From authentic izakayas to the most purist sushi bars or japo-fusion. Japanese gastronomy has arrived in the capital to stay. Japanese restaurants in Madrid have become absolute protagonists in the city’s gastro scene. More and more people are venturing into the streets, searching for the best Japanese restaurants in Madrid and looking for the best sushi or the tastiest ramen. EDDK Magazine invites you to discover the route through the Japanese restaurants that raise more passion in the capital. Let’s go!
ZUMA Madrid
For lovers of exotic experiences, there is always a place waiting for them at ZUMA Madrid, the new opening of the international chain of high-end Japanese cuisine. Quality in the raw material is combined with innovative ways of combining ingredients and the value of the aesthetics of the place where we taste gastronomy that has managed to conquer the most demanding palates in cities like London, New York, Hong Kong, or Dubai.
With an interior design based on the four elements, the tones and textures intermingle to give way to yet another fusion: Japanese aesthetics mixed with Spanish and Mediterranean touches, which can also be enjoyed in the kitchen. And about this, ZUMA Madrid offers the possibility of not having to choose: there is the option of the menu of contemporary Japanese cuisine, and there is also the option of robata, i.e., Japanese barbecue and sushi bar.
The best-grilled wagyu meats, the freshest fish in sushi, seasoned with truffle, yuzu, or ginger, and some sweet proposals that can convince anyone, such as the delicious cheesecake with cashew crumble. And as if there were not enough reasons to go to ZUMA, in the evenings, you can enjoy electronic music on the terrace along with its menu of signature cocktails that will not leave anyone indifferent.
99 Sushi Bar
99 Sushi Bar is considered one of the Japanese restaurants in Madrid par excellence. Not only because it has four establishments divided into strategic points of the capital -Ponzano, Hermosilla, Padre Damián, and La Moraleja- but also because of the quality of the product it offers. A menu prepared with care that combines perfectly with the sophisticated and relaxed atmosphere and exquisite decoration that invites you to stay. In this temple of Asian cuisine, you can taste dishes that surprise the palate and ask you to enter and discover the world of Japanese cuisine.
99 Sushi Bar has become one of the most important references of this cuisine, profiling this luxury Japanese restaurant in Madrid as a place of pilgrimage for sushi lovers. It is a restaurant tailored to the public that, in addition to the culinary offer, finds an excellent and carefully selected wine list with more than 300 references in its establishments. Careful elaboration, exquisite service, and exclusive decoration come together to give personality and name to this restaurant.
Yugo The Bunker
Japanese haute cuisine with the seal of Julián Mármol is served at Yugo The Bunker, the luxury Japanese restaurant in Madrid par excellence. Awarded a Michelin Star in 2019, Yugo The Bunker offers an unparalleled experience. A traditional Izakaya tavern upstairs and the perfect recreation of a WWII Japanese bunker downstairs. Two ways to enjoy an extraordinary gastronomic journey. If we add top-quality ingredients and elaboration according to the traditions of the highest Japanese gastronomy, we have. As a result, a menu full of dishes that make the senses vibrate. In Yugo’s words, we will find wild fish and products with the denomination of origin that reach their full potential.
However, for the most trained palates and lovers of Japanese restaurants in Madrid, Yugo The Bunker contemplates two options: a Tasting Menu. ‘Roots’ represents “the logical evolution of our most recognizable gastronomic concept.” ‘Naked,’ on the other hand, invites you to embark on a journey to the essence of the noblest raw materials and the heart of Japanese gastronomy. This is a radically honest proposal in which each bite is presented stripped of the ancillary, only accompanied by what adds depth to the main product. Another really good Japanese restaurant in Madrid. Are you looking forward to trying them too?
Kappo
If a Japanese restaurant in Madrid has stolen our hearts, that is Kappo. The place where the most honest traditional Japanese cuisine claims its flavor and essence. Kappo is the epicenter of the purest traditional Japanese cuisine in Madrid. AA’s custom-made bar, based on the chef’s specifications, allows a dialogue with the diner, which is part of preparing the menu. Chef Mario Payán prepares each dish to live, creating an intimate, clean, and cozy atmosphere. An experience based on respect for the product, technique, and raw materials.
The complete knowledge of Japan’s techniques and gastronomic traditions applied to an omakase menu is the essence of Kappo’s honest cuisine. And adapted to a unique menu where the chef chooses what to eat. The seasonal product, the technique, and the menu based on shapes, colors, ways of working the food, and, of course, the taste, achieve a unique experience. Maturations carried out in the kitchen are another of Kappo’s secrets. For this preparation, between 18 and 20 types of fish are used with maturities ranging from 3 to 26 days, caught without suffering, paying particular attention to the fishing date.
Kirikata
Among the offer of Japanese restaurants in Madrid, we could not overlook the Arzábal group. Kirikata evokes one of the traditional Japanese techniques. And it´s commonly used to treat sashimi, where the blade has to be placed at 45 degrees to the “piece” when cutting. Kirikata is a restaurant in Madrid where the eagerness to reproduce the essentials of one of the most recognizable cuisines worldwide is palpitating. Álvaro Castellanos and Iván Morales are responsible for the concept that focuses on simple nigiri and sashimi. The cooking techniques are essential not to mask the purity of the different products used, all of them of excellent quality and freshness.
In addition to the usual tuna, salmon, or tuna toro, there are original proposals such as sea bass nigiri with coriander oil and green mojo. The presentation of its version of red mullet nigiri stands out, allowing the red mullet to be tasted in three formats. Nigiri, sashimi, and, on the other hand, fried skin. The flavors offered are clean, clear, and without stridency. A perfect environment for its gastronomic offer to shine, which goes through the basics of sushi and a couple of preparations that use robata, a Japanese barbecue that gives a unique flavor to food.
Nomo Braganza
After triumphing in Barcelona, the Nomo group landed in the capital with one of the best Japanese restaurants. Its successful formula is straightforward: fuse the Japanese way of cooking and the products, primarily Spanish. Nomo is a space where organic design predominates through its shapes, textures, and colors, creating a sensory experience fusing Mediterranean culture with Japanese gastronomy. Forms of raked sand remind us of a Zen garden transmitting warmth and comfort. Detailed and punctual lighting to create a pleasant and functional atmosphere. The application of terracotta color and wood pays tribute to the Mediterranean and recalls the origins of Nomo.
Nomo has created a menu that draws from Japan but uses products from Spain and other latitudes. Gyozas, makis, tempuras… but also butifarra sausage, espardeñas, ceps, or Galician beef are included in a menu with no less than 97 savory dishes. Among our must-try dishes are tsukune yaki, red mullet no tataki, unique to foie, or rainbow tuna, not to be missed!
