The 11th edition of Gastrofestival Madrid unites gastronomy, literature and tradition

From 7 to 23 February, the 11th edition of Gastrofestival will make the city's gastronomy accessible to the general public. This morning the festival was announced by the Mayor of Madrid, José Luis Martínez-Almeida, and the Deputy Mayor, Begoña Villacís. Organised by Madrid City Council's Department of Culture, Tourism and Sport, in collaboration with Madrid Fusión, it turns Madrid into the gastronomic capital par excellence for two weeks.

 

This year 500 establishments and institutions will take part, including restaurants, pubs and bars as well as markets, shops, bookshops, cinemas, theatres and museums. Once again, the festival will also enable us to enjoy one-of-a-kind gastronomic and cultural experiences linked to literature, art, design, solidarity and fashion. 

 

The programme will include all of the usual categories: Gastronomic Madrid, Gastroculture, Sensory Experiences, Wine Culture, Gastrofashion, Gastrohealth and Gastrofestival Solidarity. 

 

One of this year’s highlights is Galdós in Three Servings, an activity held (in Spanish) at Círculo de Bellas Artes as part of the Gastroculture programme, which pays tribute to writer Benito Pérez Galdós to mark the 100th anniversary –in 2020– of his death. Like cocido madrileño, Madrid’s famous chickpea stew, the gastro-literary menu will be served in three stages: it will feature writer José Esteban, author of La cocina en Galdós y otras noticias literario-gastronómicas, dishes by chef Enrique Sierra, and theatrical performances by actress Marina Sánchez Vílchez.

 

Another new feature this year, organised in collaboration with the Madrid Gastronomy Association, is a section that will showcase Madrid’s culinary history by means of its restaurants and traditional dishes. The section, a new addition to the Gastronomic Madrid category, will feature 20 famous establishments that will offer a special set menu. It’s a unique opportunity for visitors and residents of Madrid to discover its gastronomic history, courtesy of people who have lived it and passed it down from generation to generation.

 

This year, the festival's Gastronomic Madrid section will include all of the regular fixtures, such as Degustatapas and the 5-Star Menu, which is sponsored by Mahou, as well as Gastrobocatas and Rioja Wine in our Favourite Bars. Gastrofestival Recommends, a section featuring prominent Madrid restaurants’ most iconic dishes, will be returning this year. 

 

The city's municipal markets will continue to feature heavily at this edition, with 16 of them offering tastings, talks, workshops and culinary events to suit all tastes. Other initiatives will include enjoying the art of mixology at numerous cocktail bars, following the Coffee Route and discovering the authentic taste of Madrid's pickles. In addition, Gastrolove will feature special activities in honour of Valentine’s Day. 

 

Gastronomy will also have a presence at museums, theatres and bookshops, as part of the Gastroculture section. Lope de Vega House Museum will invite us to discover 17th century recipes and culinary trends depicted in Cervantes, Lope and Quevedo, with In Lope’s Kitchen: Gastronomy in the Spanish Golden Age (tour in Spanish). Further offerings include Cooking at the Prado Museum, a gastro-themed tour at the Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum, a workshop on India’s culinary arts at the National Museum of Anthropology and a game for children and adults at the Naval Museum that will take them on a culinary tour around the world. 

 

Literature and food will come together in initiatives such as a dinner at Cervantes y Compañía bookshop, an activity at De Cuento bookshop where children can build Hansel and Gretel’s cottage out of cake, and book launches, tasting sessions, pairings and workshops at other literary venues. Bookshop chain La Casa del Libro will also offer a special Gastrofestival programme at its shops. 

 

For music lovers, there will be culinary events like Bach Vermouth, at the National Music Auditorium, which will pair an aperitif with the world’s best organists in an event livened up by jazz bands, as well as an after-work DJ session at the hotel Nyx and a set menu created by chef Ramón Freixa for a performance of The Magic Flute at Teatro Real. 

 

Theatre and film will also have a role in the festival. At Teatro Coliseo, for example, the musical Anastasia will offer a course on Social Protocol and Etiquette (in Spanish) taught by expert Miguel de Amo. La Katarsis del Tomatazo will return to Sala Mirador and Ocho y Medio bookshop will host Gilda: The Pincho and the Film.

 

The 11th edition’s sensorial experiences will be brought to us by Mercamadrid, with “Saborea Mercamadrid”, two gastro tours led by chef Juan Pozuelo that will include a culinary workshop featuring seasonal ingredients, and by Iberia Express, which will host “What Does Flying Taste Like?” (in Spanish), a tasting session held on land in the Faro de Moncloa, where participants will be able to try new flavours and textures that passengers can enjoy on the airline’s planes. Numerous venues will also offer workshops, tasting sessions and classes for both children and adults. 

 

Meanwhile, for wine enthusiasts and experts, the Wine Culture section will offer Game of Thrones and Star Wars-inspired wine tasting classes, as well as tastings of regional D.O. Madrid wines, among other varieties.  

 

Gastrofashion will bring gastronomy to windows displays and shops devoted to fashion and décor, with tastings and offerings like the set menu at NuBel created by designer Roberto Diz and chef Manuel Berganza. Of particular note in the Gastrodeco section is the “Casa Decor Top” itinerary, a careful selection of restaurants that are worth visiting for their outstanding design, which is the work of renowned interior designers. 

 

This year, in addition to the usual healthy set menus, heart-friendly dishes and a list of restaurants for people with coeliac disease, the Gastrohealth section will also include workshops held by the Institute of Food Science and Nutrition (ICTAN) that will focus on coffee, oil, fibre, water and chocolate. In addition, there will be a range of talks and lectures on healthy eating at Casa del Corazón Foundation, and on oil and chocolate at Caixaforum.  

 

Once again, Gastrofestival Solidarity will unite food with solidarity. Madrid’s kitchens will team up with the NGO Acción Contra el Hambre during the festival, as part of their commitment to achieving a world with food for all, and El Plató de A Punto will host a screening and film forum on La Raspa, a documentary that tells the stories of some of the young people who have managed to leave a life on the streets thanks to cooking. 

 

This edition of Gastrofestival, sponsored by Mahou, features the participation of Iberia Express, JCDecaux, Casa del Libro and Casa Decor, and the collaboration of Madrid’s markets. 

 

View the full programme on the festival’s official website: www.gastrofestivalmadrid.com