highlighted with port desserts like the classic cheesecake or the quesada reinvention, which presents coconut flavors. There is also the carrot cake with violeta ice cream that is the best touch for those who want to feel like a kid again. Surely, if Marcel Proust had gotten to know this restaurant, he would have popularized the Magdalena with its subtly sweet explosion.

This local restaurant is particularly comfortable for after-work, either on the terrace or inside where windows and doors allow the air to flow through the tables, refreshing your glasses, cocktails, and widening smiles at all times of the day.