The original Zalacain opened in 1973. For decades, it was the “must go” restaurant in Madrid. Legend has it that it used to employ 50 staff to serve 50 customers. When modern Spanish cooking appeared on the scene, it fell on hard times, eventually shutting its doors. It reopened in 2021 under the direction of chef Jorge Losa, who made sure his menu included the restaurant’s classics: steak tartare with soufflé potatoes, búcaro Don Pío (gelee consommé, smoked salmon, quail egg and caviar) and venison with plum sauce. The private dining rooms are popular with the city’s power brokers.