Note: the listing is for the Terraza del Casino, but the reviews are for Paco Roncero. We were deciding between a few of the two starred places in Madrid, and since SF tends to be more casual for Michelin places, I wanted something a bit more traditional in terms of formality, so we went with Paco Roncero, which is located in the historic Casino de Madrid (historic social club, not an actual casino. The dining room is definitely fancy by feel, and while it is very spacious with its high ceilings and spread out tables, there aren't actually that many tables. We started with the champagne cart, and ultimately, I liked the champagne so much that I just ended up getting more by the glass. Shockingly, it was only €18 a glass! We also shared a wine pairing, which focused on local wines but also included sherry. It's a good way to try grapes we haven't otherwise encountered. We chose the Madrid menu, which is 23 courses, split into sections of bites, mains, and then desserts. To start: 1. Aerial truffle cake 2. Olive oil tasting: presented on a tree - Adria style, a green, a black, a yellow 3. White chocolate donut with foie and cardamom sugar 4. Nori seed taco with salmon and miso 5. Shrimp tart 6. Cod brandade with lemon meringue 7. Scallop tartlet with cured scallop 8. Garlic prawns al ajillo 9. Madrid style red mullet on a mousseline and a thin potato cracker 10. Beef tripe fritter 11. Ox tartare with smoked caviar 12. EVOO butter and sourdough: the butter as in solid form but just tasted of olive oil, which was great Mains: 1. Vegetable patch: seasonable vegetables carefully planted into a dish of the herb sauce and "dirt." 2. Bluefin tuna belly, anchovy, caviar, tomato tartare 3. Almond flower with asparagus , apricots, sardine 4. Salpicon of blue leg prawns: corral, salad with seafood consommé 5. Turbot with codium sea lettuce and garlic razor clams 6. Oxtail Wellington with daikon, apple, red currant, pumpkin seed salad - cut and plated from a cart table side Desserts: 1. Citrus: lemon, yuzu, calamansi - refreshing 2. Apple: inspired by a candied apple with a wafer, roasted apple foam, lime zest, cider 3. Beetroot and black garlic ice cream, vanilla with maraschino cherry balsamic 4. Violet: with strawberry and apricot, as well as the traditional Madrid candy (Violeta) 5. Madrid flavors: chocolate bonbons in a box, each themed for a different area At the end, Chef Paco Roncero came out to greet each table, which was very cool. I feel like it's been a long time since that happened. I love tons of small bites, so this was the percent menu for me. Be prepared for a longer meal, but it was paved appropriately for the number of courses. Paco Roncero is definitely a worthy destination. read more

I had high expectations for my dinner here, at Paco Roncero, but overall it was less of an experience than I'd hoped for, particularly after going to Clos. The service was a bit off, particularly regarding the wine pairings. Lovely location on the rooftop although the live music was a bit loud. read more

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This maybe as close as I get to El Bulli's level of cooking. You see, Chef Paco Roncero is one of Ferran Adria's closest disciples and was tasked with running his Madrid outpost of progressive cooking and the associated division of El Bulli catering. Being the first gastronomic heavy hitter of all the restaurants we'd hit in Spain, it was definitely an interesting journey. My friend was deathly ill the night before and we'd have to trek across the streets of Madrid which not only rain but hail in our suits. We'd arrived at the building which is actually a members only casino, which was founded back in 1836. It is also an art/architecture gallery, a place of gastronomy since Ferran Adria took over the food vision in 1998. As a historical structure alone, this is worth seeing but we were here for the food and we were going big with the menu degustacion. It's broken up into many parts in a playful manner: *Cocktail Caipirinha nitro *Snacks Sweet potato chips Alga Lollipop Saffron Styled Macadamian Nuts Tempura Petal Rose Philo Pizza Sandwish with Spiced Sausage Syrup with Roes of Trout *Tapas Liquid fritter 2006's version Razor clam with lemon, juniper and coconut foam Kellogs paella Marrow with caviar *Main courses Ceps with onion and bacon and Port wine sauce "Fettuccini Carbonara" Red mullets served in consomme Lamb with little onions and mushroom *Desserts Our Catalonian cream Liquorice cake with ice cream apple, lime pudding and creamy chocolate *Petitfours Crunchy raspberry snack Peta colas False "polvorón" cake made with pine seeds Bread with chocolate Tonka Toffee with Redcurrent As at El Bulli, there are a ton of courses and all very theatrical but at the same time, and more importantly, tasty. For after dinner coffee and tea, I don't know if I've seen a larger selection. Their in house infusion selection alone rivals any dozen restaurants put together. The service was very formal and we found that some of our servers were easier to break down than others, but in the end it turned out friendly even though it started out stuffy. If you don't end up making it to El Bulli, as they're closing by end of summer 2011, take a detour to Madrid and let Terraza del Casino treat you in similar fashion. read more

