Wow!, the Anglo-Saxons tend to exclaim when they feel impressed by an idea, a fact, a space. Under the name of WOW Concept, the former president of El Corte Inglés, Dimas Gimeno, has created a new fashionista temple on the capital’s Gran Vía that promises, as the press release states, “a shopping and leisure experience never seen before in Madrid ”.
In the iconic building of the old Hotel Roma, built by Eduardo Reynals Toledo between 1913-1915 in what was formerly the Anglada Palace and which in recent years housed the Ministry of the Presidency, Justice and Interior of the Community of Madrid, the visitor He is first captivated by its sumptuous façade and that tower on the corner of Calle del Clavel, crowned by a dome with a bronze statue of the Capitoline wolf.
Once through the entrance, the minimalist interior design of the commercial floors is sometimes reminiscent of famous multi-brand concept stores in large western capitals such as the Voo Store in Berlin, the Dover Street Market in London or the long-awaited Colette in Paris. In other words, fashion and accessories from cult firms mainly urban wear at prices that are sometimes dissuasive.
After the usual tour, we arrive at the last two floors, dedicated to gastronomy, which have been redecorated by the External Reference architecture studio and entrusted to Javier Goya and Javier Mayor, at the time leaders of the Triciclo Group, with the intention of combine traditional cuisine with traveling flavors in a very special environment. And it is that one of the attractions of eating (or dining) during uninterrupted kitchen hours at The Penthouse by WOW is that interior design that vindicates the retro decoration of what was the residence of the hotel manager. With a modern 70s apartment style, the fifth floor evokes a living-dining room filled with curved sofas, colorful chairs, bookcases piled high with books, vinyl records, and stereos from decades past, through which you move – as if receiving in his own house – a living room team dressed in cute robes and pajamas. The sixth and last floor, for its part, houses two of the most extravagant areas of the invention, the bedroom and the bathroom, also transformed into restaurant lounges with access to the different rooftops, ideal for snacking on tapas or having drinks while enjoying the skyline. from the roofs of the Gran Vía.
The culinary offer is extensive and is divided into dishes from Madrid as always, from Madrid today -undeniably mestizo- and from the orchard, as well as fish, meat, garnishes and a small and careful selection of sandwiches. On our first visit, a spring noon with quite high temperatures for those dates, we improvised a short tour of all the sections of the menu, but we left the appetizers for another occasion, which look very good, from the lobster roll with purple cabbage , fennel, avocado and spicy mayonnaise to the pulled pork sandwich with sauerkraut, crispy onion, pickle and fresh herbs.
We started with a tiradito of scallop and white shrimp with ponzu, mushrooms and radish, very balanced in texture and flavor, which could have used a little more daring with the chili pepper. We continue with a salad with homemade tuna marinade and piparras, which is a classic from Grupo Triciclo and could not be missing here. The red prawns with garlic from Jerez that came next are a good idea to enjoy this addictive crustacean in all its fullness, with the head grilled and the body barely cooked.
Do they make tiger mussels? Why not! These arrive well breaded, with impeccable filling and an unexpected topping of roasted garlic alioli and mojo sauce. The suckling pig and prawns nem with vegetables and pickled cucumber is another well understood, fresh, easy and fun fusion recipe. Among the suggestions of the day, there is a spoonful stew based on beans with game and eels: another Goya specialty, with those succulent funds that stick to the palate and indicate well-seasoned prolonged cooking.
We were tempted to finish the salty chapter with a free-range chicken cannelloni in pepitoria with truffled béchamel and almonds, but the heat of May invited us to be eaten with sauces and béchamel. So we settled on the pil pil grilled cod with pepper juice, roasted scallions and chickpeas, which again featured commendable precision on point, with the slices separating effortlessly and the meat soft and pristine. To end with something sweet, but not overly cloying, the creamy cheesecake and corn flan with kikos and pineapple ice cream just did the job.
Young and diligent service, a short and varied wine list at reasonable prices, a fairly modest bill for such a cute establishment. I have to go back any day to have a sandwich at odd hours and try the cocktail bar…
