Restaurante La Paloma
the solid wine list paired with refined Mediterranean plates
Classic Madrid spot for Mediterranean plates with friendly, old‑school service. The room warms up after 9pm and the wine list is solid. Reserve on weekends; walk‑ins can wait.
In Salamanca, Madrid. Easy to fold into a morning or a longer afternoon; there's usually something else worth a stop within a few minutes' walk.
This is La Paloma in Barrio de Salamanca (Calle Jorge Juan 39), a refined Mediterranean/Spanish restaurant with Basque-French influences (Google lists it under 'basque_restaurant'). It rates ~4.5 on Tripadvisor (a Travelers' Choice winner, #357 of 13,424 Madrid restaurants) and ~4.8 on Restaurant Guru, and is known for fine-dining tasting at reasonable prices (~€60pp) with the option of half-portions to sample widely. Signature plates include sea urchin gratin, Roman-style hake, foie gras, scallops and boneless pig's trotters, finished with an apple tart. The room is described as elegant, spacious and comfortable with well-separated tables and attentive service, and the venue notes vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free options. This corroborates the curator's read of a classic Madrid spot with old-school service and a solid wine list.