[You can read this post in English here]
Vermouth fever is unstoppable, and the Vermutería Chipén combines the best of the traditional and modern like no one else. Or have you already eaten a “chicken in pepitoria” sandwich? Its great selection of vermouth (including its own brand), its tapas and its gourmet shop will make you never want to leave the lobby of the Mercure Madrid Plaza de España hotel.
I do not tell you any #chivatazoMCB if I tell you that castizo (authentic) is fashionable. But not only the old vermuterías of Madrid, also the new proposals that are opening, such as this converted hotel lobby converted into one of the coolest tapas bars in Madrid.
The hotel offering of the city is going through a period of profound changes. New four and five star hotels open, and many others undertake comprehensive renovations, both in their facilities and in the concept of their offer. And the latter is what happened to the hotel Mercure Madrid Plaza de España.
Not only has a deep face-lift been undertaken, but the concept of a “hotel lobby” has also changed. In fact, with everything that their lobby offers, no matter how tired you get from a trip, you’re sure to take a while to go up to your room.
To get everyone who comes to the city to know a little about what makes it special, it has joined in the same space a vermutería, a tapas bar with a very rogue roll and a gourmet store. In short, one of the best introductions to Madrid, where you enjoy everything you’ve eaten and you want to go back.
But you don’t need to be a hotel guest to enjoy the Chipén Vermutería. I like the baos, I love the poke bowls and I’m going for the weekend brunch, but a good vermouth that nobody can take from me. And in the Vermutería Chipén, apart from being a top-notch locale, are experts in vermouth. Yes, very well accompanied by portions to share so that the experience is well-rounded.
Thanks to a dinner with new and old friends, I could sink my teeth into the gastronomic offer of Vermutería Chipén. After a workshop where we could make our own “cheese with vermouth”, we had to make some of the dishes we were going to eat later. Luckily we had a lot of supervision and apparently the plates that we made are quite similar to the original ones …
We started dinner with the easy. Well, easy if the raw materials have a high quality. The “Tabla de charcutería y cheeses” can’t be more typically Spanish, nor more delicious. If all you want is to have a good vermouth with something to nibble on, do not hesitate.
We kept trying more and it was the turn of the freshest dishes. The “guacamole with seasoned and crunchy tomato” was very good, largely due to the spectacular avocado and the little onion that was placed on it. Afterwards, the “burrata with smoked tomatoes” left a great taste in the mouth paired with a light vermouth, preparing us for the final fire.
We started with a little show, since the “Tirabeques Chipén” are finished at the table. They are a kind of peas that are eaten whole, with a pod and all, after cooking them with a blowtorch. As they are eaten raw with a crunchy touch, the mixture of textures and temperatures is very curious.
Apart from very traditional dishes and some international dishes, the star dish of Vermutería Chipén is the meatballs sandwich. They have tried to condense typical Spanish flavors in a novel but very “cat” format: the sandwich. We tried two, “Canteo” and “El Atacao”. The first one has beef dumplings, parmesan and pomodoro sauce; so you can imagine that it’s very scary.
The second, “El Atacao”: with chicken meatballs, pepitoria sauce and boiled egg. It’s like eating a “chicken in pepitoria” bites, with hard-boiled egg included. Another one where you’ll lick your fingers. I warn you that in addition to the content, the bread will amaze you: consistent and crunchy, no overheated dough with crumbs like chewing gum.
After this and a “natural yogurt with fruit”, I can confirm that the Vermutería Chipén is one of the great “tapados” of the foodie world of Madrid. It was for me as well, but now I can’t stop thinking about coming back to try its Chipén vermouth and its meatballs sandwiches all over again. Directly to my post of new new vermuterías of Madrid!
Translated by Story Of Madrid, the podcast about Madrid in English.
Vermutería Chipén
Phone: +34 915.41.98.80
Opening hours: everyday 11:00 to 23:00 h.
Address: Tutor, 1, Madrid.
Vermutería Chipén on our map
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