K & L's Travel Blog

Madrid, 25 January 2024

Today was our highly anticipated meal at Tripea Restaurant. I had read about Tripea in a “38 Essential Madrid Restaurants” article and made a reservation in December. It not only sounded fun and unique, but is located just a block away from our apartment in the Vallehermoso Market. 

They have one daily seating at 2:30 and put everyone together on a long table—about 10-11 couples seated across from each other. I was anxious about having to converse with neighbors, but oddly there was no cross-talk. We were all too busy eating. Kitty had a view of the kitchen where five chefs worked full steam to an unrelenting techno beat. At first the music annoyed me, but after about the 4^th course I caught myself tapping along.

The food was outstanding. One of my best meals ever. I really didn’t have much of idea what to expect from “Peruvian-Asian fusion on a Spanish base,” and that also meant the flavors, textures and combinations were unique and surprising. The presentations were beautiful and each dish seemed to build on the previous. We had the choice to add an oyster to start and it was worth it. It was prepared with a mango sauce and some heat. And the oyster itself was super-sized, flavorful and absolutely fresh.

One server handled all the drinks, but one or two of the chefs stepped in to help serve the courses. The server spoke excellent English and explained every course to us, including how to best go about eating: “Take the mussels out of the shells and then mix the dish thoroughly” or “Eat the dumpling first then break the egg on the Bao so it flows like a volcano and pick it up with your hands to eat it.” We did our best to follow orders and were richly rewarded!

There were a couple of ceviche courses: one centered on tuna and the other with mussels. All infused with flavors of ginger, lime, peppers and the freshest and most deliciously tender seafood. Kitty got her soup dumpling and I finally had a Bao that I liked (perfect texture, not sweet but savory with a quail’s egg on top). The chefs had a way of adding little touches that packed a big punch, like the three huge blueberries in the rice pudding or the super sweet little carrots in the deconstructed pot-roast.

Many of the flavors were new and unidentifiable, but everything worked together. The courses just kept coming. The dessert was glorious, but then it had to be to follow all of that food. It was a rice pudding made with coconut milk, but instead of cooked rice grains it was served with a puffed rice, flavored with savory spices and fruit. 

This was definitely a splurge, but when I consider the quality and quantity of food along with our Vermouth and wine, the price ratio is excellent. A meal like this in the US (or at a Michelin restaurant in Spain) would cost $200/person. I loved it all: the food, service, affordability and the casual atmosphere.