THE FACTS ABOUT CHANTARELLA

Spain Madrid

The new Madrid food isn't all about garlic foam with a vanilla dressing and prawn ice cream. Not all the best restaurants are minimalist echo chambers devoid of colour. And not all the chefs come directly from the Adrià Academy of Incredible Edibles. This neighbourhood restaurant near the Plaza de España run by two brothers (Enrique and Alvaro Díaz) is at the opposite extreme. Comprising just nine tables in a narrow room decorated rather awkwardly in bright primary colours, this is the nearest thing in Madrid to a Parisian bistro of the new school. If you can look beyond the cracked olive bowl, the well-thumbed menus and the front door with its agonising squeak, Chantarella is a bit of a gem. Food-loving madrileños think twice about giving their friends the phone number. When the restaurant was shortlisted for a Best Newcomer award at the prestigious Madrid Fusion gastro-fair last year, it seemed to confirm what many of them had known all along. The chanterelle mushroom is a suitable symbol, because in the face of Madrid's sometimes frenzied jostling for novelty, the Díaz brothers provide gutsy, rootsy cooking tempered with a light, modern touch. The emphasis is on seasonality and robust flavours - a dish of turbot with artichokes and crunchy shards of Iberian ham, for instance. And the scallops and ceps on carrot cream, the carrillera of beef on a bed of potato, Swiss chard and rosemary all taste as good as they sound. Not surprisingly in view of its size, Chantarella is crammed every lunch and dinner. Reservations are necessary up to a week in advance, which for Madrid is rare. CONTACT Chantarella, Calle de Luisa Fernanda 27 (00 34 91 541 8003). Open 1pm-5pm, 9pm-midnight. Closed Sat lunch, Sun, and three weeks in August. Menu degustación €38.60