La Terraza del Casino - Carbonara Egg - Bacon Cream Shell, Liquid Egg Sphere, Consomme Pasta. - Modern European Near Me - Madrid, M

Excellent 2 Michelin star experience that lives up to its hype. Could have a third star, service and decor were worthy (not to mention food). Food: 10/10 Decor: 11/10 (rooftop overlooking Gran Via Madrid - simply amazing) Service: 11/10; flawless. Unbelievably, the food here was so delicious, service perfect, setting breathtaking, and the tasting menu price was (gasp) only 130 euros...very reasonable for the quality!! Set in the gorgeous and over 100-year old "gentlemen's social club" Casino del Madrid, this place is an absolute MUST if you like fine dining and are staying in the area. read more

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First time in Madrid. Didn't know where to eat so I yelp this place. Let just say pictures and review cannot justify this wonderful place ! The food was amazing and the service was 110%. I love everything about this place! If you ever come here , remember to dress to impress! Women wear a fabulous dress men deff wear suit.. When I yelp about this place reviewer didn't mention anything about dress code. But I wore something cute. If I knew this place was extremely fancy I would of put on a dress. This restaurant is a 20 courses and only have 8 tables. So reservation is a must ! read more

La Terraza del Casino - 20 courses - Modern European Near Me - Madrid, M

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At this point you can probably discern that I will not describe every amazing dish I sample in a Michelin restaurant, since that will exceed the limitless word count for yelp and it may not even be relevant when you come here for a taste of the high life. I will state that from the perspective of culinary excellence, this place was truly wonderful, playful, and took a very creative way of presenting meals and serving the dishes. From noodle in a toothpaste jar, to sweetened eggs from a "happy hen," to olive packages and fancy tea packages, my wife and I had very entertained time here. However, there were just a few too many service inconsistencies and flaws to justify a michelin 2 star. While the decor of the casino is breathtaking, with the lights and the christmas tree, the inside of the restaurant seem rather...sterile than unique. The service was friendly, but they forgot our wine order, only filled our glasses a few times and had a few issues with the dishes and the kitchen. While it may be presumptuous to expect a little bit of fanfare for our recent wedding, we never got any celebratory desserts or wine like the other tables next to us, which made us feel rather left out. At the end of the day, this was still a fantastic dining experience, and the entrance to the restaurant was breathtaking, especially with the classic, manual elevators. However, the service needs to be honed a bit more if a two star michelin status is to be preserved, in my humble opinion. Food: 5 stars Service: 3-4 stars Ambiance: 3-4 stars read more

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This was a true experience- not just a meal but a performance. From the plates, the setting and the polish of the actors (waiters) I was impressed. The visit to the kitchen lab was wow- wish they sold those olive oils- I would have paid for them for sure. My only negative was the squab- not only super games but also served rare- I was afraid to complain but it was the worst part of the meal- some meat would have been nicer. Desserts were not only impressive but delicious. Will definitely be back. read more

La Terraza del Casino may be a Michelin-star restaurant, but it simply dosn't measure up in my book. The starters are tasty and the ambiance is good, but the main body of the dishes on the menu simply aren't very good quality; they're lacking in both presentation and taste. As if the mediocre food isn't enough, they actually require that men wear jackets to dinner! My friend had to wear a loaner jacket even though he was wearing black shoes and pants with a dress shirt. To add insult to injury, after we were seated we saw several other guests who had been seated earlier that were barefoot and in casual clothes! :-( Bottom line: If you're going to pay Michelin star prices, you should go somewhere that serves food that tastes like it's Michelin quality. read more

Perfect We stopped in for lunch our first day and did the 14 course menu (really was 16). The whole experience - the presentation, the food, the service could not have been better. We chose the 148 euro tasting menu (there is also a 180 euro one). I was about to post photos because we took a lot at the amazing preparations and presentations but decided not to because the surprise is part of the experience. To start off, olives were brought on a silver olive tree and ruined all olives I will ever have again - the texture and flavors inside were incredible and got us off to an amazing start of a meal that included gazpacho ice cream sandwiches, oxtail cakes flown in on balloons, a salad of the smallest most flavorful veggies we dug out with little shovels from olive dirt, ceviche cream soup with shell fish served in a giant clam....... Many of the courses are single bites so you will be full but not overwhelmed and hopefully as pleased as we were One last note: we attended a 230 lunch on a Friday of a holiday weekend and there was only one other table. We found the long lunch a wonderful respite and only needed a little snack later at night. We had arrived in Madrid that AM from US walked 3 hours around city, sat for lunch, walked more and it turned out a perfect way to start our first day. read more

