“Second parts have never been good,” movie buffs often say, evoking sequels like Grease 2 (1982) or Basic Instinct 2 (2006), so awful that they should never have been filmed. Of course, Hollywood history abounds in exceptions to the rule, starting with The Godfather 2 (1974), which went on to win the Oscar for Best Picture. The saying is not recent nor is it limited to the seventh art, since Miguel de Cervantes already included it in Chapter IV of the Second Part of the Ingenious Knight Don Quixote of La Mancha (1615). Of course we didn’t come here to talk about that…

What does all this have to do with good eating? Well, it is relevant because, in recent days, I have visited two Madrid establishments, Bistronómika and Señor Pepe, which are the natural continuation of two projects that I quite liked at the time. And, look, we have eaten wonderfully in both, without missing the previous model in the slightest.

It could be that, in the capital’s restoration, the cinematographic norm mentioned above works in reverse. Viridiana, Nicolás, La Broche and Chantarella come to mind when they changed locations: they improved in every way! And, although some of these establishments no longer exist, the memory that always remains is that of their second address. So zero fear of moving or corporate changes. If not, tell Dabiz Muñoz, who is preparing the fourth transfer to Diverxo…

Getting to the point, Bistronómika was a local retreat located on Santa María street in the Barrio de Letras, which the veteran Madrid chef Carlos del Portillo opened in 2016 to claim the unbeatable combination of fish and embers. On my first visit, I liked it immensely and I still remember from that time that unorthodox but irresistible gilda that has become an icon of the house, with bluefin tuna instead of anchovy and the classic piparra, accompanied by Kalamata olives, mayonnaise anchovy and a grilled and pickled French onion. Just for this bite, it is worth making a pilgrimage today to its new establishment, much larger and more comfortable, on the increasingly lively Ibiza street.

We have said Ibiza, but we should say Bulbiza, which is the name of the hospitality group that came to settle in 2019 in the section that goes from Maiquez to Fernán González of this boulevard in the Retiro district. Led by the Spanish chef based in the United States José Andrés Puerta and with the financial support of the steel magnate Jon Riberas Mera and other partners, Bulbiza encompasses culinary proposals as diverse as Casa Julián de Tolosa (meats), Maison Glacée (ice creams and cakes) , Caiño (wine tavern), La Cocina de Frente and La Retasca by Juanjo López Bedmar (La Tasquita de Enfrente) and, of course, Bistronómika. Venues of proven quality, with very differentiated offers, that do not compete with each other but make up a neighborhood.

With this move, Portillo and his team, in which the maître Silvia Manzano and the sommelier Francisco Javier Trujillo stand out, have gained the feel of a bourgeois restaurant in the room, beautifully decorated with beige and blue tones and light wood, a winery in good condition. –with a good assortment of wines from small producers– and a much larger open kitchen, in which the grill and the fish counter stand out, that “marine jewelery box” (Carlos dixit) where Tarifa bream, black sea bream, and yellow grouper are displayed. from Conil, borriquetes, urtas, viceroys… Already, from the entrance, the customer encounters this festival of the sea and begins to salivate.

Although you can choose dishes from the Non-Carte – as they call it here –, I recommend that the neophyte order the Pleamar menu (seven dishes for €85), which, as the website indicates, “delivers into the chef’s life journey” and must be name for the fascination of the host, a scuba diver in his free time, for the deep sea. Which means a hymn to the iodized product, to the funds and the embers, but also some naughty seasoning. As an appetizer, a salmon marinated with Korean chilli, then the mandatory gilda, then an Oléron oyster in tempura with a slight spicy touch, followed by a spectacular red prawn from Vilanova i la Geltrú… The good hand with the stews is perceived in a few boletus with carabinero foam and veal trotter demi-glace and some pochas in green sauce with grilled kokotxa and a touch of their pil pil, which leaves you with a delicious aftertaste of salicornia.

The highlight of the menu is always the grilled fish, which usually rests for several days and changes depending on what has arrived from the various fish markets they work with in the north and south of the peninsula: made on the skin in its point, sometimes washed down with a soft bilbaina of garlic, chilli and vinegar, accompanied by red peppers slowly roasted that same day. Irresistible sweet desserts, such as cheesecake, a particularly creamy flan – my favorite – or a three-layer chocolate cake. A banquet that places Bistronómika at the level of the great ichthyophagous temples of Madrid.

The other restaurant we referred to at the beginning, Señor Pepe, is chef José Carlos Fuentes’ commitment to setting up a chic restaurant just a stone’s throw from Retiro. In the space once occupied by the friendly Don Dimas, Fuentes – who was one of the partners of said restaurant – has decided to start a new stage alone with a few changes to the carpentry of the façade (painted a striking turquoise blue), interior design and, above all, with traditional cuisine as its flag. He, who worked for many years with Carme Ruscalleda in her establishment in Tokyo and has been pampered with Michelin stars in the various destinations he has had recently in Spain, now takes refuge in his first business of his own in spooning and hearty recipes. Dishes that seem simple, but have a lot of technique behind them, at almost contained prices (tasting menu of 5 courses, €59) for how Madrid is getting lately.

We started with an appetizer of Iberian salchichón with lime peel zest that gives it a debatable grace: my table companions loved it; to me, not so much. The grilled artichoke with foie and jerky powder that comes later is wonderfully accompanied with a fine sherry on the branch. Just like those Llavaneres peas with chicken broth and egg yolk that you could eat until you’re full.

Moving on to the more substantial dishes, the beans with tendons, crayfish and radishes compete with the unctuous chickpeas with oxtail. Is it necessary to choose? We tried both and were completely satisfied. Afterwards, the tartare of aged beef chop on roasted bone marrow with cilantro salad is a staple of this house that no one should miss. A black Bresse chicken cannelloni with truffle? Come on! To finish, the hare a la royale with mashed potatoes with black garlic is another seasonal recipe that, executed by José Carlos following the famous recipe of Senator Aristide Couteaux – that is, effilochée and covered with a well-blended sauce –, guarantees immediate pleasure. and smooth digestion. Classic desserts, efficient old-school service, short wine list with some curious references… Another place to add to the favorites list.