La Malontina Photos
La Malontina Popular Desserts
LA MALONTINA ATMOSPHERE
Recommended Reviews - La Malontina
Start your review...
Reviews With Photos
The first thing I would say is that the service is fantastic. The owner was actively working tables and genuinely cared for people that were in the restaurant. The clams, monkfish, brisket, and red curry chicken are awesome. We also tried the chili crabs with pigs ear, and although it tasted delicious, this Spanish delicacy is a little bit of an exotic texture for my palette. It's a small place without a lot of seats, so reservations make a lot of sense.
This resturaunt is a must try in Madrid! We stumbled into this spot on a Tuesday afternoon & I am so glad we did. The food was incredible. The host was amazing & even gave us a complimentary starter soup. We ordered the truffle risotto & duck lasagna. 10/10 add this to your travel itinerary!
La Malontina deserves all the praise in the world - they served easily the best risotto dish and pork dish I've ever had - truffle mushroom and iberian grilled pork, respectively. I never knew ham could taste so good - dare I say better than bacon *gasp.* Pablo was the warmest friendliest server, cracking jokes with everyone and giving personalized attention. He was kind enough to accommodate me at a walk-in at 9pm (only way you can hope to get in without a reservation is to come right when they open for dinner). Would DEFINITELY come back when I return to Madrid
An amazing experience! A very quaint restaurant, probably can seat about 30 people, but quite lovely. The service was great, very kind, informative, and not at all annoyed with me for not being good at Spanish. We tried several dishes and each one was excellent. Everything was cooked perfectly, seasoned to perfection, and presented beautifully. Like many before have stated, I highly recommend this restaurant and I would definitely return.
Many of the reviews here are for the "menu del dia", and my research also made this lunch offering (14,80E at the time of my visit) the reason for my visit. I had a reservation for later in the week (Friday), but being nearby a few days earlier, I made an online reservation through "the fork" app. But when we entered and asked for the menu del dia, we were told that we'd need to cancel the online reservation then, because it involves the restaurant paying a fee to the intermediary, so we cancelled from our seat. It's a little confusing, but generally: if you want the lunch deal, you'll have to call in your reservation, though that is sometimes not easy to do. The food was the tremendous value that was advertised. I took some pictures of what we had that day, but basically the menu changes daily, and there is a LOT of rotation. The only regular menu item we had I think was the "hamburger, turkish style" or something, which was an impressive stack of meat and potatoes - yum. The highlight for me was the risotto - enormous portion served steaming hot with a pile of grated cheese on top. It's a little hard for one person to eat the whole thing, but fortunately our table of 4 spread the load with pleasure. My main was a tuna cooked in tomato sauce. I'd never had anything like this, but it was delicious (tuna was seared, not cooked through and dry). The curry chicken and the aforementioned hamburger were also great. All that, AND a dessert, AND a glass of wine, with tax and service for under 15E?! Wow. Unfortunately when Friday did roll around, it was a holiday (good friday), so the menu del dia wasn't offered. Since the regular menu prices are very steep by comparison, I was glad I checked in earlier in the week and got that deal. My only regret was I couldn't have it again. If you are in Madrid on a weekday, you're going to be near the museums anyway, so for god's sake make a telephone reservation here for the same day and prepare to be very satisfied!
What a wonderful, unique experience! My boyfriend and I visited this restaurant because of a friend's recommendation while on our trip to Madrid and the place exceeded our expectations! Because the restaurant only has about seven or eight tables, it makes the experience that much more personal and special. Not to mention, Pablo (La Malontina's Chef and Owner) was very personable and attentive to us and all of the other tables in the restaurant, customizing our orders to ensure we tried as much as we could! He was so friendly and loved to hear about our trip and where we are from. The food was out of this world!! So fresh and so much flavor. If you're in the area, you gotta check this place out!
It's small and a bit away from main bar/shopping area but really up and coming area. You find multiple great restaurants nearby. The owner was so kind and offer great suggestions for any appetite you have. I tried lunch and it is absolutely great deal! One of the best risotto I've had (squid) and this comes from someone who doesn't like risotto. I had chicken as main and it was great but fish looked really good. Wine was of course great. Dessert, I chose blueberry yogurt and it was lovely. Overall, it's good place to eat great non-taps meal, which I highly recommend!
