Oh lord! This place makes the best Italian food I’ve ever had. Even better than what I had on a trip to Sicily. Absolutely delicious! Food, food, food: La Pentola Mágica in Madrid is all about food. The venue is hard to find, with its childish, tiny, almost non-existent decoration. I work close-by and never knew it was there until somebody spoke me about it. Simply put, it seems like the Italian owner doesn’t give a crap about the ambience. That said, I think that is because his only goal and focus is to create delicious food.
The chef is a bit odd, in a positive sense. He may close the restaurant any given day, only offer pasta and no pizza or only offer grappa (Italian liquor) and no other strong alcohol. He is a classic proud Italian who only follows his traditions & his will. La Pentola Mágica seems to not have as a priority growing as a business; you can feel that he loves to cook and that’s pretty much it — take it or leave it. Personally, I love it!
He seems to make all dishes with an equally excellent quality, so I guess there are no specialities. The melanze is a delight — so tender it seems to melt in your mouth — pizzas that are paper-thin and topped with high-quality Italian ingredients; the stuffed pasta with nut sauce, or the truffle sauce is an orgy of pleasure. I can’t stress it more: if you love Italian food, just go.
