Situated in the heart of Chueca, EL26 is a restaurant that pays attention to detail, with every…read moredish being carefully crafted with the finest ingredients and culinary talent. El26 offers relatively simple, classic Spanish dishes with an innovative flair that comes from Italian and Argentinian roots. A special cocktail menu is available from the bar, and each drink is concocted specifically for the current menu.
My friend and I were delighted to have dinner at El26, as the restaurant's atmosphere is perfect for conversation and relaxation amongst friends. The table tops are made from individual slats of beautiful, warm wood, while the textured stone columns and contemporary gray walls add another layer to the earthy feel. I fell in love with the restaurant's design almost immediately.
We opted to start with an order of burrata - 200gr with arugula and dried tomatoes, and the texture was perfectly soft and creamy. It was great to see an Italian classic so well executed outside of its native culinary region.
The deep-fried king prawns were huge, and crispy on the outside with a fresh delicate taste on the inside. My friend had tried the Huevos Rotos, the EL26 take on a traditional Spanish egg dish, which featured soft, fluffy scrambled eggs with ham and peppers. She loved the texture of the eggs mixed with the flavor of the salty ham. I am still raving about the roasted vegetables, which consisted of zucchini, tomato, mushrooms, onions and sweet potato. Each had a nice slow-cooked flavor that brought out its natural sweetness.
Of course, we couldn't leave without dessert, so we opted for a red velvet crepe filled with mascarpone cream. Just the right amount of sweetness with a rich red velvet flavor, this was a special way to end a great dinner. Everything was excellent, from the food-the atmosphere, and the service.
