Feeling Chile? Getting warm!
Pro A load of spectacularly uncompromising flavours and recipes
Con Pricing of dishes feels random.
Pay
€€€
Per Person €30-€35. Three starters, main, shared dessert. Bottle of Malbec. Note, if you're after Chilean beer, Austral is a slightly startling €4.50 a bottle.Gratis: Stuffed courgette bites; pisco sour chupitos. El tenedor bookings available.
In Short
Hopes. Tastes of Chile
Reality. Holy mackerel!
First Impressions. Bar out front, dining further back,
USP? Spectacularly distinctive dishes.
The offer in three words. Chile, not Chilli.
Service! Informative, efficient, friendly.
Friend friendly? Menu tends to meat and fish.
Rating for dating. Music's a bit too loud, lighting's not quite subtle enough.
Tip? 5%
Change one thing? Up the salsa!
Revisitability. Quite high, There are dishes to try.
Compare & Contrast
More Latam flavours at Maleta Restobar.
In Pictures
From Google
What's the story?
You should seriously think about a trip to Como en Chile. Rarely have we been as taken aback by a Madrid restaurant as this one.
It's on a conservative-looking street in a very conventional neighbourhood. It looks like pretty much every other restaurant around. Modern, tidy, lots of wood and filament bulbs.
But the food feels like the owners have imported their native Chilean grandmothers, given them a lesson or two in modern presentation and a few other touches and then left them to it. There are genuinely new dishes here we've never tried or even thought of before. It's discovery time, gastronauts.
Part of the surprise and excitement here is self-inflicted. We really shouldn't have gone in with the thought "Ahhhh, Chile. Just over the way from Argentina, isn't it? Standby for beef, pasta and so on!"
Wrongeroooney!
Far closer to the flavours of Columbia or the central americas, there are influences from elsewhere here, but they're much less pronounced than one might expect, with some dishes all of their own character and obviously all the better for that.
We had a go at three starters today, under advice from the staff.
The meat empanada was a real success, aided and abetted by a tomato and coriander salsa that wasn't apologising for its freshness. Look, we don't need to tell you more. It's excellent. And generous. Go and try it.
A ceviche's wandered south from Peru, but is a bit of a treat-cum-indulgence, although only one of us has a taset for fish like this. It's another massive success - even if we're sure it's entirely Chilean. Not cheap, it's reliably a light, refreshing, excellently balanced spicy, acidy, fishy combination.
And so, to mains. Here things really take a turn into the left field. Ropa vieja is reminsicent of its Cuban cousin but could do with more seasoning. We're not going to pretend the plating is going to earn p prizes for artistry anytime soon, but the sweetcorn puree has a taste and texture all its own. The puree makes a reappearance in this unique pie, which is unlike any combination of texture and flavour I've tried. It's reminiscent of shepherd's pie, but only for a moment. Then the corn and chicken get going, with the odd olive putting in an appearance too. It's moreish. Savoury. But there's that ummistakeable sweetness and fibre of corn-on-the-cob in too.
Tomato and onion salad on the side intitially looks like an afterthought, but is really important as a palate refresher. We'd put it in a separate bowl instead of presenting it as a garnish. Both dishes are entirely distinctive and we've had nothing quite like them in Madrid, so they're worth a look.
After that lot, things went through 180 degress as dessert met our preconceptions to the letter. A dulce de leche pancake, rather overwhelmed by reduantant strawberry sauce. Served cold, one of these between two was enough, but not the most generous dessert ever, for the price. A tasty finish, though.
A pisco sour chupito made a really nice finish, served at the bar just as we were leaving by a very enthusiastic and friendly boss.
A visit is recommended.
Pro A load of spectacularly uncompromising flavours and recipes
Con Pricing of dishes feels random.
Pay
€€€
Per Person €30-€35. Three starters, main, shared dessert. Bottle of Malbec. Note, if you're after Chilean beer, Austral is a slightly startling €4.50 a bottle.Gratis: Stuffed courgette bites; pisco sour chupitos. El tenedor bookings available.
In Short
Hopes. Tastes of Chile
Reality. Holy mackerel!
First Impressions. Bar out front, dining further back,
USP? Spectacularly distinctive dishes.
The offer in three words. Chile, not Chilli.
Service! Informative, efficient, friendly.
Friend friendly? Menu tends to meat and fish.
Rating for dating. Music's a bit too loud, lighting's not quite subtle enough.
Tip? 5%
Change one thing? Up the salsa!
Revisitability. Quite high, There are dishes to try.
Compare & Contrast
More Latam flavours at Maleta Restobar.
In Pictures
From Google
What's the story?
You should seriously think about a trip to Como en Chile. Rarely have we been as taken aback by a Madrid restaurant as this one.
It's on a conservative-looking street in a very conventional neighbourhood. It looks like pretty much every other restaurant around. Modern, tidy, lots of wood and filament bulbs.
But the food feels like the owners have imported their native Chilean grandmothers, given them a lesson or two in modern presentation and a few other touches and then left them to it. There are genuinely new dishes here we've never tried or even thought of before. It's discovery time, gastronauts.
Part of the surprise and excitement here is self-inflicted. We really shouldn't have gone in with the thought "Ahhhh, Chile. Just over the way from Argentina, isn't it? Standby for beef, pasta and so on!"
Wrongeroooney!
Far closer to the flavours of Columbia or the central americas, there are influences from elsewhere here, but they're much less pronounced than one might expect, with some dishes all of their own character and obviously all the better for that.
We had a go at three starters today, under advice from the staff.
The meat empanada was a real success, aided and abetted by a tomato and coriander salsa that wasn't apologising for its freshness. Look, we don't need to tell you more. It's excellent. And generous. Go and try it.
A ceviche's wandered south from Peru, but is a bit of a treat-cum-indulgence, although only one of us has a taset for fish like this. It's another massive success - even if we're sure it's entirely Chilean. Not cheap, it's reliably a light, refreshing, excellently balanced spicy, acidy, fishy combination.
And so, to mains. Here things really take a turn into the left field. Ropa vieja is reminsicent of its Cuban cousin but could do with more seasoning. We're not going to pretend the plating is going to earn p prizes for artistry anytime soon, but the sweetcorn puree has a taste and texture all its own. The puree makes a reappearance in this unique pie, which is unlike any combination of texture and flavour I've tried. It's reminiscent of shepherd's pie, but only for a moment. Then the corn and chicken get going, with the odd olive putting in an appearance too. It's moreish. Savoury. But there's that ummistakeable sweetness and fibre of corn-on-the-cob in too.
Tomato and onion salad on the side intitially looks like an afterthought, but is really important as a palate refresher. We'd put it in a separate bowl instead of presenting it as a garnish. Both dishes are entirely distinctive and we've had nothing quite like them in Madrid, so they're worth a look.
After that lot, things went through 180 degress as dessert met our preconceptions to the letter. A dulce de leche pancake, rather overwhelmed by reduantant strawberry sauce. Served cold, one of these between two was enough, but not the most generous dessert ever, for the price. A tasty finish, though.
A pisco sour chupito made a really nice finish, served at the bar just as we were leaving by a very enthusiastic and friendly boss.
A visit is recommended.
