Gastrofestival Madrid kicks off this weekend

Tomorrow sees the start of Gastrofestival Madrid, where great food will play a leading role in the capital for two weeks. Now in its sixth year, this annual culinary event, which runs until 15 February, offers more than 300 gastronomic and cultural activities and experiences. An initiative designed to spread the culinary arts and their ties to other artistic fields such as painting, fashion, film and literature.

Over 400 public and private companies are taking part in Gastrofestival 2015 — promoted by the City Council through the municipal company Madrid Destino and its Department of Tourism, in collaboration with Madrid Fusión. The event is sponsored by Mahou, Zumosol, Hard Rock Café, El Tenedor, JCDecaux, Mercados de Madrid and Elle.

Madrid is the best setting for this festival. Not only does it boast one of the most attractive and diverse culinary scenes on the planet, but it also coincides with the Madrid Fusión International Gastronomy Summit. Fine food and drink is one of the capital’s top attractions, enjoyed by visitors and residents alike.

Programme

Restaurants, cocktail bars, culinary schools, gourmet stores, fashion and accessory boutiques, cultural institutions, art galleries and museums together provide an activity-packed programme divided into seven main sections: “Gastronomic Madrid”, “Gastroculture”, “Sensory Experiences”, “Gastrofashion”, “Gastrohealth”, “Design and Gastronomy” and

“Wine Culture”.

There will be activities galore, with something for everyone. You can already enjoy tapas and special menus for 25 and 40 euros — a festival staple — and food-related tours at various museums. On Saturday, 31 January, the Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum, the Cerralbo Museum, the Garment Museum and the Lázaro Galdiano Museum have all got activities lined up.

New this year are workshops for kids at the culinary space Platea Madrid every Sunday and a diverse lineup of activities at Conde Duque and Matadero Madrid, two municipal centres participating in the festival for the first time.

Dining with the Stars

Next week also brings one of the other “musts” on the Gastrofestival programme: Dining with the Stars. Thanks to this initiative, you can enjoy the cuisine of some of the world’s leading chefs at various restaurants around the capital.

On Tuesday, 3 February, Leonor Espinosa, from the restaurant Leo Cocina y Cava in Bogotá, will be cooking at Larumbe 38; Myrna Segismundo, from the restaurant 9501 in Manila (Philippines), will be at El Jardín de Orfila (Hotel Orfila); and Timo Siitonen and Kasper Salomäki, from the restaurant A21 Dining in Helsinki, at Europa Decó (Hotel Urban).

On Wednesday, 4 February, the guest chefs will be Diego Hernández and Elsa Judith Olmos, from Corazón de Tierra in Mexico. They will be showing their culinary skills at Punto MX, which has just received its first Michelin star. Margarita Forés, from the restaurant Grace Park Manila in the Philippines, will serve up a very special menu at the restaurant Goya located in the Ritz Hotel; and Jari Vesivalo, from the Finnish restaurant Olo, will be at Al Trapo (Hotel de las Letras). And for the first time this year, the restaurant Club Allard will be hosting the Truffle Festival, in which three Italian and three Spanish chefs will prepare a dinner menu based on this delicacy. Plus, from 6 to 15 February, at the Hotel Westing Palace’s restaurant La Rotonda, you can sample the cuisine of Tomoyuki Sekiguchi and Tatsuo Nishizawa, from the Hattori Tokyo school in Japan.

For more information and a full listing of activities, check out the Gastrofestival Madrid website at www.gastrofestivalmadrid.com