Elite Traveler January-February 2016

EXPLORE MADRID

FOOD TREND GOURMET MARKETS Every Madrid neighborhood has its own market where, in days gone by, local residents would pick up their vegetables, fish and meat. Many still serve their original purpose, but some are being transformed into gourmet markets. The first was the Mercado de San Miguel (mercadodesanmiguel.es) near the wonderful Plaza Mayor, which now has stalls with fine wines, exclusive jamón Ibérico sandwiches, artisanal bakeries and chocolatiers and countless stalls with refined tapas. Two markets to the north across Gran Via followed – the Barceló market (mercadobarcelo.es) in Las Salesas and San Antón (mercadosananton.com) in Chueca have both been transformed into a paradise of food and drink. Over by Plaza de Colón, developers turned a run-down movie theater into another gastro destination. The stunning Platea market

CHEF FOCUS DIEGO GUERRERO

A new generation of chefs have started to make their mark on the Madrid culinary scene in recent years. Diego Guerrero is one of them. He came to Madrid in 2001 to take charge of the kitchen at El Club Allard, a traditional members club. Over the following 12 years he transformed its gastronomic offering and was awarded two Michelin stars. In 2013 he decided to start over. He and his team opened their new restaurant DSTAgE in the Salesas area. The name, an acronym that stands for “Days to smell, taste, amaze, grow and enjoy” is a

(plateamadrid.com) now houses restaurants, deli markets and regular live entertainment on the original stage. Many of the movie theater's original features remain intact. Even department store El Corte Inglés (supermercado. elcorteingles.es) has created a

“For us, luxury is found in the small things and we want to tell our version of haute cuisine”

statement of intent. “For us luxury is found in the small things and we want to tell our verison of haute cuisine,” says Guerrero. “I wanted to make the experience more interactive, both for diners and for the

gourmet experience in the branch on Calle de Serrano, which has seen chefs with a total of seven Michelin stars gathering together – David Muñoz has moved in with his StreetXo brand, pastry specialist Jordi Roca of El Celler de Can Roca fame launched his ice cream outlet Rocambolesc and Roberto Ruiz has opened Cascabel, a Mexican dining room that evokes the 1940s.

chefs.” Guests find themselves enjoying their food in different parts of the restaurant – starters at the bar, main course in the dining room – and being in contact with kitchen staff. DSTAgE was awarded its first Michelin star after just five months and a waiting list of four months is not unusual. For Guerrero, it is a vindication of his instinct to follow his own path. dstageconcept.com

Platea market used to be a movie theater

Seafood at Platea market

Mercado de San Miguel where it all started