Hello all!
As part of our Spain tour, we visited Coque, the two Michelin star restaurant in Madrid. We had one of the earlier dinner slots (7:30 PM), and were among the first tables to arrive. While the outside of the building doesn't indicate anything special, once the automatic doors swing clear, you do enter a very interesting and detailed place.
I must say, this experience was very different than any other we've had–our first Michelin experience that heavily focused on the theatrical side of dining. The experience unfolds in 7 different rooms, which take you from the entrance down an elevator to a cocktail room, wine cellar, and much, much more. Most interesting, is that this experience included 4 complimentary drinks, which started with a fantastic house cocktail (9.8) and an oyster (9.2) in the cocktail room. Soon after, another drink in the cellar, with another drink in the room attached to its side.
Finally, another drink once we got back upstairs. Once we sat down at our table, they offered additional cocktails, including two of the pricier wine pairings that we had experienced on the trip.
Service:
Overall, it was a very good service. We received everything on time, and the servers have clearly been pushed to deliver silverware to each diner at exactly the same time. Outside of that, the servers (especially our one main server) were all extremely kind and happy to engage in conversation with us. The experience of drifting from room to room felt a bit quick, sometimes leading to the first part of the experience passing very quickly. However, the servers all did an excellent job with this experience. Included in this service are the chefs who were responsible for serving oysters, iberico ham, and smoked fish, all on a table in front of the guests in each of their respective rooms. They were each as equally talented in service as they are talented with cooking and arranging the courses.
Our only service complaint came at the end, when our carousel (containing the petit fours) arrived, but had a dead battery and did not spin. We flipped our switch on and off a few times, to no luck. Very small complaint, but I would assume this should have been checked before it was delivered to our table.
Our personal service highlight came during the dessert section, where a trolley with a stove was lit aflame, and our server for the night prepared our next course. During this time she was very happy to spend extra time talking with us about the process, how she was trained, etc. It was a very nice moment to have at the end.
Wine/Drinks:
While the opening cocktail was a star, the other complimentary drinks weren't big hits for us. Unfortunately, I think this is a reality of some experiences like this. We know what we like and dislike, and weren't offered a choice of free alcohol. Certainly didn't take away from the experience, but it didn't add much to it for us. Once we sat down, we explained what else we were hoping to have, and the sommelier brought out two excellent local wines.
Food:
Most all of the dishes were quite good. The standouts to me were the oyster that was mentioned before, the pea taco that is pictured (9.1), and a parmesan pastry at the beginning (9.4). Most of the other dishes ranged from a 6.8 to a 8.3, all fairly solid scores, if you see my other reviews.
The main course was a suckling pig served three ways (pictured), for which we were instructed the order to eat them. Unfortunately, we both weren't big fans of the first two preparations (1.8 and 5.5, respectively), and the main preparation was solid, but lacked much distinct flavor, as it was just salted (7.8).
The desserts were all quite good, and made us both happy at the meal's conclusion. Most of them were solid 8's.
Overall:
Good experience, although far from worth the 365 Euro price tag. Compared with many of our experiences at a lower price, this one was disappointing.
If you've read my reviews before, I always mention that we really enjoy having fun at our experiences. This was certainly one of the more fun places we've been. The first third, and final 10% were all great fun, and featured excellent food. The middle portion struggled as the courses continued on, although the service was still always sharp, although bogged down by the onslaught of courses.
I would probably not return, given the wide array of restaurants in Spain, and Madrid, specifically. While the food was solid throughout and featured several great courses at the time, I found that I haven't thought much at all about the food in the weeks since we visited.
by FidgetyFinance