Restaurante El Olivar de Aravaca
Set beneath a canopy of mature olive trees on the edge of Aravaca, El Olivar has built a loyal following among Madrid's food-literate crowd for its precise, ingredient-led Castilian cooking that never tips into pretension. The terrace on a warm evening, with a glass of Ribera del Duero catching the last light, is one of the finest simple pleasures in the municipality.
What to Order
The menu del día (weekday lunches, €16.50 for three courses including wine) is a masterclass in honest Spanish cooking: expect a first course of creamy croquetas or slow-roasted piquillo peppers stuffed with salt cod, followed by a main of cochinillo asado or grilled lubina with a tangle of wilted spinach and almonds.
On weekends the kitchen leans into more ambitious à la carte territory. The secreto ibérico with Pedro Ximénez reduction and roasted sweet potato has been a fixture for years for good reason — the pork is sourced from a single farm in Extremadura and the sweetness of the glaze is perfectly calibrated.
Atmosphere and Booking
The interior dining room is warm and unpretentious — exposed brick, linen tablecloths and a short but thoughtfully chosen wine list annotated by the owner himself. In summer the terrace under the olive trees seats around 40 and fills quickly; booking 48 hours ahead is strongly advised for Friday and Saturday evenings.
Service is attentive without hovering, and the staff speak enough English to guide non-Spanish speakers through the menu, though pointing at what the next table is eating works just as well.
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