Goicolea is undoubtedly one of the latest culinary ventures in Madrid’s haute cuisine scene, with Basque-French roots that have set a trend in the capital. In a short space of time, it has become one of the most popular restaurants on Calle Génova amongst lovers of art and refined culinary arts.
The venture by Cristina Goicolea, a Basque businesswoman who has been involved in the restaurant industry for over 40 years, has made a successful splash in the capital. Cristina is a renowned entrepreneur in the world of high-end hospitality. She was the owner of the El Refor restaurant in Álava, where Diego Guerrero, now a two-Michelin-starred chef at DSTAGE, was in charge of the kitchen. She was also involved in the opening of Club Allard, again with the Basque chef in the kitchen. In recent years, she has undertaken catering projects at the National Golf Federation and at the La Moraleja Golf Club. She is also well known among many restaurateurs for her company Goicolea Import, which specialises in importing premium-quality French products, such as her famous foie gras, which can be sampled at the restaurant.
Her new gastronomic venture in the centre of Madrid is unique and is based on a menu featuring ‘signature Basque-French cuisine’, alongside her nephew Mikel Goicolea, former head chef at the three-Michelin-starred Azurmendi, and her right-hand man, also formerly of Azurmendi, Esteban Martinez.
The restaurant features several distinct spaces where guests can enjoy a dining experience centred on the ingredients and flavours, ensuring every customer feels at home whilst savouring the hospitality through the most personalised service and attention.
A dreamlike décor in the Universe of Ignacio Goitia
To enter the expansive universe of Ignacio Goitia is to accept an invitation on a journey where space-time coordinates do not exist. The furniture has a French feel, whilst the décor features murals by Bilbao-born artist Ignacio Goitia, depicting animals—particularly his giraffes—and timeless ruins. We are struck by the playful and meticulous décor from the moment we enter the restaurant, which seems to have transported us to another era; the patterns of the arrantzales’ (Basque sailors’) scarves cover the walls in shades of blue, black and white.
In the central panel, the work *The Origins of Classical Ballet on Regent Street* stands out. Ignacio Goitia has created a comprehensive scenography at Goicolea that transforms the Basque-French restaurant into a “living work of art”. Every room in this restaurant, located at 7 Calle Genova in Madrid, tells a different story, but all share the same architectural foundation: panelling that acts as a common thread between the classical and the contemporary. Using a palette of three colours—blue, white and red—Goitia constructs a world where Basque tradition, French heritage and artistic references intertwine.
And in these wonderful dining rooms, you can savour authentic Basque-French cuisine, featuring produce from selected suppliers in Biarritz, Saint-Jean-de-Luz, Álava, Guipúzcoa and Vizcaya.
An oak charcoal grill for the seafood (prawns, razor clams, cockles, scallops and barnacles) and for the grilled fish (hake, sea bream, sea bass).
Its signature dishes include grilled Sondika chorizo with roasted red peppers, Iberian ham croquettes, fresh white asparagus with cod skin, pork cheek stuffed with foie gras, grilled hake on a skewer with piperade, baby squid in its own ink with rice stew, grilled sea bass with emulsified Bilbao-style sauce, the famous wild tuna steak and a squab with a reduction of its own juices and foie gras chestnut, an iconic dish
Address: Calle de Génova, 7, Chamberí, 28004 Madrid, Spain
Telephone: +34 919 33 64 80