This is BY FAR the best fine dining experience I've ever had. Every course was out of this world taste-wise and form-wise. Olive oil butter out of a small "toothpaste" tube? Squeeze your own ramen noodles out of a syringe? Just to name a few... Every course was a show and you are either the audience or the performer yourself. The texture, taste, presentation... I am lost for words trying to describe something that should be left alone because it is simply... perfection. What blew our mind even to more pieces was the total bill was as if we ate at Capo or the Ivy in LA. Ferran Adria, to my surprise, actually lived up to all the hype. I would come back to Madrid just for this experience all over again. And oh, the restaurant is BEAUTIFUL. We sat outside on the rooftop that has been set up to resemble dining al fresco on the sidewalk -- except... you're on the rooftop overlooking all these historical buildings. This review doesn't do justice!!! If I could give 10 stars I would! read more

March 2016 Lunch seating Full tasting menu tl;dr Good service (with some fumbles), pleasing atmosphere, and excellent cocktails and sweets, but the food was very hit-or-miss. Atmosphere: Upon exiting the ancient and cramped elevator to the 3rd floor, the interior of La Terraza immediately strikes you. At once both cartoonish and modern, inviting and alienating, the dining room appears to be set in a Miu Miu / Jonathan Adler / Urban Outfitters collaboration. The color palate is very late-80s which is a bit of nostalgic. Service: The service was good. The waitstaff were distant and cool, but incredibly watchful and responsive. They had a strange system of plate management I enjoyed watching. One gripe: cuisine of this level is supposed to fill one with surprise and delight. Waitstaff must tell you enough about the dish so you can appreciate it, but not so much that it robs you of your culinary expedition. I do not want to be told what to encounter - I want to discover it myself. Like in the Thai Peanut. Let me discover the mousse of lemongrass, coconut, and kaffir. Though I enjoyed the dish, I wish I was allowed the surprise and wonder that accompanies creative fine dining. The food: Overall the food was very hit-or-miss. Some stand-outs were the frozen pisco sour, shrimp chip, the disembodied shrimp, mushroom pot, the citrus dessert, and the coffee and milk. The candy bar at the end was also a nice touch. All of those were shimmering examples of perfection in their own ways, but I'll let you explore their virtues for yourself. No let's talk disappointments. The red mullet was bland, unimaginative, and extremely ugly. My wife got one with the bloodline still coursing across it, and I got mine with some scales! My wife actually got scales (presumably from the prep of the red mullet) in a later dish, too! Yikes. To make matters bland-er, he dish was drizzled with this flavorless goop that smacked of wall paper paste, and decorated with some boring-ass snap peas cut at a boring-ass bias. I expected more than this. This made me sad. The terrine thing? I don't know what they're calling it, and I can't seem to identify what protein it was. The taste was alright, but the mouthfeel was dry, crumbly, and mealy. Here's how you can replicate this dish at home. If you were to find a loose corner of your livingroom carpet, tear it from the tack strips, and harvest some of the foam padding from beneath it. Its the multicolored spongey stuff. Now pulse your foam in a Vitamix until you get particles about the half the size of shrew's kidney. Then, ever so gently, mist your foam bits with a solution of shiitake broth and truffle. Vacuum seal, heat to anneal (but not too much, its gotta be crumbly), and serve it at your Michelin-starred eatery. The duck. Or was that venison? These nibblets of protein lwere drizzled with a fantastic mushroom sauce and bits of baby chanterelle and porcini. Or at least I think, I've never been good at identifying mushrooms. This is why its surprising that I'm the only surviving member of the local mushroom foray club. The protein was miscooked until it imitated shoe leather. To make matters hilarious, the waitstaff gave us both a butter knife with which to process our not-so-lovely animal lumps. Butter knives! I wish I was making this up. Brute force combined with ape-like determination helped us reduce the stubborn material into choke-free sizes. Because how embarrassing would it be to choke on overdone mystery meat? One oddball dish was the rose. When I saw the poor waiters carrying the clanking, sputtering, fuming bell jar on top of a marble birdbath, I got nervous. I appreciate the use of dry ice and using forceps as an eating utensil. But there is something so post-vaporwave about the plating. The dish was dated, but not ironically so. Additionally, our birdbaths were rather chipped and scarred. This is presumably from newbies in the kitchen who proceed to drop said lawn ornaments when their brain registers that they are holding a small planet cooled to -80C. This didn't stop me from playing with the dry ice once I finished eating the heavily perfumed dessert. The take home: I am no Michelin-starred, James Beard-winning, member of the MOF. I am also not some well-published critic. Hell, I'm not even Yelp Elite! So my criticisms may seem misplaced. But this is a classic case of expectations not squaring with reality. I give the folks here all the credit for making this kind of meal happen - and at fair price! Our lunch comprised hundreds and hundreds of components and ingredients, and it can't go all perfectly. But I believe the mistakes we encountered were too elementary to be made by a restaurant of this calibre. All told, apart from the technical fumbles, I did have an enjoyable experience. I would come back for a smaller tasting menu with those offending dished removed. But the burbling rose? Keep it on. read more

