El Café de Oriente

Wedding bells are tolling and its time to celebrate! Pablo and I went to Madrid for his brother's wedding at the end of July. It was a very small and intimate wedding so instead of a reception the newlyweds treated us to lunch at a restaurant right across the Palacio Real in the city center. We walked from the church to the restaurant not knowing where we were going, only hoping to find an oasis to escape from the scorching summer heat. When we arrived at El Café de Oriente, they led us to a private dining room called El Salón de la Abuela, or the Grandmother's Room. Stepping into the room wasn't just stepping into a cool environment, but also stepping back in time. The walls were decorated with old paintings, antique candelabras, and even a rack with hand made walking sticks. We were all so concerned with getting out of the heat, that we forgot that we were starved. I was glad we didn't have to wait long before a waiter came in and recited what was on the menu. The couple chose a tasting menu that sounded absolutely delicious. It started off with a shot glass of gazpacho; just the perfect amount to cool you down. We were then brought what was my favorite part of the meal: sautéed wild mushrooms over creamy mashed potatoes and topped with a poached egg. Pablo hates mushrooms. I love them. We both ate it all and were wiping down the bowl with bread. No shame. Soon after we were served the softest hake in a green sauce with clams. The next dish at first seemed strange, but the combination was extraordinary. We were served a slice of suckling pig with an apple compote. Seems like the usual combination right? But, on the same plate there was a small scoop of apple sorbet with pistachio. At first I thought it was the dessert served on the same plate, but the waiter explained that you were meant to eat it together. At first I was apprehensive because I like my food quite hot, but I decided to try it and the hot/cold and pig/apple combination was actually surprisingly good! Last but not least was the dessert. As soon as Pablo took his first bite, he told me I had to figure out how to replicate it. Once I tried it I understood why. It was a sort of torrija, but it was so soft and smooth that it felt like I was eating a cloud. The torrija was covered in dulce de leche and topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. I don't have much of a sweet tooth, and at times the sweetness was almost cloying, but somehow I kept eating it until I finished! I will definitely start experimenting soon to try to replicate that yumminess. Needless to say we were all stuffed by the end. To help our digestion, we took a small walk around the restaurant to explore all the private rooms. They were all so unique and interesting! I wish I had taken photos! We found out that there's no extra cost to reserve those rooms, making them great for a small get together. We also had a sneaky look at the menu and everything was actually quite reasonable, so you don't need a special occasion to make visit to El Café de Oriente. I will definitely be going back! Its almost my birthday so I'll have to start dropping hints to Pablo :P