De María in Madrid came highly recommended, but unfortunately, my experience was underwhelming.
From the start, the service left much to be desired. Our waiter greeted us with a blunt "What do you want from the menu?"--hardly the warm welcome you'd expect from a restaurant of this reputation. I ordered the beef carpaccio, which was a generous portion and tasted decent, but nothing extraordinary.
Things took a turn for the worse when, immediately after we finished our appetizers, a different waiter cleared the table and asked, "Do you want coffee or dessert?"--without us even having ordered our main course. This major disconnect in service made the experience feel rushed and disorganized.
For dinner, we opted for the high loin steak for two. It took around 30 minutes to arrive, and when it did, the steak was mediocre at best. The side to accompany our steak, Provençal potatoes, were essentially just fries with salt and pepper, lacking the flair the description suggested.
For dessert, we had the caramel panqueques, which were fine but did little to redeem the overall experience.
For travelers visiting Madrid, if you're seeking attentive service and top-tier meat dishes, De María may be one to skip. It simply doesn't live up to the hype. read more