Ministry of Foodies Review
Cuisine: Spanish
Average price per person: 25€
Environment: 7/10
Food: 8/10
Service: 8/10
Other: Delivery, take-away, terrace
Website: www.casadani.es
Casa Dani is an institution in Madrid. A place that serves classic tapas and is mostly famous for its tortilla de patatas, the Spanish omelet with potatoes. Featured in articles and other media including a Netflix food series, Casa Dani is a great casual spot to grab a beer and a few tapas.
Casa Dani’s main location is in Mercado de la Paz. However, it also has a few more locations around Madrid. We visited the one in Mercado de la Paz for a quick lunch on a Monday.
Casa Dani – Location/Environment
Casa Dani in Mercado de la Paz has a barra where you can grab a bite as well as a room with several tables.
The atmosphere is very casual and the room next to the barra has just a few simple tables and chairs.
Casa Dani – Menu
Apart from the award-winning tortilla de patatas, Casa Dani also has all the Spanish staples on the menu. Bocadillos with different condiments, jamon, calamari, and some other main dishes. Those include the ox tail, garlic shrimp, and several others.
Overall there is a decent amount of options suitable both for a quick meal or a proper sit-down lunch.
Casa Dani – Service
The service is efficient but not particularly attentive. It fits the tapas bar vibe of serving you, having a quick bite and drinks, and then being on your way.
Casa Dani is quite famous and there are several tourists visiting hence the staff is able to communicate in basic English.
Casa Dani – Food
A mandatory choice is the tortilla de patatas. You can either choose to order it with or without onion (both options have dedicated fans) and different sizes ranging from a piece to a whole omelet. Really moist and tender inside, it is indeed one of the best tortilla de patatas you can find.
The croquetas de jamon were crispy and although they had plenty of bechamel sauce, I would have liked it to be creamier/more moist inside.
The small Padron peppers are also a classic tapas dish that goes well with a cold beer. The peppers are not spicy so they are suitable for those with low spice tolerance.
We also got the ensaladilla Rusa with bonito and egg. It was solid without being spectacular.
Finally we opted for the garlic shrimp (gambas al ajillo). This is not for the faint hearted since there is a significant amount of garlic in the oil.
Conclusion
Casa Dani is definitely an option for anyone who is looking for some tapas in a market type of setting. The tortilla de patatas is excellent. However, while the rest of the dishes are solid, they do not reach the same level of taste and technique as the tortilla de patatas. I think certain tapas that you would get at Casa Dani (not the tortilla), are better executed at Hermanos Vinagre.
Visit: August 2024