I was really excited to visit this place (I went in december 2011) and I left disappointed. You would say, why the 4 stars then? Well, it's not bad by any means but I went there with pretty high expectations since Ferran Adria was involved creating the menu and so on. I would say it's a hit and miss. Really good dishes, some in quite unique and impressive presentations and other pretty lame. 3 or 4 of the dishes were based on rabbit which was a little too much rabbit for me. Anyways, it worth a visit but don't set your expectations too high! BTW, be ready to spend some $$$ read more

The two Michelin starred La Terraza del Casino was my balling-out-of-control meal during my trip to Madrid. Initially overseen by the legendary Ferran Adria, it's now led by Paco Roncero and the tasting menu draws heavily from El Bulli. After beginning with cherry and yuzu cocktails, we were presented with "olive oil butter," a playful spin on spherification. This was followed with "goat cheese and quince moshi," but really, this was more like a tiny green salad served alongside a mini toothpaste tube of, well, more solid olive oil. Next came the "chocolate and foie gras Filipino." I don't know what the Filipino part of this was all about, but this was basically melt-in-your-mouth foie gras encased in white chocolate. My husband loved this. Me? Not so much. After a delicious take on tuna tartare served sushi hand roll style, we were served "guacamole and herring." This was a more sophisticated version of so many of the herring tapas I'd seen around Madrid. The creamy avocado was a perfect foil for the vinegared fish. Next came a glazed and simple plating of Peking duck followed by the "fried quail egg and potato." I've never eaten off of a clothesline before, and while I loved the playful presentation, I wished for more flavor. After my "shrimp omelet" came the "frozen tomato rock." Yet another take on spherification, and I enjoyed this one a lot. The icy exterior gave way to a liquid tomato center. So much concentrated tomato goodness! Next came my favorite dish of the evening: fresh almonds and caviar. Just give me all the caviar, please. I enjoyed this immensely. Even the almonds were perfect. They reminded me of the freshly peeled raw almonds that are so common as a snack in Iranian cuisine. I'd lost count of our course at this point, and we were next presented with "moluscada," a delicious plate of mussels and clams in a light broth. So good. This was followed by gnocchi with pesto and baby cuttlefish. The gnocchi were ethereal. But here's where things began to go wrong. Our next course was the "vegetable garden." The presentation was very cool: a mini vegetable garden, wooden box and all, alongside a pair of shearing scissors with which to harvest our salad with. But beneath the salad's breadcrumb "soil" laid gobs and gobs of mayonnaise. SO MUCH MAYONNAISE. What is it with Spain and aioli overload? I couldn't stomach this. Things got back on track with the umami-laden olive oil paella. Then came the sole a la meuneire. I wished this had more flavor, but them's the breaks with white fish. The last savory course of the evening was the Iberian pork with yucca and dates. This wasn't my vibe, but that's okay. I was saving room for dessert anyway. The first dessert course was named "Versailles," which was basically a rose with what seemed like dyed fruit slices enveloped inside as petals. Were we being punked? Aptly enough I felt the same way when I went to the actual Versailles and saw how long the ticket lines were. The next dessert course, called "strawberries and cream," was a plate of strawberry ice cream garnished with tufts of spongy cake. The last course of the evening was "unique origins chocolate bonbons," or what I like to call, "thirty-six pieces of chocolate when you're too full to touch even one." Is La Terraza trolling the world? We'll never know. read more

