Restaurante El Mentidero de la Villa

My parents recently spent a week visiting me in Madrid. Whenever they come, I love taking them out and about to show them around Madrid. I also take advantage of these opportunities to take them to places I normally wouldn’t go. In other words, places that are a bit out of my budget….hehe. My mom loves going out and exploring new places, while my dad is more of a hole in the wall type of guy. So, I always have to find places that fit both profiles.

At the school where I work, I do the after school bus route. We always pass by interesting places, so I make sure to take note of them for future reference. One day we passed by a spot that caught my eye called Mentidero&Gin. I looked it up and it turns out it was a gin bar and gastropub. Not really my parents’ cup of tea. But then, I discovered that they are part of a larger group of restaurants. The group consists of four or five different restaurants, all with a different focus. I sent my parents the different menus and we ended up choosing El Mentidero de la Villa. Reservations were made, outfits were chosen, and an Uber was booked.

I made early reservations because my parents were to arrive that same day and they were surely going to be tired. In Spain, early reservations means around 8pm…When we arrived, we were greeted by the hostess and she offered to take our coats. We were sat at a big round table, offered water, given menus, and brought some complimentary aperitivo. My mom and I decided to splurge and order some Gin Fizzes. My dad stuck to sparkling water. We then ordered a few appetizers to share followed by our entrées. Everything looked delicious, so it was a hard choice, but in the end we opted for the Esparragos and Ceviche. Sooo yummy! I was a bit skeptical about the asparagus, but they were super creamy. As far as the Ceviche goes, I could’ve eaten it myself and then ordered another serving! My mom then ordered the Wagyu and my dad the Solomillo. I don’t usually order fish, but I didn’t want to order the same thing as my parents and their Vieiras caught my eye. It was the best choice I could've made. The pasta was incredibly creamy and the scallops were cooked perfectly. I loved it! We tried each others dishes and they were all delicious. When we finished, we were offered the dessert menu. I’m not huge on desserts, but when I go out to eat I always like to take a look at the menu, just in case. We decided to share the Tarta de Limon (Lemon Meringue Tart) and the Coulant de Chocolate (Chocolate Lava Cake). They were equally irresistible. The chocolate cake came with some vanilla ice cream, and of course my dad had to make his usual, “where does your vanilla come from” show. But, my mom and I took the opportunity to go to the bathroom and avoid and possible embarrassment.

Originally I was worried that my dad would make faces at the fanciness of the restaurant or snoot at the portions, but surprisingly he did nothing of the sort and truly enjoyed it. It was one of the more expensive meals we had during their visit, but in my opinion it was totally worth it. Its not somewhere I would normally go, but it’s a good place to have in mind for a special occasion. If you’re visiting Madrid and looking for a ‘nicer’ dining experience, this is definitely a place to go. After trying el Mentidero de la Villa, I’d also be more than happy to try their other restaurants.

P.S. I unfortunately didn’t take any photos of the asparagus…. :(

Here is the link the restaurant’s website:

https://mentiderodelavilla.es