Ministry of Foodies Review
Cuisine: Contemporary/Fine Dining
Average price per person: 300€
Environment: 9.5/10
Food: 9.5/10
Service: 9.5/10
Other: Fine dining, Extensive wine list
Website: https://grupodanigarcia.com/smoked-room/
Smoked Room by Dani García isn’t dining, it resembles more a culinary ritual. “Todo es humo” or “Everything is smoke” is the mantra of this two-Michelin-starred restaurant. Here, the chef sets the scene with a Fire Omakase tasting menu guided by seasonality, technique and a smoky signature that wraps every dish in intrigue.
In addition to Madrid, it has a location in Dubai.
I visited on a weekday for lunch.
Location / Environment
Smoked Room is intimate, dark, and beautifully curated. The whole restaurant is practically a 14-seat window to smoke and finesse; it houses six bar seats and two tables, all facing the open kitchen where flames and smoke are key components of the experience. Think of a fusion take on a modern take on Japanese omakase.
Considering the limited seating and the attention from the staff as well as the beauty of facing the open kitchen (with a mirror to see everything in prep), the service experience is spectacular, not too formal but extremely professional and welcoming.
The pace was overall very good, but I will say, on a couple of instances where my glass was empty, the service did not notice in order to refill with water/wine and also at the end of the meal getting the bill took more time than expected.
Smoked Room Madrid – Menu
Smoked Room only offers tasting menus, Japanese-inspired omakase through Dani García’s smoky prism. Classic Japanese ingredients, modern techniques and international cuisine twists. Each plate is finished in smoke or embers, which is a distinct element of the restaurant.
There are two tasting menus on offer: Kõsei no Hi (€210, about 10 dishes) and Matsuri (€280, about 15 dishes), each offering slightly different journeys and pairings. Primarily, the menus change based on seasonal ingredients available, but some dishes like the shrimp or the nitro tomato can be typically found on the menu across all seasons.
Wine and cocktail pairings are bespoke and elevated, curated by sommelier Luis Baselga. Luis Baselga was also once a chef, so I love how he combines his background to make the best recommendations for the pairings.
Food – Smoked Room Madrid
Considering it was lunch on a weekday, I opted for the shorter Kõsei no Hi. First, it starts with a sweet and buttery brioche and Normandy butter with red miso with an overall smoky and porky, umami flavour.
Next, the shrimp from Motril, a town in southern Spain, were served with a sweet noisette butter. Maybe it would be interesting to add a touch of acidity to the shrimp for contrast, but nonetheless a very good dish.
The smoked tuna with Amela tomato originating from Japan, corn dashi and sweet dried corn was a fresh and interesting combination. There was also a paprika and coriander oil that gave a lot of flavour to the dish and made it stand out.
Following that a classic Dani Garcia dish, the smoked sturgeon nitro tomato with caviar and horseradish cream. Impressive technique combined with salty, sweet, creamy and umami flavours.
Next up a ginger chawanmusi (Japanese savory egg custard) with roasted baby squid, caviar and a vin jaune – a dry wine from the French Jura region – velute. I liked the squid, but the savory egg custard is not really something I would crave.
The next 2 dishes were by far my favorites. First Aburi mackerel with dashi tomato, a refreshing, slightly spicy and acidic aguachile. On top, infused saved ice, using a Japanese technique for saving the ice typically used for desserts, but incorporating the same flavours from aguachile.
My personal favorite, the clams in Tosazu rice vinegar beur blanc sauce and wasabi from Catalonia, Fresh clams, rich, acidic and buttery sauce complimented greatly by the spicy wasabi. A ten out of ten.
Following that we had a dish that was a play on the callos Madrilenos. Typically made with tripe at Smoked room they serve sea cucumber with tripe jus and Korean gochujang, topped with crispy sea cucumber. Better than trying actual callos to be fair.
Another interesting dish was the smoked tuna cheek with pork tail jus and smoked caviar. The tuna was rich and dense, mimicking the flavour of actual pork cheek but in its “from the sea” version.
The last savory dish was a play of Duck à l’orange, with duck, sake-infused crepe Suzette, carrot and pork infused puree, as well as yuzu and bitter orange sauce. Good flavor combinations, textures and excellent cooked duck.
The first dessert was a sake gel with whipped cream, ice cream, matcha powder and soy caramel, which gave a strong sweet and salty dimension to the dish, making it stand out. Moreover, the texture and the temperature of the remaining elements were spot on.
Next, coconut milk rice with black sesame ice cream, hazelnut cream and 3 different crunchy textures from the various ingredients. Also a dish that everything worked well together, both in terms of flavours and textures.
The meal ended with a variety of bonbons, a raspberry jelly, a choux with hazelnut cream, a macaron with lemon and yoghurt, a chocolate and raspberry bonbon and my favorite with chocolate and peanut butter.
Conclusion
Smoked Room is a wonderful experience for those chasing intimacy, innovation, and bold memorable flavors. The pace of the meal is brisk, and part of its beauty is the staff’s performance visible through the open kitchen. For me, counter seating is indeed the best option if you really want to enjoy the full experience. All things considered, while there are cheaper options for a meal, the experience here is worth the price. Alongside Diverxo, Smoked Room Madrid is probably one of my favorite fine dining experiences in the city.
Visit: July 2026
Address: Hotel Hyatt Regency Hesperia, Paseo de la Castellana 57, Chamberí, 28046 Madrid