Santiago Pedraza and Carmen Carro were two fans of gastronomy, and the economic crisis led them to embark on a project that has changed their lives. When Carmen was unemployed in 2011 she reconsidered making her dream come true: cooking. This was a big change, but Santiago was clear that it was a trip they had to make together. For two years, Santiago and Carmen decided to travel throughout Spain learning to make the dishes they liked the most in Spanish gastronomy. During the two years they traveled, tasted and cooked a lot in order to feel safe when opening their restaurant.
On April 10, 2014, they threw themselves into the void and opened Taberna Pedraza on Ibiza Street. His dream had come true. During these last five years, they have served more than 44,000 tortillas españolas (their signature dish) and have opened another new place (Carmen Casa de Cocidos). Now they have moved to a place five times larger in the neighborhood of Salamanca and have unified both locations into one, under the name of Taberna Pedraza.
The new Taberna Pedraza (new only in terms of location because it still retains the same philosophy of its beginnings) is a more comfortable space for both the diner and the team. Different rooms, a decoration that resembles a tavern from a different lifetime, complete views and larger tables makes this restaurant an ideal place to meet and enjoy flavors passed down from generation to generation.
Carmen and Santiago were clear about their project from the beginning. They wanted to offer extraordinary cuisine, where the product was of great quality. A kitchen where chistorra, eggs, meat or anchovies were the main protagonists of the table. For this, they searched for sensitive providers with whom they connected . For example, they have a specific egg supplier who weighs each egg so that every has a certain weight and comes out perfect.
As its name indicates, Taberna Pedraza is a very personal, transparent and direct restaurant. A restaurant where you work with a lot of heart and honesty to offer cuisine of quality and tradition in order to maintain ones roots.
The tortilla of Betanzos is a dish that is essential in its menu (there are days that Carmen gets to cook up to 50 tortillas); Her cocido madrileño , which consists of 3 overturns, is delicious (Carmen spent 8 months doing tests until she got the stew she wanted to serve in the restaurant); and the tavern croquettes Pedraza is another of the dishes that surprises for its creaminess and flavor, because it is a recipe that Carmen has made all her life. Among its desserts, the quesada pasiega , a Cantabrian dessert that Taberna Pedraza elaborates to perfection and is perfect as a sweet snack to finish the meal.
Undoubtedly, to Santiago and Carmen, life gave them a second chance. A change that has been favorable for them and for all those who come to Taberna Pedraza to taste their cuisine.
Location: C/ Recoletos, 4. 28001 Madrid
Hours: From Sunday to Saturday from 13:00h to 16:30h and from 20:00h to 23:30h
Average price: 40-60€
Text: Elena R. Feijóo
Photos: Nacho Alcalde Ruiz