After doing some research, I decided to visit Tragantúa for lunch on a Friday afternoon between visits to the Museo del Prado. It was well worth it. We arrived at 1:35pm, shortly after opening, and were glad we did, since within 15 minutes the entire place (seating approx 20 people), was full. Among us a mix of locals and foreigners, including individuals, couples, and families. The server was friendly and although we didn't have reservations, granted us a small table almost immediately. After being seated she asked if we were planning to order the menu del dia, (14,90 Euro--which we were), then pulled out a tablet which showed us the menu options in English. Since our Spanish proficiency was deplorable, we appreciated her effort to explain to us in English the substitutions on the menu and the owner/manager(?) also came out and did the same. He also explained their focus on serving seasonal produce and thus their changing menus. At 14.90 Euro, the meal includes first course, main course, dessert, bread, and your option of drink (coffee or wine). The options for first course included fried Brie served with fig jam and greens, goat cheese salad (not available but substituted with a grilled chickpea and Mediterranean vegetable dish), green rice with calamari or corn soup with grilled shrimp. Both of the first two choices looked mouth-watering by the looks of the table next to us that ordered them, but we went for the green rice (color by a spinach sauce) and the corn soup. Mmmm...the corn soup was creamy and the grill on the shrimp perfect. You could tasted that slight smokiness of the shrimp. The squid in the rice was probably the most tender cooked squid I have ever eaten in my life--and I'm comparing this right up there to squid sashimi that is raw and super fresh at reputable Japanese sushi places. (And I'm salivating slightly as I write this right now.) For the mains there was a "Turkish" burger, beef stew with red peppers, grilled sea bass bone-in, and lemon chicken. We ordered the beef and fish. On first bite of the sea bass you could tell it was well-prepared. The skin retained that perfect thin crisp and the flesh was succulent and tender. It was served with potatoes that must have been seasoned/cooked in some type of broth bc they were delicious. Also on the dish were a few Spanish peppers prepared similarly to how shishito peppers are fried (compared to what I know as tapas back in NYC ). A word to the eater--you have to be careful of the small bones as essentially this is a whole small fish splayed open. The beef stew was amazing--tender, flavorful, hearty with the tiniest spicy zing from the red pepper. As for dessert, options were caramel flan, hazelnut ice cream, yoghurt with berry emulsion, or seasonal melon and we chose the first two. I've never had a hazelnut ice cream I didn't like, but the flan stood out with it's lovely caramel flavor and egg-y custard consistency. The caramel flavor almost had a slightly burnt flavor (in a really good delicious way) that lingered on your tongue after swallowing. So tasty!!! What a generous and delightful meal! Aside from the wonderful food itself, the portions were very good-sized and the people so friendly and helpful. If we had more time in Madrid we would definitely visit again. Thank you La Tragantúa for making this experience I won't forget!
This is a small and quaint restaurant tucked away in an alleyway. To start, there were two types of bread. One was raisin and the other was plain white bread. They gave us a complimentary appetizer of dumplings, which were quiet tasty. I ordered the grill artichokes and the truffle risotto. The grill artichokes were good but could have used a little more seasoning. But the truffle risotto was delicious. My husband ordered the beef risotto. It wasn't on the menu but the server recommended the beef. The service is excellent here, they are able to accommodate the food to your liking. His risotto was even better. We were only in a Madrid for a day and I am glad this is the dinner spot we ended up going to!
Must get reservations for this Michelin honorary mention because the place is a small hole in the wall restaurant. Attempted to come here one night without reservations, but it was full. However the chef himself came out to apologize and recommend another place. He was very friendly and pleasant! So we made reservations for the next day at lunch and was welcomed again by the chef. He really enjoys connecting with his customers. He takes the orders himself and actually takes his time to explain what the dish actually is. Now for the food. everything was so good between me and my cousin that we had to try more of his food. We both each had our own 1st, 2nd, and dessert plates. The we ordered a third full course just to have what we didn't get. Sorry I forgot Picts of the dessert. I kind of feel like this wasn't too close to Spanish cuisine, but it was still great.
