Lakasa

Before he opened Lakasa in 2012, César Martín learned to cook game at Arce under Iñaki Camba.

Why go

Guía Repsol wrote in 2020 that Lakasa draws many colleagues with its game dishes, its Idiazábal buñuelos and its fish dressed with an expert hand.4 Fernando Calero Gil of Gastroactitud ate there more than once and wrote in 2019 that the game dishes are Lakasa's best.1 Guía Repsol's writers sat at the kitchen and ate what Martín chose for them. Of the fallow-deer tartare they wrote: A sharp taste with hints of smoke that never masks the meat, and a firm, delicate texture.3 Martín told them: My aim is not the most profit but the most enjoyment.3

Guía Repsol's listing of June 2025 names Ignacio Rumbero as head chef.2 The chef Luis Alberto Lera ate there with his family on his last visit to Madrid and wrote in August 2026: César cooks brilliantly, and it's a place I would go back to without hesitation.5

Calero Gil noted in 2019 that you can order almost every dish as a half portion and so build a long, narrow menu to your own taste.1 The Idiazábal cheese buñuelos (fritters) had been with Martín for 22 years when Calero Gil ate them in 2019. He said the pig's trotters stuffed with oxtail make a dish that sounds heavy but that they manage to make delicate.1 In August 2025 the kitchen served a solomillo Wellington on Fridays and Saturdays, plated instead of served from the trolley. A regular who writes the Anatomía del gusto blog ate it and found it cooked just right, with delicious pastry.6

The desserts divide people. Calero Gil wrote in 2019 that the desserts are not at the level of the rest and found the lemon tart no more than pleasant.1 Time Out Madrid told readers in 2025 to save room for the lemon tart.8

Order this / avoid

Order: the game, when the season brings it (Fernando Calero Gil, Gastroactitud, 2019).1
Order: the Idiazábal cheese buñuelos, golden, crisp and delicate to Anatomía del gusto (2025).6
Order: the fallow-deer tartare (Guía Repsol's writers, about 2023).3
Order: the pig's trotters stuffed with oxtail (Fernando Calero Gil, Gastroactitud, 2019).1
Order: the quail rice. Iván Cerdeño, chef (2020): It's tremendous.4
Order: the whisky tart, tender, delicate, full of flavor, with a hint of whisky that lifts the perfect caramel crust to Anatomía del gusto (2025).6

What locals & experts say

Luis Alberto Lera, chef (2020): He works game a lot and works it well, but he has other great dishes too. Every time I go I have fun and feel at ease, which is what matters.4
Anatomía del gusto (2025): Good service, kindness in abundance, good wines, half portions and moderate prices. What more could you ask?6
Time Out Madrid (2025): make a habit of enjoying the sirloin Wellington at Lakasa, which is only available on certain days of the week.8
Award: 2 Soles Guía Repsol, first given in 2019 and held in 2025.2

Good to know

Where: Plaza del Descubridor Diego de Ordás 1, close to Calle Ponzano.1
Timing: lunch and dinner Tuesday to Saturday, shut Sunday, Monday and public holidays (esmadrid, August 2024).9
Booking: book by phone on 915 338 715.2 Order the Wellington when you book: El Español wrote in 2018 that it works always by order.7
The room: Calero Gil found the dining room a little noisy, with not much space between the tables in 2019.1 The bar at the entrance has high tables and serves the same menu.9
Price: 31 to 45 euros a head (esmadrid, August 2024).9

Verdict

should-visit — Go to Lakasa for the game when it is on the carta and for the Idiazábal cheese buñuelos, and order half portions to cover more of the menu. Ask for the Wellington when you book a Friday or Saturday. Esmadrid put the bill at 31 to 45 euros in 2024.