Restaurant in Madrid, Spain
12 seats, one menu, book early.
EMi is a 12-seat haute cuisine counter in Chamberí running a single surprise tasting menu with Nordic and Korean influences, led by a chef with stints at Noma, Geranium, Azurmendi, and Atomix. Book two to three weeks out minimum — the format suits special occasions, solo diners at the counter, and small parties prepared to commit to the menu without an à la carte alternative.
The most common mistake people make about EMi is assuming it operates like a conventional Madrid restaurant, where you can show up on a weeknight, grab a seat, and eat à la carte. It does not. EMi is a 12-seat haute cuisine counter in Chamberí, built around a single surprise tasting menu, a fully open kitchen, and a private room that looks directly over the stoves. If you are coming for a casual dinner or a flexible evening, look elsewhere. If you are planning a special occasion and want a tightly controlled, technically serious dining experience in one of the more intimate rooms in the city, this is worth your attention.
The space itself sets the terms of the evening. Twelve seats at a counter facing an open kitchen means you are watching the food being made as you eat it. There is no background noise from a dining room, no distance between you and the kitchen, and no illusion of separation between the production and the service. For a celebration dinner or a date where the shared experience is the point, that proximity is an asset. For anyone who prefers a conventional table with distance from the kitchen, it may not be the right fit. The small private room overlooking the stoves offers a slight variation, but the format remains the same: one menu, one sitting, one chef running the show.
That chef is Rubén Hernández Mosquero, from Extremadura, whose CV covers Azurmendi in Larrabetzu, Noma and Geranium in Copenhagen, Atomix in New York, and Minibar by José Andrés in Washington. EMi is named for his late brother Emilio, and the menu reflects a range of influences pulled from those years: Nordic technique, Korean flavour logic, and a precision that comes from time spent in kitchens where nothing is approximate. The dishes are described as complex but balanced, leaning on fusion without losing coherence. An extensive wine cellar with exclusive labels rounds out the offer.
On the question of booking: EMi seats 12 people maximum, which means availability disappears faster than the room size might suggest. With no published phone number or website in Pearl's current data, your leading approach is to search for EMi directly at C. de Gaztambide, 64, Chamberí, 28015 Madrid, and book through whichever reservation platform it uses at the time of your search. Given the format and the chef's profile, expect demand to run ahead of capacity, particularly on weekends and around Madrid's busiest travel periods. Booking two to three weeks out is a reasonable baseline; more lead time is safer for Saturday evenings or if you are coordinating with a group.
EMi is not the place for a spontaneous weeknight meal, and it is not designed to accommodate large groups. At 12 seats total, the experience is structured around small parties moving through the same menu at the same pace. Solo diners at the counter are a natural fit: the open kitchen format gives you something to engage with, and counter seating in this format tends to produce more interaction with the kitchen team than a standard table would. Couples marking an occasion will find the intimacy of the room works in their favour. Groups of four or more should confirm private room availability before booking, as the logistics of a 12-seat counter with a single surprise menu have obvious limits for larger parties.
For context within Madrid's tasting menu tier, EMi sits alongside venues like DSTAgE and Coque in terms of format seriousness, though its room is considerably smaller and its flavour profile is distinct — Nordic and Korean influences rather than Spanish-rooted creativity. If you are building a broader Spain itinerary, the chef's background connects EMi to a wider network of serious kitchens: El Celler de Can Roca in Girona, Arzak in San Sebastián, Quique Dacosta in Dénia, and Cocina Hermanos Torres in Barcelona all occupy similar territory in terms of ambition, though each with a different culinary orientation. For broader Madrid planning, see our full Madrid restaurants guide, our full Madrid hotels guide, our full Madrid bars guide, and our full Madrid experiences guide.
| Venue | Price | Value |
|---|---|---|
| EMi | — | |
| DiverXO | €€€€ | — |
| DSTAgE | €€€€ | — |
| Smoked Room | €€€€ | — |
| Paco Roncero | €€€€ | — |
| Coque | €€€€ | — |
How EMi stacks up against the competition.
Given the single fixed-menu format, dietary restrictions need to be flagged well in advance — ideally at booking. The kitchen is fully open and the team works with a maximum of 12 diners at a time, which gives the chef real scope to adapt. Contact EMi directly through their reservation channel before assuming any substitution is possible.
There is no menu to choose from. EMi serves a single surprise tasting menu for all diners — chef Rubén Hernández Mosquero decides what you eat. The format draws on his time at Noma, Geranium, and Atomix, so expect Nordic and Korean influences woven through technically precise courses. Dietary requirements should be communicated at the time of booking.
DiverXO is the high-profile benchmark for avant-garde fine dining in Madrid, but it is harder to book and significantly more expensive. DSTAgE offers a similarly chef-driven tasting menu format in a slightly more accessible setting. Smoked Room is worth considering if you want a focused, intimate counter experience with a strong culinary point of view, closer to EMi in scale.
EMi is not a restaurant where you browse a menu and order at your own pace. You are committing to a single surprise menu from a chef with stints at Noma, Geranium, Azurmendi, and Atomix on his record — the food will be technically demanding and fusion-forward. The room seats 12 maximum, the kitchen is fully open, and there is a small private room overlooking the stoves. Come with an open palate and block out the evening.
Yes, with caveats. The intimate 12-seat format, open kitchen, and chef-led surprise menu make it a strong choice for a meaningful dinner rather than a celebratory group booking. The private room overlooking the stoves is worth requesting for a two-person occasion. It does not work as a large group venue — keep it to two or three people if you want the full effect.
Counter seating for 12 diners and a fully open kitchen make EMi genuinely well-suited to solo dining — you are watching the kitchen throughout and the format naturally creates conversation. It is a better solo choice than a conventional restaurant where solo diners can feel sidelined. Confirm solo availability when booking, as individual seats at a busy counter can be allocated differently.
The venue data does not specify a dress code, but the context — haute cuisine counter, Chamberí address, chef-driven tasting menu with a background spanning Noma and Bvlgari Hotel Tokyo — suggests dressing as you would for a serious fine dining occasion. Avoid overly casual clothing; polished but not black-tie is a reasonable read of the room.
Keep this venue in your Pearl passport, rate it after you visit, and track it alongside every other place you collect.
