Restaurant in Madrid, Spain
Classical conviction, serious wine, book early.
Saddle holds a Michelin star and runs one of Madrid's most serious wine programs — 1,600 selections across Spain, Burgundy, and Champagne, recognised at all three Star Wine List tiers in both 2025 and 2026. The kitchen bridges classical and contemporary without abandoning either, and the room handles private dining better than most at this price point. Book three to four weeks out; Sunday is the only dark day.
Saddle is Madrid's strongest case for classical dining done with genuine conviction. The misconception worth correcting immediately: this is not a museum piece or a nostalgia project. It holds a Michelin star, sits at 83 points on the 2026 La Liste, and runs one of the most serious wine programs in Spain — 1,600 selections, 6,000 bottles in inventory, with particular depth in Burgundy, Champagne, Bordeaux, Rhône, and, crucially, Spain. If you want avant-garde provocation, book DiverXO instead. If you want a room where the cooking, the service, and the wine list are all working at the same level simultaneously, Saddle is the booking to make.
Saddle occupies the address where Jockey — once a pillar of Madrid's grand-dining history , previously operated. That lineage is not decorative. The equestrian name is a deliberate nod, and the operating philosophy follows through: this is a restaurant that believes the fundamentals of serious dining (space, light, comfort, attentive service) are not relics but requirements. The room gives you private dining options and an inner garden, which makes it more versatile for group bookings and occasions than most of its Michelin-starred peers in the city.
Chef Pablo Laya leads the kitchen under a Modern European and Modern Cuisine brief, building contemporary dishes on a foundation of classic Spanish and French recipes. The menu runs both a tasting format and a classic-contemporary à la carte with media ración options , a structural choice that matters if you are deciding between formats. The tasting menu delivers the full arc of the kitchen's ambitions. The à la carte, with its half-portion options, gives you more control over pacing and spend, and is a stronger fit if you are entertaining a table with mixed appetites or a business guest who wants to order independently.
The trolley service , bread, butter, cheese, spirits , is a deliberate signal about the kind of restaurant this is. It takes time, it requires trained staff, and it adds a layer of ceremony that most modern restaurants have stripped out on cost grounds. At Saddle it remains, and it contributes to the experience in a way that is more than theatrical: it slows the meal down and gives the room its rhythm.
The wine program is where Saddle separates itself most clearly from the rest of Madrid's leading table. Wine Director Giorgio Pellegrini and Sommelier Álvaro Hernanz oversee a list that earned Star Wine List recognition at all three tiers in both 2025 and 2026 , a consistency that reflects serious curation, not a one-year accumulation. The list prices at the $$$ tier, meaning many bottles clear the €100 mark, but the corkage fee of €40 is reasonable if you want to bring something specific. The strengths in Spain and Burgundy are the most practically useful: if you are drinking Spanish, the depth here exceeds what you will find at most comparable rooms in the city.
Timing matters. Saddle is closed Sundays, so your window runs Monday through Saturday, lunch service from 1:30 PM through late evening. Lunch is the stronger choice for a business meal: the room is quieter, the service has more bandwidth, and the media ración format on the à la carte lets you work through the menu at a comfortable pace without committing to a full tasting menu format. For a special occasion dinner, Friday or Saturday gives the room its fullest energy without becoming loud , this is not a restaurant that loses its composure on a weekend evening.
For context within Spain's broader fine dining picture, Saddle sits in a different register from the high-concept kitchens at Arzak in San Sebastián, Azurmendi in Larrabetzu, or El Celler de Can Roca in Girona. Those rooms are built around culinary vision as spectacle. Saddle is built around hospitality as craft. The comparison that holds most cleanly at an international level is with The Ledbury in London , both are Michelin-starred rooms where the cooking is technically grounded and the overall experience is more important than any single dish. Saddle's wine program, however, is meaningfully deeper than most of its European peers in the same tier.
The Google rating of 4.7 across 881 reviews is consistent for a restaurant at this price point in this city, and is a useful confirmation that the experience delivers reliably, not just on high-profile evenings.
Booking difficulty is high. With a Michelin star, a serious wine reputation, and a room that includes private dining space, Saddle fills well in advance, particularly for dinner on Thursday through Saturday. Book at least three to four weeks out for dinner. Lunch mid-week is more accessible but still warrants advance planning. Walk-in availability is unlikely at any service. The restaurant does not publish a direct booking link in the current data, so check the restaurant's own website or use a reservation platform directly.
| Detail | Saddle | Coque | Deessa |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price tier | €€€€ | €€€€ | €€€€ |
| Cuisine | Modern European / Spanish-French | Spanish, Creative | Modern Spanish, Creative |
| Wine program | 1,600 selections / 6,000 bottles , Star Wine List (all tiers, 2025 & 2026) | Recognised wine list | Hotel-backed program |
| Format options | Tasting menu + à la carte (media raciones) | Tasting menu | Tasting menu |
| Private dining | Yes , multiple rooms + inner garden | Available | Available |
| Closed | Sunday | Check directly | Check directly |
| Booking difficulty | Hard , 3-4 weeks minimum | Hard | Hard |
| Location | Chamberí, Madrid | Madrid | Madrid |
For broader Madrid dining context, see our full Madrid restaurants guide. For where to stay, our Madrid hotels guide covers the leading options near Chamberí and beyond. Also worth bookmarking: Madrid bars, Madrid wineries, and Madrid experiences.
