Ugo Chan

Is Ugo Chan worth booking in Madrid?

Yes, and you should book it soon. Ugo Chan holds a Michelin star, sits at #167 on Opinionated About Dining's Europe ranking for 2025 (up from #252 in 2024), and carries a 4.6 Google rating across 637 reviews. For a Japanese-fusion counter experience in Chamartín, it is one of the most considered bookings in the Spanish capital right now. If your interest is creative Japanese cooking with real local identity, this is where to go in Madrid.

What Ugo Chan Is

Ugo Chan operates out of a compact space on C. de Félix Boix in the Chamartín district, a residential neighbourhood in northern Madrid that is not on the tourist circuit. That matters. This is not a restaurant performing for visitors; it reads as a place built for a local diner with serious appetite. The open-view kitchen anchors the room, with two counters giving direct sightlines into the work happening in front of you. The atmosphere sits closer to focused intimacy than to the theatrical noise of Madrid's bigger creative-dining rooms. Come here for conversation that stays possible throughout the meal, for a pace that doesn't feel engineered, and for a room that takes Japanese design cues without being precious about them.

Chef Hugo Muñoz named the restaurant after his own childhood nickname, given by his grandfather. That personal framing matters less than what it produces on the plate: a kitchen that commits to seasonal ingredients and makes a credible argument that Japanese technique and Madrid identity are compatible. The menu changes continuously. Dishes have included tripe gyozas cooked in the madrileña tradition and a take on Soldaditos de Pavía, the classic Madrid cod fritter. These are not novelty fusions; they are precise technical exercises that happen to carry local memory. References to Martín Berasategui and Joël Robuchon appear in the kitchen's DNA, which places the ambition level clearly. For context on how that Basque influence reads in a Spanish fine-dining setting, compare the approach at Martin Berasategui in Lasarte-Oria or Arzak in San Sebastián.

The format gives you two routes: à la carte or a personalised Omakase menu. The Omakase is the more considered choice if you are visiting specifically for the counter experience, since it hands sequencing and pacing to the kitchen. À la carte gives you control and works well if you have preferences or constraints. Both sit at the €€€€ price level, so this is a commitment either way.

Why Chamartín Is the Right Neighbourhood for This Restaurant

Chamartín rarely appears in Madrid dining shortlists aimed at visitors, which works in your favour. The neighbourhood's relative quietness is part of why Ugo Chan maintains the room tone it does. You are not competing with pre-theatre crowds or hotel restaurant foot traffic. The clientele skews local and regular, which creates a different energy from the destination-dining rooms nearer the city centre. If you are staying centrally, plan travel time accordingly; Chamartín is accessible by metro but is not a quick walk from most hotel clusters. For a broader view of where Ugo Chan fits in the Madrid dining map, see our full Madrid restaurants guide.

Booking Chamartín specifically for a meal here makes sense as a standalone evening rather than a stop on a broader itinerary. The dinner service runs until midnight, which fits Madrid's natural rhythm. Pair it with drinks at one of the neighbourhood bars beforehand rather than trying to squeeze in a second venue after.

How It Compares Across Spain

Spain's highest-concentration fine-dining corridor runs through the Basque Country and Catalonia. El Celler de Can Roca in Girona, Cocina Hermanos Torres in Barcelona, Azurmendi in Larrabetzu, and Quique Dacosta in Dénia all sit at a different scale of international recognition. Ugo Chan is not competing with that tier yet. What it offers is a Michelin-starred counter experience in Madrid with a sharper local identity and a more personal scale than most of those rooms allow. For a trip built around Madrid specifically, it is a strong anchor booking. For a broader Spain itinerary, it fits alongside rather than instead of the country's larger names.

Practical Details

Reservations: Hard to book; plan at least 3-4 weeks ahead for dinner, slightly less for lunch. Given the OAD ranking climb and the Michelin star, demand is rising. Hours: Tuesday through Saturday, lunch 1:30 PM to 4:00 PM, dinner 8:30 PM to midnight. Closed Sunday and Monday. Budget: €€€€; expect a significant per-head spend at the Omakase level. Format: Two counters with open kitchen view; à la carte and personalised Omakase both available. Dress: No dress code confirmed in available data, but the room and price level suggest smart-casual at minimum. Getting there: Chamartín district, C. de Félix Boix 6; metro access is practical from central Madrid.

Pearl Picks: If You're Planning Around This Meal

• DSTAgE — for modern Spanish creativity at the same price tier, closer to the city centre
• DiverXO — for Madrid's most theatrical creative-Asian experience, if Ugo Chan's tone feels too restrained
• Coque, for Spanish creative cooking with a broader wine focus
• Deessa, for modern Spanish in a hotel setting with easier availability
• Paco Roncero, for a different take on creative cooking at the same price level
• Our full Madrid hotels guide if you are planning an overnight stay around this meal
• Our full Madrid bars guide for pre- or post-dinner options in the city
• Our full Madrid experiences guide for building a broader itinerary
• Our full Madrid wineries guide if wine is part of your trip planning