Madrid’s up-and-coming La Latina district is practically overflowing with taverns and tapas bars, but the only one consistently packed to capacity (and sometimes beyond) is Juana la Loca, a modern pinxos restaurant with seemingly universal appeal. Those dining range from late teens to early 80s; attire ranges from floor-length dresses to cut-off shorts and sneakers; dishes ranges from tasty to heartbreakingly delicious. The truffled risotto with wild mushrooms is rich enough to make you take your time, but light enough to leave room for the artichoke hearts with shaved parmesan on thinly sliced french bread. The dulce de leche volcano cake will make you wonder why restaurants have only served its chocolate cousin all these years. And the mussels...if you’re lucky enough to be here on a weekend, go for the generous serving of mussels with white wine curry sauce, which the server will insist you finish with french fries. If you can’t make reservations, be sure to arrive within 30 minutes of opening, even for lunch. Otherwise, you’ll have to either wait a long time for a table or be extra *ahem* assertive at the standing bar. On the bright side, the bar serves the full menu, so regardless of where you find a spot, you won’t miss out on any of the culinary highlights.
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Crazy Good Food
Madrid’s up-and-coming La Latina district is practically overflowing with taverns and tapas bars, but the only one consistently packed to capacity (and sometimes beyond) is Juana la Loca, a modern pinxos restaurant with seemingly universal appeal. Those dining range from late teens to early 80s; attire ranges from floor-length dresses to cut-off shorts and sneakers; dishes ranges from tasty to heartbreakingly delicious. The truffled risotto with wild mushrooms is rich enough to make you take your time, but light enough to leave room for the artichoke hearts with shaved parmesan on thinly sliced french bread. The dulce de leche volcano cake will make you wonder why restaurants have only served its chocolate cousin all these years. And the mussels...if you’re lucky enough to be here on a weekend, go for the generous serving of mussels with white wine curry sauce, which the server will insist you finish with french fries. If you can’t make reservations, be sure to arrive within 30 minutes of opening, even for lunch. Otherwise, you’ll have to either wait a long time for a table or be extra *ahem* assertive at the standing bar. On the bright side, the bar serves the full menu, so regardless of where you find a spot, you won’t miss out on any of the culinary highlights.
