You don’t have to be Juan Martín Díaz, Juan Lebrón or Paquito Navarro (three stars of this sport) to enjoy paddle tennis, a sport that has been growing unstoppably for more than two decades, but you don’t have to be a sports fan to enjoy Volley, either. the restaurant that has turned a paddle tennis club into a gastronomic pilgrimage center in Madrid’s Pozuelo de Alarcón.
Famous for being one of the municipalities with the highest per capita income in Spain, Pozuelo has the reputation of being a posh town, although the reality is that, apart from several urbanizations such as La Finca (where personalities and soccer players live), it is not far from being like other cities in the west of Madrid such as Las Rozas, Villanueva de la Cañada or Majadahonda.
Located within Club Mad4Padel, very close to Madrid, Volea is the dream of two hospitality enthusiasts like Jorge Davila (in room) and Oscar Portal (in the kitchen), who after having worked in Michelin star restaurants and luxury hotels, landed in a paddle tennis club.
The claims, as they have stated on several occasions: “to please the public.” Nothing incomprehensible appears on the menu of a casual restaurant and with no other pretensions than to provide good food, banishing haute cuisine snobberies and opening the doors wide in a restaurant where children are also welcome.
Under this family prism, Volea’s kitchen is sensible, recognizable and, understanding the prices of Madrid, restrained. It is precisely that customer profile that Volea aspires to, which has been open for three years now, and one of the reasons why among the great successes on the menu are the rice dishes, such as the senyoret or the vegetable garden, although they open also the hand to haute cuisine with pigeon rice.
Open to all types of public (It is not necessary to play paddle tennis or be a member of the club to eat in Volley), the proposal also supposes realizing that the demands of the public, regardless of the space, have been in crescendo.
Surely a couple of decades ago it would have been unthinkable that someone dared not just to make rice in a paddle club, but to the simple fact of propose a kitchen beyond some sandwiches and some cold tapas in a sports center.
Something that seems to have been overcome, at least in the case of Vollea, in addition to other surprising restaurants like the one located inside Desguaces La Torrewhich is another of those examples of careful hospitality in surprising places.
Earthy in what they offer, aware of space and audience, Volley does not bundle the blanket to the head in complications and it has been modeled to suit the customer and their demands. The croquettes fit, the torreznos fit and the hamburger (at the bar) fits, but there is also waist for a somewhat more creative cuisine, as has been usual in Óscar Portal’s career.
We are talking about squid with mussel broth, smoked eel with foie gras or Breton stew with Angus veal, which drinks from a French inspiration that Portal has always felt. Along the way, dishes like the pâtè en crôute or the Perigord egg have been staying, due to this adaptability of the menu.
Designed to share, Volea’s proposal is very weekend for families and large groups, but it also works the rest of the week and shows that some modern classics such as burrata, quality anchovies or the vague tortilla still have a long way to go. At its side, an oenological proposal that also strengthens the space and shows that Volea is not a simple pica pica.
Some thirty references that include classics from Rioja, Ribera del Duero, Rueda and Rías Baixas, as well as author touches and drops from other designations of origin such as Ribeira Sacra, Jumilla or Priorat and with which they endorse a commitment so that wine is also important.
In addition, with contained prices, which ‘invites’ to resort to the bottle instead of the glass. Something that they have also put in vogue by creating paired menus, such as the one available until the end of March, accompanied by wines from La Rioja Alta.
The best recipes of Direct to the palate (Cooking)
Along with that, a selection of homemade desserts with also a Gallic accent (like fine apple pie) or unavoidable like cheesecake, they delight parents, children and newcomers to the surprise that Volea supposes. Not only because of its level of cuisine, but also because of a very careful dining room service, directed by Jorge Dávila, which shows that customer service is essential even in the most unexpected places.
What to ask for: It depends on how many we are and our plan, but pigeon rice is essential, like the bienmesabe in guacamole or the lobster salad. For dessert, we recommend the fine cake and the cheese cake.
Practical data
Where: Calle Pedriza 6. 28224 Pozuelo de Alarcón. (Inside the Mad4Padel Club).
Average price: 45 euros.
Reservations: 91 488 22 12 and on their website.
Hours: Monday to Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 a.m. Sundays until 8:00 p.m.
Images | volley
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