Osteria Conchetta Milan

Traditional Milano cuisine with a twist

Handcut Mangaliza ham aged 24 months

Whenever I visit Italy, eating at a local traditional restaurant is a must as those venues can be just as amazing as fine ding venues. I picked Osteria Conchetta mostly based on the restaurant is not too far from my hotel, but just from looking online, the offering is really exciting with plenty of great reviews. Good ham, rice, and meat dishes, all sound wonderful to me. What caught my eye is the restaurant's take on risotto, besides all the classic Northern Italian ways of cooking rice, Osteria Conchetta's signature is creamy rice cooked in a giant Grana Padano cheese wheel with vodka. 

Saddle Madrid

Classic yet classy

Mediterranean red prawn, tartare with its own coral and garlic

Saddle in Madrid position itself as a classic contemporary fine-dining restaurant, with a high degree of respect for traditional cooking concepts, with a touch of modern elements in the mix. Classic is a classic for a reason, the reason it lasts so long is down to the sheer popularity and taste. Looking at Saddle's menu, it does has a feel of a traditional vibe with its food offering, with dishes such as buttered dove sole and steak tartare served tableside. I like what I see as when classic dishes are done well, it is hard to beat.

Restaurante Gaytán Madrid

Kitchen theater in Madrid 

Canapes

Gaytan in Madrid has the kind of hipster feel written all about it. Located in the northern part of Madrid in a residential zone. Hidden within a crowd of old flats with hardly any branding at the front. However, once you step inside, you look at one of the edgiest restaurants with a well-designed space. All the tables are surrounding the open kitchen, where the chefs become the central point of the restaurant, this goes beyond the trendy kitchen counter concept and takes it to another level. Gaytan offers ALC lunch time and a tasting menu in the evening.

A'Barra Madrid

Traditional essence with a modern edge

Green beans, cockles, sherry vinegar

Many new high-end openings from around the world have been focusing on cutting-edge, creative modern cuisine. Every once in a while is nice to revisit traditional cooking. A'Barra in Madrid was an interesting one for me, as the setting has a very contemporary feel to it, but on the other hand, the menu has a classic theme with many dishes served tableside and based on a type of protein next to some garnishes. For those who enjoy something a little bit edgier, the place also has a bar dining where you can go for a more creative tasting menu format.

Garelos Madrid

Galician seafood joint

Grilled razor clam

Normally I would avoid going to chains, especially when I go on holiday. But Garelos seems to be a chain I cant avoid as their food offering is just the kind of food I seek and the price seems to be very reasonable. Located in Madrid with 3 sites, Garelos is all about Galician-style cuisine, with a heavy focus on seafood. Galician is renowned for its top-level seafood, when done well, it can be something very simple yet taste exceptional. The menu contains all the classic Galician items, from grilled seafood to empanadas.