The tasting menu is the clearest expression of what the kitchen does technically , if this is your one visit, go that route. If you prefer more control, the à la carte with media ración options lets you build a strong meal across more dishes at a lower total spend. The wine list's Spanish and Burgundy sections are the most distinguished part of the program; ask the sommelier to guide you within those if you want the most value from the list.
For dinner Thursday through Saturday, book three to four weeks out at minimum. Lunch mid-week is easier to secure but still warrants at least two weeks' notice given the Michelin star. Last-minute availability is rare , this is not a room where walk-ins are a realistic strategy.
Yes, and it is one of the better-equipped rooms in Madrid for it. Multiple private dining rooms plus an inner garden give genuine flexibility for groups of varying sizes. For a party of six or more, contact the restaurant directly to discuss private room options rather than booking standard covers , the private room experience is a meaningful step up for large celebrations or corporate dinners.
It is one of Madrid's strongest choices at this price point for a celebration. The room is comfortable and well-proportioned, the service runs at a consistently high level (reflected in its La Liste score and Michelin recognition), and the private dining options give you separation from the main room if you want it. For a milestone dinner , anniversary, significant birthday, business close , Saddle delivers more reliably than more trend-driven rooms like DSTAgE, where the format is less accommodating to a table that wants to talk as much as eat.
At €€€€ with a Michelin star, a wine list that earned Star Wine List recognition at all three tiers for two consecutive years, and consistent La Liste placement above 80 points, the price reflects genuine quality across multiple dimensions , cooking, service, and wine. It is worth it if you value that combination. If you are primarily interested in avant-garde cuisine and are less focused on wine or service depth, Paco Roncero or Coque may deliver more of what you are looking for at a similar spend.
Lunch is the better call for a business meal or a first visit. The room is calmer, the à la carte with media raciones works well for a two-hour format, and mid-week lunch is the easiest slot to secure. Dinner on a Friday or Saturday is the right choice if atmosphere matters as much as the food , the room reaches its full energy without becoming difficult. Avoid Sunday: Saddle is closed.
If you are visiting once and want to understand what the kitchen is doing technically, yes. The tasting menu format is where Chef Pablo Laya's classical-contemporary approach reads most clearly as a complete argument rather than individual dishes. For a second visit or a table with mixed preferences, the à la carte gives you more flexibility without meaningfully compromising the experience. The wine pairing, given the depth of the list, is worth adding if your budget allows.
| Venue | Price | Booking Difficulty | Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Saddle | €€€€ | Hard | — |
| DiverXO | €€€€ | Unknown | — |
| Coque | €€€€ | Unknown | — |
| Deessa | €€€€ | Unknown | — |
| Paco Roncero | €€€€ | Unknown | — |
| Smoked Room | €€€€ | Unknown | — |
How Saddle stacks up against the competition.
The tasting menu is the format Saddle is built around — it delivers the full picture of the kitchen's classical-meets-contemporary approach. If you prefer flexibility, the classic-contemporary menu with media ración options lets you order across formats without committing to the full sequence. The trolley service (bread, butter, cheese, spirits) is a signature touch worth experiencing regardless of which menu you choose.
Book at least two to three weeks ahead for lunch; dinner and weekend slots go faster given the Michelin star and strong word-of-mouth. Private rooms add capacity, but they book up separately for groups. Saddle is closed Sundays, so plan around a Tuesday-to-Saturday window. Contact via the address at C. de Amador de los Ríos, 6, Chamberí if you cannot find availability online.
Yes — Saddle has several private rooms, which makes it a practical choice for parties of six or more who want a contained, formal setting. For corporate dinners or milestone celebrations, request a private room directly when booking. Groups that want a communal but non-private experience can still book the main room, though availability shrinks during peak dinner service.
It's one of Madrid's stronger cases for a milestone dinner: Michelin-starred kitchen, private rooms, a 6,000-bottle cellar with wine strengths across Spain, Burgundy, Champagne, Bordeaux, and Rhône, and table service that runs to trolleys for cheese and spirits. The classical format suits anniversaries, corporate milestones, and significant birthdays better than it suits a casual celebration. If you want energy and spectacle over service formality, DiverXO is the alternative.
At €€€€ with a Michelin star and La Liste recognition (83 points in 2026), the pricing is consistent with the tier. The value case is strongest for guests who care about wine: a 1,600-selection list with 6,000 bottles in inventory at $$$ wine pricing is serious for Madrid. If the wine list is not a priority, Coque delivers comparable cooking ambition at a price point that may feel more proportionate.
Lunch is the easier entry point: service runs from 1:30 PM and the room is typically quieter, making it better for business meals or a first visit. Dinner extends to 12:30 AM and carries more atmosphere for a celebratory evening. The kitchen and menu are the same across both services, so the decision comes down to pace and purpose rather than quality difference.
For first-time visitors, yes — it's the most complete expression of what Saddle does, combining contemporary cooking built on classical Spanish and French technique with the trolley service that sets the room apart. If you've visited before or prefer to eat across categories without a fixed sequence, the à la carte with media ración options is a workable alternative. The tasting menu format here rewards guests who want a structured, full-length meal rather than a flexible dining session.
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