La Terraza del Casino is located in the heart of Madrid, its interior and design are amazing, classic old building, high ceiling, chandelierstraditional, yet beautiful and warm, spacious and airy , with staircase leading to a breath taking terrace with amazing view of the old city. And the food? oh , the food. delicious, excellent presentation, and attention to the small details that really makes a different.The staff knew each and every course throughout, their recommendations were spot on, and we enjoyed a meal that our palate would remember for a long time. read more

Words and pictures cannot do this place justice! This is the absolute best dining experinece I've ever had! The service, atmosphere, presentation and food are all AMAZING. It's pricey but worth every euro! We ordered the tasting menu and every dish was beautiful and mysterious. I say mysterious because it is never what you expect. Our waiter would deliver, describe then explain the proper way to taste the dish. It truly is magical and exciting. Be sure to dress up! It is a very formal restaurant. Men need a formal coat, and if you don't have one you'll be provided one to use during your visit. Waitstaff are very attentive and friendly. If you wish to visit, make sure you make a reservation in advance. Enjoy! read more

How this place has two Michelin stars I'll never know. It was too clever by half. The food just wasn't that good, although they definitely made a show of it. Take a pass on this one. My wife's quote of the night "I would have been happier eating fried garbanzos at a tapas bar." Enough said. read more

Now within the top 5 restaurants I've ever eaten. The combination of attention to detail in service, ambiance, food quality, taste and presentation, as well as price for the experience makes this place well worth that third Michelin star read more

4.5 decor reminds me of Philippe Starck, this is a playful molecular cuisine restaurant (2 star Michelin Paco Roncero who trained with Adria) targeting experienced diners. for a frame of reference Alinea still superior jackets required even for lunch, but they will provide. reservation needed but not that difficult like diverxo. lunch tasting menu 135 with 17 courses (2.5-3 hrs), abbreviated lunch with 6 courses for 69. starts with pisco sour -- made with liquid nitrogen inside a lime: very delicious snacks *anchovy in vinegar over fried bone with olive in liquid form and tiny fried potato with aioli inside *olive oil frozen toast by liquid nitrogen with tomato spread, olive oil soufflé with cracker and fig jam, olive oil cheese served in a slightly sweet packet clipped by a clothespin, artfully presented *mini nigiri of tuna, salmon, and tuna tartare -- so cute looking but didn't like the cheese component however the tartare in a crisp delicately thin seaweed hand roll was nice *monkfish liver sesame canapé and Peking duck with cucumber on mini chip-- all the micro cube flavors come through *shrimp omelette which is the best tasting delicate shrimp chip you could create and walnut Waldorf which is a Waldorf salad with yogurt and raisin inside a walnut mains *margarita oyster and oyster cactus with the 'pearl' as the saltiness of a rim glass in liquid form along with the liquid cactus piece -- not sure how they managed to make that *red prawn deconstructed with liquid cherries plate decor and crispy legs, body over pork belly just seared perfectly, and the head contents in liquid form, impressive *lamprey a la bordelaise with cauliflower and red onion-- eel tasted a bit muddy and chewier, could pass on this one *wild mushroom with marrow and pine essence, a heavy dish with deep flavor, nice textural bits and a constructed mushroom, all tasty *skate with black butter and citrus -- looked like art, tasted very buttery with mustard elements, a thin flesh scraped off the bones *fake hazelnut of game parfait which looks like a nut covered in chocolate but game flavor from liver pate and thus advanced dining only, black berry risotto from seeds as a cleanser followed by game fritter with juice inside like a pot pie, a taste not for everyone *bolognese of hare with black truffle, again kinda gamey with liquid ravioli and earthy tones *rack of suckling pig basically pork belly pieces with shallots and tomato relish, tasted ok *versailles interlude with a rose filled with apple slices in cherry balsamic vinegar and lychee desserts strawberry and cream coffee and milk both desserts knocked it out of the park with the flavor combinations and textures including pistachio marshmellow and ground chocolate made to look like coffee beans similar tasting menu at dinner overall enjoyable but some dishes less so-- hard to knock it out of the park on every one and especially when you've had plenty of Michelin stars in experience. however mixing Asian flavors with western cooking is the trend read more

The atmosphere is beautiful but the food is definitely not worth the money at all. The chef is trying too hard to be innovative. The food falls apart, doesn't stay together, literally, and really is not good. The restaurant should keep it simple and work off the wonderful fruits and vegetables and meat of Spain. Cooking doesn't need this much work. We paid a fifth of the price the previous evening and had food and wine that catered to our tastes and not the whims of the kitchen. Please avoid. There are much better, more authentic experiences and not for 400 euros for just two people. Avoid the culinary gimmicks of this restaurant. read more