Ministy of Foodies Review
Cuisine: Middle Eastern
Average price per person: 35€
Environment: 8/10
Food: 9.5/10
Service: 9/10
Other: Gluten-free options, Solo dining
Website:www.barganzo.es
Barganzo is a wordplay of the words bar and garbanzo, which means chickpea in Spanish. Chickpeas are prominent in the menu, as in this Israeli restaurant you can try great hummus, falafel and other dishes from Israeli and Middle Eastern cuisine.
Some people claim that Barganzo has the best hummus in Madrid. After my visit there, I tend to agree.
Location/Environment
Located in Chueca, Barganzo has been operating since 2019 (although recently moved to its new location on the same street). The restaurant occupies a long and narrow space that includes several tables as well as a large bar area where you can enjoy a cocktail with your meal.
It’s always busy, so the place is a bit loud and there is also music. I personally enjoyed the music, but the combination of loud conversations and the music might be a bit too much for some people.
Service
The service was a bit slow in the beginning. It took about 10 minutes for anyone to come to my table to give me a menu and take the order. Still, they served all the dishes very quickly even though the restaurant was almost full (on a weekday during lunch).
Menu
The menu is based on vegetables, Kosher ingredients with a focus on quality. There are several hummus variations and ordering hummus is a must in this restaurant. Barganzo also serves various other traditional dishes, sometimes with a modern twist. There are also a lot of different Israeli beers and wines to choose from.
Barganzo – Food
Kubaneh bread is a type of Jewish bread that I didn’t have the chance to try before. It was extremely flavorful. Fluffy dough with almost a brioche type of crust. With plenty of butter, you get a flavorful pull-apart bread.
Barganzo adds za’atar spice to the dough and serves it with fresh tomato salsa and the traditional labneh creamy cheese. It tastes as impressive as it looks.
The hummus masabbaha was slightly spicy (slightly at least for my taste). It had whole chickpeas as part of the mix, which created an interesting texture. You could tell in each bite the good quality olive oil. The hummus was perfectly combined with the large fluffy pita bread served alongside the dish. The kubaneh bread was also a good option to dip in the dish.
Another hummus option is the one topped with grilled eggplant. The hummus in this dish is very smooth and you can taste the smoke of the grill in the eggplant. Also, you get a nice texture from the vegetables on top.
The grilled eggplant dish with radish, onion, pomegranate, parsley, and sumac is also served as a main dish without the hummus in Barganzo.
The falafel was among the best I have ever tried. Super crunchy on the outside, fluffy, flavorful and properly seasoned on the inside. It was served with a simple tahini sauce which allowed the falafel to shine.
Shishbarak, is a type of dumpling filled with labneh and spinach and served with a warm yogurt sauce, pine nuts and spinach. The yogurt sauce was very creamy and the crunch from the pine nut was great, but the filling in the dumplings was a bit underseasoned.
For dessert some beautifully presented dates, covered with chocolate and filled with whole hazelnuts. Great flavor combinations and a nice closure to the meal.
Conclusion
Barganzo is a great value-for-money option in the center of Madrid. You can enjoy healthy, flavourful dishes, and high-quality ingredients while exploring Israeli cuisine. Very authentic and one of the best Middle Eastern restaurants in Madrid. The hummus is a must-try here.
Visit: March 2024
Address: Calle de Colmenares 13, Centro, 28004, Madrid