And the winner is....!

Do you want to know where to eat the best croquette in Spain? Or the best patatas bravas? If you are a food lover, don’t miss out on the restaurants and chefs in Madrid whose work has won prizes at events like Madrid Fusion, the world's most important gastronomy congress.

Quinqué – Madrid Fusion Prize 2024: Best Ham Croquette in Spain

The ham croquette at Quinqué restaurant won the tenth edition of the traditional Best Iberian Ham Croquette in Spain competition, which is organised each year by Madrid Fusion Alimentos de España, Spain's most influential gastronomy congress.

Chefs, Carlos Griffo and Miguel Ángel García, with extensive experience in outstanding restaurants, such as La Bien Aparecida, Bibo, Casa Marcial and StreetXO, are at the helm of this restaurant (Apolonio Morales, 3, close to Plaza de Castilla), which opened in 2019.

How is Spain’s best ham croquette made? Mainly with 100% Iberian acorn-fed ham from Sánchez Romero Carvajal and in the words of Carlos Griffo, “we use fresh cow's milk which we infuse with the ham bones. In our bechamel sauce, we use olive oil, butter, ham, flour and the infused milk. We cut the ham into small pieces but big enough to appreciate their flavour and texture. We roll our croquettes by hand one by one”.

Santerra –  Madrid Fusion First Prize 2024: Patatas Bravas

In the first edition of the  National Patatas Bravas Competition organised by the Madrid Fusion Alimentos de España congress, Santerra restaurant took away the first prize in the traditional category.  Prepared by chef Miguel Carretero, these patatas bravas are characterised by small, thin slices of sour potato to make them crispier and they are accompanied by a strong ham-flavoured sauce..

Located in General Pardiñas, 56 (Salamanca, close to Calle de Alcalá and the Retiro), this restaurant (boasting one Michelin star) on market cuisine of traditional Spanish origin  and serves tapas and dishes in which tradition is combined with innovation.

After winning, Miguel Carretero shared part of the recipe’s secret: “We chop finely so that it is crunchy.  With oil and garlic and we brown them. The sauce is made of onion, cayenne, ham bones, spicy sausage from Asturias, stew broth, fried sweet and spicy pepper. We add vinegar at the end”.

OSA - Madrid Fusion Prize 2024: New Chef

The young chefs, Sara Peral and Jorge Muñoz from the OSA restaurant in Madrid (Michelin star in the 2024 edition) won the Madrid Fusion New Chef Prize 2024. It is an important prize that has been won by other great chefs, such as Dabiz Muñoz, Eneko Atxa or Camila Ferraro.

Trained in Mugaritz and other prestigious kitchens, these chefs opt for a haute cuisine gastronomic offer in which the national product is used along with the French technique and the Japanese sensitivity.  This restaurant occupies a small chalet in Calle de la Ribera del Manzanares, 123, with a garden close to the River Manzanares in the Moncloa - Aravaca district.

Ugo Chan (Leticia Palomo) – Madrid Fusion Prize 2024: New Maître d’

The young sommelier, Leticia Palomo from Ugo Chan won the New Maître d’ Prize, a new prize awarded by Madrid Fusion in 2024 in order to recognise the work of this job, which is key to the culinary experience and seeks excellence in service and customer satisfaction.

The Ugo Chan restaurant (run by chef Hugo Muñoz, and which boasts one Michelin star revalidated in the 2024 edition, and a Sol Repsol) is located at Calle Félix Boix, 6, close to Plaza de Castilla and next to Paseo de la Castellana.

The best confectionery

Estela Gutiérrez - City of Madrid Prize 2024: Best Confectioner

The pastry chef, Estela Gutiérrez, from Estela Hojaldre, won the City of Madrid Prize for the  Best Pastry Chef granted by Madrid City Council within the Madrid Fusion Pastry section at Madrid Fusion 2024.

This home-made bakery with premises in the Literary Quarter (Plaza de Jesús, 5) specialises in puff pastry, the secrets of which come from the pastry maker's family bakery in Cabezón de la Sal (Cantabria).

Each and every piece is handmade daily in her bakery using the best ingredients and French and organic flours. In the words of Estela Gutiérrez, “puff pastry has no secret, all you need is good butter and a lot of practice”.

Alberto Miragoli - City of Madrid Prize 2024: Best Baker

Alberto Miragoli, from Cientotreintagrados won the City of Madrid Prize for the  Best Baker granted by Madrid City Council within the Madrid Fusion Pastry section at Madrid Fusion 2024.

Brothers, Alberto and Guido Miragoli are at the helm of this bakery located in the Chamberí district. Cientotreintagrados stands out for being the first speciality coffee roaster with its own premises in Madrid.

What is the best bread in Madrid like? Alberto Miragoli, of Italian-Basque origins and trained at the San Francisco Baking Institute by Michel Suas, claims that his product is made by using   “young and moistened sourdough with fermentation delayed in the chamber, which gives the bread its characteristic lactic acidity and a high degree of moisture”.

María Claudia Covarrubias (Ramses) – Madrid Fusion Prize 2024: New Pastry Chef

And the prize for Best New Pastry Chef in the Madrid Fusion Pastry section of Madrid Fusion 2024 went to María Claudia Covarrubias, pastry chef at Madrid's Ramses.

Covarrubias, accompanied by her assistant, María Gabriela Petrone, received this prize thanks to the creation of her textured dessert El Madrioño, which evokes the statue that is a symbol of the city; and her petit fours, a honey doughnut with wine syrup and wafer with beer ganache, presented simply but with vibrant colours.

The best torrija in Madrid

The fourteenth edition of InterSICOP, the International Bakery, Confectionery, Ice Cream, Coffee and Machinery Show, held at IFEMA MADRID in February 2024, featured the 7th Best Torrijas of Madrid Competition 2024, organised by the Association of pastry and bakery artisans of the Community of Madrid (Asempas).

• Pastelería Formentor: Prize for the Best Traditional Torrija

Pastelería Formentor (Calle Hermosilla 81), run by the young confectioner, Jennifer Pozón, took away the prize for the Best Traditional Torrija. It is made 100% in the traditional way, following a recipe that dates back 60 years.

• Pastelería Cercadillo: Prize for the Best Innovative Torrija

The Cercadillo cake shop, located in the Usera district, won the prize for the best innovative, traditional-style torrija. The torrija is soaked in cinnamon and orange and covered with chocolate bonbon. Finally, it is decorated with chocolate-covered cereal balls.

• Pastelería La Oriental: Prize for the Best Gluten-Free Torrija

In the gluten-free category, the prize went to the La Oriental with Araceli Andía at the helm of the project. She uses a “secret recipe” to make the bread base and soaks her torrija in three milks that are left to infuse for 48 hours. She then caramelises it with sugar and cinnamon and tops it with a vanilla semi-freddo.