New York, London, Paris … Madrid? In recent years, the Spanish capital has emerged as one of the world’s gastronomic hotspots, with buzzy new restaurants, atmospheric terrazas and lively mercados serving everything from stuffed sea urchins and sushi to tacos al pastor. But for acclaimed Marbella-born chef Dani García, who recently opened his seventh outpost in Madrid, an Andalusian restaurant called Tragabuches, it’s the city’s emphasis on tradition and authentic ingredients that gives it its unique edge.

“Madrid has changed a lot over the last decade, but its roots have stayed the same,” says García.“I always knew it had the potential to be on the international stage while staying true to itself and championing Spanish cuisine and products.”

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If there’s one restaurant that exemplifies this duality – international flair with a strong sense of place – it’s García’s rooftop restaurant, Dani Brasserie, at the Four Seasons Madrid, where fashionable madrileños and in-the-know visitors gather on the panoramic terrace to tuck into authentic Spanish dishes with a global twist, including alagueño ajo blanco soup with herring caviar or his signature “Andalusian Freshness” dessert, which combines the flavours of orange, pistachio cream and mint green tea. Here, the tradition of sobremesa is alive and well: diners arrive at sunset and linger late into the night, drinking licor de hierba and soaking in the high-up views of the city’s skyline. 

“It’s the best hotel in Spain,” says García. “The architecture is fantastic and it’s in the centre of the city, offering the best of old and new Madrid.”

Dani Brasserie

The Four Seasons is also close to some of the chef’s go-to restaurants, such as the seafood eatery El Pescador and the legendary Lhardy Restaurante – Madrid’s first fine-dining establishment, opened in 1839 – which serves century-old recipes such as the chickpea-based cocido madrileño stew or the roast Caneton duck with orange. They say there’s not a writer, aristocratic, or politician who hasn’t dined at Lhardy, where high-ceilinged dining rooms exude Belle Époque splendour – all stained-glass windows, original wallpaper and glossy mahogany panels. 

“More than anything, I love the traditional places that serve typical food and have good atmosphere,” he says.

Lhardy Restaurante

One of his favourite local delicacies is cochinillo or suckling pig; while many restaurants in Madrid offer the dish, García advises skipping town and driving out to the small towns on the fringes of the city, like Chinchón, an hour away, to enjoy the most authentic version of the dish. 

With more than 20 restaurants and counting in New York, Paris, Dubai and beyond, García is always on the go. But no matter how full his calendar is, he always makes the time for monthly trips back to la capital: “Madrid contains multitudes – there’s nowhere else in the world quite like it,” he says.

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