De María

Gran Vía is both one of the most important and most representative streets in Madrid and visiting it is a unique experience for all, particularly as it has become an important commercial and leisure area for citizens and, particularly, tourists alike! We were already walking along this extensive street and feeling very hungry, so we decided to search for something to eat. One of my friends told us that they were in the mood for pasta and Italian food, so we soon decided to enter an Argentinian restaurant that caught our eye for its design: De María.

Design and decor

From the street, the restaurant, De María, catches your attention for its elegant design both inside and out, with its terrace that overlooks Gran Vía. It's a very pleasant experience for all who choose to dine here, be that at a table inside or sitting outside, as you will have a beautiful view. Whilst dining, you will be able to admire the stunning architecture found along the entirety of this street, which is commonly called the "Fifth Avenue of Madrid" (comparing it with the famous Fifth Avenue in Manhattan, New York).

One of the things that I liked the most is that the menu is available to read outside of the restaurant, so that people can have a look at what dishes they serve and their corresponding prices whilst passing by. The menu is also shown in several languages, so, in this way, anybody and everybody can make themselves aware of the price range of dining there before deciding to enter or not.

Once inside, you will find the chefs preparing your future meal on the right hand side with the best hygiene standards possible in place and an unrivalled elegance about them. One of the things that I maybe didn't like so much about this restaurant, however, is that, the type of table you will be seated at will be dependant on what you choose to eat. There are two options to choose from: the menu of the day, and the à la carte menu. If you opt for the menu of the day, you will have to sit in the front section of the restaurant, which consists of some tables and tall bar-style stools.

(The inside area is more elegant. To sit here, you have to ask for the à la carte menu. )

If you decide to order something from the à la carte menu, they will seat you in the rear part of the restaurant, where the lower and better decorated tables are found (in other words, tables with a tablecloth, glasses, place settings, and an overall more elegant touch).

In the rear section, you will also find several photographs of famous people that have visited the restaurant; it has a good reputation for the quality of their service and the delicious food that they prepare as part of any and all of their dishes.

The menu

I wouldn't consider the menu to be as varied as ones that I have seen in other restaurants, but I would say that everything that we ordered that day turned out to be delicious. Basically, the menu has five or six varieties of each dish, as well as salad and pasta sections. The most variety that they have is the many different cuts of meat that they serve. There are also several very original preparations of cooked vegetables and stews that you can choose from.

And, as always, there will be a little bit of room for dessert. You will have the option to choose from a wide variety of desserts offered by the restaurant, whose extremely strange names will certainly catch your attention.

The food

When we sat down, we were offered a basket of fresh bread, as well as some bread sticks. Of course, these were not without some olive oil and a delicious goat's cheese, which we ate while we waited for them to bring us our meals.

One of the things that we liked the most were the four freebies that we were brought during our time at the restaurant. We had hardly even sat down before they served us a glass of rosé as part of our welcome to the restaurant. After bringing over some bread, they served us some gazpacho, which was delicious. I think that it's really nice that they welcome everyone with this food, as it's something typically Spanish that perhaps not everyone has had the opportunity to try before.

The food took a little while to be served - I would say approximately 15 minutes or so - but, in all honesty, with the two freebies that they brought us straight off the bat, we didn't really feel like we were waiting long at all. And, once the food arrived, we felt like every minute we had waited had been worth it.

Our meal

I ordered spaghetti al pesto, as I was excited to try something very simple. But, despite being so simple, it was absolutely delicious. The texture of the food is one of the best things about the restaurant: if you order spaghetti, I recommend that you ask for extra Parmesan cheese to accompany it.

My dinner companions ordered two cuts of meat, however I have unfortunately forgotten the exact name of the dish. When their meals arrived, I was amazed, as the cuts were big enough for two people to share. They were really well presented, and they even had to ask for another plate so that they could better divvy up their food because there was so much of it. I think that it's safe to say that this restaurant strikes a very good price-quantity ratio.

(Take note of the amount of meat served for just one person, and bear in mind that I had already shared a piece with someone when I took the photo. )

To accompany the meat and the pasta, we ordered some artichoke, which, despite being somewhat simple, tasted delicious. I still cannot work out what they tasted like exactly, but they were seasoned with a brown, slightly salty jus. The restaurant has also found a good price-quality ratio too, considering the amount of good food we had that day.

Drinks

Despite the water in Madrid being drinkable, you have to bear in mind that if you order a glass of water, they are going to bring you bottled water, so this will come at an additional cost. The majority of the drinks that you can order will be served to you in a glass, which gives it more of an "ad hoc" style with the concept of elegance and the restaurant's decor.

The grand final

We found ourselves feeling so full from the amount of food that they had served us that we preferred not to order dessert. However, coming to our greatest surprise, the chef brought us two more free dishes!

The first consisted of a mandarin-flavoured slushie, which was also served in a little glass. This iced drink was very sweet and cold, but too tasty to refuse! The other freebie consisted of a kind of dessert served in a minute glass that looked like a shot glass more than anything. This dessert was the best thing, as it had a mango liqueur and, towards the bottom, some sort of mousse made with sweetened condensed milk. Before this, I had never tried anything like that dessert, but it was honestly one of the tastiest that I have ever eaten.

How much will it cost me to dine there?

This is not one of those restaurants where you will spend as much as your budget allows you to: the prices vary between 20€ to 40€ per person. You must bear in mind that water costs 2. 50€, as well as the bread baskets, which are considered to be separate costs.

If you choose the menu of the day, it will end up being much cheaper for you, costing between 10€ and 12. 50€, depending on what you decide to eat. Although I have still not had the good fortune of trying it, I could bet that it is just as good as the other food served there.

It's very important that you bear in mind that eating out on the terrace that looks out onto Gran Vía usually comes at an additional cost that they don't tell you about until the bill comes. I recommend that you ask first if you don't want to pay extra for such a nice view.

What are the restaurant's opening times like?

Shops and restaurants found along Gran Vía don't usually open early, and De María does not offer breakfasts on its menu, so its opening hours are from 12 noon to 1am (late, like everything on Gran Vía, the street that never sleeps).