4.5 stars. The food and service were both very good, and the 10% offer for making online reservations made the meal even more affordable. They started us out with a complimentary chicken kabob which was tasty (and who doesn't like free stuff!). My appetizer was the pepper wrapped in ham and my friend had the fried green tomatoes: we both agreed that mine was tastier dish but hers wasn't bad either. I also had the "burger" which came without a bun and, again, was well-seasoned. My friend had cod and she seemed to enjoy it, plus the owner kept checking in on us which was nice. I'd definitely recommend. read more
Amazing, amazing place. This was our last meal in Spain, and previous reviews did not lie. Not only was the food delicious, but service was amazing as well. Having been to quite a few restaurants throughout Madrid, Barcelona, and Valencia, this restaurant had the best service, hands down. It might be because it is in a touristy area. Still, regardless, the waiters were very friendly and knowledgeable. We got the beef risotto and beef tenderloin, with shrimp and squid skewers as an appetizer. Everything was delicious! Prices were reasonable as well, given the quantity and quality of the food. We also got some potstickers (random) from the kitchen as a free appetizer. Great place for dinner, a hidden gem in Madrid. read more
7 years ago
YOU NEED TO GO HERE!! First off, the staff and owner are AMAZING! We decided to check out this place based off the reviews and trust me... it did not disappoint. They are so friendly and it tables fill up fast so I highly recommend reservations. They gave us zucchini soup (which was delicious). We then decided to try the Korean dumplings which were good. my boyfriend had the octopus and I had beef risotto. At the end of the meal were were both so full we didn't want to move! Overall, this place was the best meal we had in Madrid and I highly recommend you try it out. read more
9 years ago
We went for the menú del día, which came with an appetizer, main, a drink, and dessert or coffee for only €14.80. I got the prawns and fish salad and stuffed eggplant which was delicious! For dessert I got the napolean. The red wine was also tasty! read more
10 years ago
No words to express my palate! Everything from the staff to every bite after that. It was just incredible!!!We had so far the best experience in Madrid. read more
8 years ago
7 years ago
9 years ago
11 years ago
11 years ago
8 years ago
9 years ago
7 years ago
9 years ago
9 years ago
Wonderful staff and experience! The food is fabulous and owner very attentive. I was greeted immediately upon arrival. I ordered 3 dishes because I was having such a hard time deciding what to pick, everything genuinely sounded delicious. The waitress recommended that 2 dishes were more than enough for one person, so I trimmed down my order. I was very grateful because she was absolutely correct, the portion for the rice dish with squid ink is enough for two people. The artichoke hearts were to die for, the food was impressive. Nyc restaurant caliber if not better! I would recommend this restaurant. read more
9 years ago
10 years ago
10 years ago
7 years ago
15 years ago
11 years ago
9 years ago
7 years ago
11 years ago
11 years ago
9 years ago
11 years ago
We loved it here. Very small so it's intimate. The staff was more the helpful and their English wasn't too bad. We had 3 dishes, 2 waters, vino and a cafe for 40 euros. The salad w blue cheese arugula and walnuts was divine. The squid and shrimp on skewers was twice the size and yummy. And finally the Thai chicken was delicious and juicy. They brought out a complimentary appetizer too! We really enjoyed our time here. Great alternative to tapas! Walking distance to bars afterwards. read more
11 years ago
11 years ago
10 years ago
8 years ago
11 years ago
11 years ago
10 years ago
10 years ago
8 years ago
13 years ago
Found this restaurant with Yelp. Good for me looking for a good, but quick weekday dinner. Not busy on Tuesday night, but food service and most important: good food! Out put maybe a bit fancier than the taste, but I liked it. Good value for money! read more
12 years ago
More info about La Malontina
Calle Verónica, 4
28014 Madrid
Spain
Cortes
Directions
914 203 108
Call Now
Visit Website
http://www.latragantua.es
Hours
Payment methods
Food & Alcohol
Indoor Amenities
Outdoor Amenities
Other Amenities
From the Business
La Malontina Reviews in Other Languages
Why does Yelp recommend reviews?
6 reviews that are not currently recommended
The reviews below are not factored into the business's overall star rating.
9 years ago
8 years ago
9 months ago
11 years ago
11 years ago
7 years ago
La Malontina - modern_european - Updated May 2026
Browse Brands
Browse Articles
People who viewed La Malontina also viewed
Ten con Ten
235 reviews
Salamanca
€€€
The Spanish Farm
17 reviews
Retiro
€€€
Lamucca
96 reviews
Cortes
€€
La Entretenida
34 reviews
Cortes
€€€
La Pescadería
62 reviews
Malasaña
€€
TriCiclo
96 reviews
Cortes
€€€
El Club Allard
32 reviews
Argüelles, Moncloa
€€€€
Metro Bistro
39 reviews
Sol
€€
Carmencita
182 reviews
Universidad
€€
La Bendita Gastroteca
10 reviews
Salamanca