These are good times for the grill, the fire and the roasts. It seems that today without embers there is no paradise, filling the new proposals with charcoal, wood and Josper ovens to, to a greater or lesser extent, make smoke the protagonist of the kitchen.
We do not condemn it because when it is done well and the product is good, it is blessed glory. That does not imply that everyone who sets out to set up their grill now, is more or less contemporary, does so successfully.
Also, and despite the times, facing the word grill usually comes with certain setbacks that do not usually go according to the daily frenzy: short letters, long meals.
Luckily, if one passes through Madrid and enjoy embers and fire as conductive elements, It has in Mauricio Giovanini, Argentine and Michelin star since 2016 in Messina (Marbella, Málaga), to the necessary apostle to verify that everything – and when we say everything is everything – is capable of being cooked over the flame.
You may think that it is not unique, but the proposal, aptly named Bar de Fuegos, (Calle Barbieri, 7, in the heart of Chueca) in addition to being honest with the fire, she is sincere with the client and does not mean stealing your time or money for the simple fact of being in a grill.
The democratic spit
It is not usual for grills to no longer have an open kitchen, but rather barra vista (beyond Piantao or Charrúa, there are few other options in Madrid). And it is not very frequent that they dispense with the tablecloth, a traditional habit that usually indicates that the food is going to go long.
With this, Giovanini breaks into Bar de Fuegos, turning his grills, leveled with pulleys, in the center of the stage and leaving several stools at the bar, where contemplate as if it were the cinema what shines in the fire.
Thus it is understood that its menu, wide, accessible and quite argentinized, Allow those who are stripped of time and hardly want a sandwich to eat just as well or those who are not in a hurry for the clock and want to extend the after-dinner.
Logically, the meat has the singing voice, where certain Argentine cuts such as the vacuum croissant or the high loin share irons with the Iberian pork or with the spicy chicken (one of the best-sellers of the letter).
But they are not alone, since the sea also has a place, paying attention to the season and where, in true Getaria style, some fish are marked with remarkable success. This is the case of sea bass and turbot, to those who accompany if the sea allows it other temptations such as bluefin tuna.
It is also understandable that they are the protagonists that raise the average ticket, which softens if we indulge in salads (also braised), to entrepanes and hamburgers (powerful in flavor and quantity) and to pizzas, and that to share or for one alone are more than enough.
With that fidelity, aware of where you are and that there is never enough time but giving up eating well is not visible, Giovanini also creates an executive menu between daily for € 19.5 with a starter, main and desserts (as well as a drink and coffee) that makes it one of the hot spots in the neighborhood.
The gourmand finish, either on the menu or à la carte, logically it ends up being grass on the grill, where grilled pineapple or banana with dulce de leche transport diners from the center of Madrid to the heart of Córdoba, Giovanini’s hometown.
What to ask for: time and wallet mark the menu, but I would not leave without trying one of the entrepanes (especially the bacon), the vegetable salad and the roasted cauliflower with kimchee, the ceviche (yes, even if it is semi-raw) and al minus one of their meats. For dessert, it is convenient to indulge in the grilled pineapple.
Practical data
Where: Barbieri Street, 7, Madrid. Chueca Metro.
Prices: € 40
Bookings: 916 84 11 62 and on its website.
Schedules: Tuesday to Saturday from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. and from 8:00 p.m. to 12:00 a.m. Sundays from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. Closed on Monday.
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