Al fresco dining at Taberna Los Gallos, Madrid

Having had a wonderful lunch at Puerto Lagasca in Salamanca, we decided to try their sister restaurant for another day, Taberna Los Gallos.

The place has quite a big terrace on street level which appeals for al fresco dining. Upon seeing this, I’ve parked my bottom down one of the houndstooth-upholstered chairs in glee. The inside of the restaurant is quite cosy and welcoming, but trust me the outdoor area is where you want to be.

I was glad to see they have the confit tomato and bread snacks on the tables again. We definitely crunched on these whilst perusing what’s on offer.

The menu is slightly longer than Puerto Lagasca’s but they’re different. Dishes at Los Gallos seem better for light tapas grazing - exactly what you’d like on a warm Spring/Summer day.

We saw asparagus on the menu and knew we had to have it as it was in season. Unfortunately, the plate was rather underwhelming with five measly stalks and two green chilis at €7.20. This wasn’t a great start and despite the drizzle of balsamic, red pepper puree and pink Himalayan salt, I felt rather unmoved.

The seabass and salmon ceviche (€10.80) was a better shout. It may not have looked as refined as the ones from Coya or Pachamama, but this was unbelievably fresher and more generous in portion. The tiger’s milk was more on the tangy side, which I absolutely enjoyed.

Some razor clams (€10.80) came next and these bad boys were full fat delicious. Cooked on the grill with just a hint of salt and the teeniest drizzle of herbed olive oil, the flavours burst with freshness. This is how I expect razor clams to be served - in its truest form, without any gimmicks.

As if that weren’t enough to wow, the gambas al alillo (€9.90) arrived and that heady waft of garlic butter made us lick our lips even more. The look of it was enough to make anyone salivate with desire.

Unless of course, you’re allergic.

The prawns, sweet and succulent, are a glorious biteful each. The garlic butter sauce is perfectly balanced with just enough to coat the prawns, and just enough to mop with some bread. This truly was a highlight for me.

We then moved on to a plate of sirloin served with fries (€13.20). Simple as it may look, the beef was cooked medium rare. I prefer rare cuts, but it wasn’t to say that Los Gallos’ beef was not delightful. It was tasty enough, although not necessarily mind-blowing.

My dessert of apple tart with ice cream (€7) was nice, although I did prefer the one they had at Puerto Lagasca simply because it was more refined.

The strawberry ragout (€7) was the winning dessert, though. It was refreshing and essentially very balanced in its sweetness, screaming beautiful promise of Spring and Summer.

Verdict for Taberna Los Gallos

Truth is, it was another fantastic lunch from the restaurant group but I still prefer Puerto Lagasca. I’m not sure how dining indoors at Taberna Los Gallos would be like, especially as their al fresco space is so inviting. Service, albeit decent, was not as warm either.

But the food is quite good - and I’d definitely go back for those garlic prawns.

Taberna Los Gallos
Calle Puigcerdà, 4, 28001 Madrid, Spain
Ave spend pp: €40

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