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Tapas crawls here aren¡¯t your typical beer-and-jam¨®n affairs ¨C they¡¯re full-blown events without a whiff of Michelin-starred hubris. That¡¯s because the area¡¯s Mercado de Vallehermoso hasn¡¯t yet been turned into a soulless gastro-emporium like so many other markets. The stalls feel as though they¡¯re from another era. Tucked between watchmakers and fishmongers are some of the city¡¯s best-loved restaurants. Italian cubbyhole Di Buono is one of the only places in the country serving pinsa, the oblong Roman flatbread with a bubbly crust made from a mix of soy, wheat and rice flours.
Order one topped with garlicky turnip greens and porchetta imported from
Ariccia with a glass of juicy Primitivo. Kitchen 154 has house-fermented kimchi and perfumy Thai curries made from scratch, while Rocklette, the passion project of brilliant cheese shop Queser¨ªa Cultivo, serves the ooziest toasties in town. But the market¡¯s standout is Tripea, a Peruvian-Asian caf¨¦, where chef Roberto Mart¨ªnez Foronda whips up chicken aj¨ª curry and cheese-filled jalape?o poppers. He came from Nakeima Dumpling Bar, another local fixture that opened in 2013 and still has two-hour queues. By night, hard-core foodies descend on Calle Ponzano. Sala de Despiece put the street on the map six years ago with its quality meats and tableside pyrotechnics; since then, it¡¯s been hard to keep up with the openings.
Arima Basque Gastronomy is a mainstay, with a modern-northern menu that hinges on produce driven in from the family farm near San Sebasti¨¢n. You won¡¯t find sweeter braised leeks anywhere. Vegetables are also the main event at El Invernadero, where swede and borage take the herbivore tasting menus to the next level.
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