{"id":14853,"date":"2026-08-24T10:22:23","date_gmt":"2026-08-24T10:22:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.diningandcooking.com\/restaurants\/14853\/"},"modified":"2026-08-24T10:22:23","modified_gmt":"2026-08-24T10:22:23","slug":"smoked-room-2-stars-in-6-months-the-record-breaking-spanish-restaurant-with-an-italian-latest-news","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.diningandcooking.com\/restaurants\/14853\/","title":{"rendered":"Smoked Room, 2 stars in 6 months: the record-breaking Spanish restaurant with an Italian | Latest news"},"content":{"rendered":"

The restaurant<\/p>\n

The interior of Smoked Room is quite consistent with the message conveyed by the cuisine: dark, intimate, and in some ways theatrical, designed by Astet Studio to evoke the world of fire. Against an almost monochromatic backdrop, materials emerge that reflect light and evoke the glows and sparks of fire. Above the tables are luminous elements, described as lava spheres or meteorites: it feels as if you\u2019re inside an elegant crater. A truly fascinating place.<\/p>\n

\"Dani\u00a0\"Dining\u00a0\"Massimiliano\u00a0<\/p>\n

The restaurant is tucked away inside Le\u00f1a, at the Hyatt Regency Hesperia, and you reach it through a dark corridor, creating a speakeasy-like atmosphere. The space is compact, seating just 14 guests: it was Astet\u2019s design that won the \u201cSmall Space\u201d category at the 2022 Restaurant & Bar Design Awards. A Japanese maple counter faces the open kitchen and the large grill. A large angled mirror allows diners to watch the chefs\u2019 movements and the plating process from above.<\/p>\n

\"Dining\u00a0\"Dining\u00a0<\/p>\n

Garc\u00eda has described the philosophy of Smoked Room as \u201chigh cuisine stripped down,\u201d in which the embers serve as a precision tool and the smoke modulates the flavors without homogenizing them. They work with different types of wood\u2014including oak, cherry, and holm oak\u2014selecting the intensity and duration based on what is being cooked, in the Fire Omakase format. While the concept was created by the renowned Spanish chef, in Madrid the key figure is Massimiliano Delle Vedove, the head chef who leads the restaurant.<\/p>\n

\"Dani\u00a0\"Massimiliano\u00a0<\/p>\n

Next to him is Luis Baselga, the cellar and wine-pairing manager, who received a special award from Michelin for sommelier excellence.<\/p>\n

\"Luis\u00a0The Head Chef and His Culinary Philosophy<\/p>\n

The Italian arrived in Spain 15 years ago, at the age of twenty-four: \u201cI ended up here because, at the time, I thought it was sort of a Mecca for any chef\u2014especially Barcelona. As the years went by, I realized that, in my opinion, there\u2019s no such thing as the best place in the world. And we travel a lot with the group: thanks to Dani Garc\u00eda, we\u2019ve traveled all over the world. And over time, I\u2019ve come to realize that the best ingredients are right here at home, in Spain.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Massimiliano\u00a0<\/p>\n

But how did you get started in the kitchen, Massimiliano? \u201cMy first experience definitely had a huge impact on me, because I didn\u2019t start\u2014I wouldn\u2019t say by chance\u2014but it wasn\u2019t a calling, and oh my, the story about my grandmother who used to cook\u2026 we can save that for another time (he smiles\u2014Ed.). The only true anecdote is that my mom was a teacher at the hospitality school in Villa Santa Maria for years, so maybe when I was little she\u2019d take me to school with her, and we\u2019d go to the chefs\u2019 festival. Anyway, that was perhaps the only connection I had with cooking as a child. Then it all started by chance, out of the need to start working\u2014and since I hadn\u2019t been studying much in my final years of school, they already had me working in the kitchen at the beach resorts.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Massimo\u00a0<\/p>\n

After finishing high school, I started working at a small hotel in Abruzzo, the Hotel Rigopiano, sadly known for the avalanche that swept it away a few years ago: \u201cAnd then, like everything in life, I think that sometimes that little bit of luck is essential. There was an excellent manager there, a man from Tuscany. He explained certain concepts to me and helped me understand certain things: \u2018If you really want to learn this trade and get to know this world, I\u2019ll take you to another restaurant. Don\u2019t stay here.\u2019 So I moved to Tuscany, to Il Colombaio, a one-star restaurant, and there I discovered a world that I really came to love, even though it was a very tough season\u2014my first time working in a Michelin-starred restaurant. But in my opinion, the most difficult experiences are the ones that teach you the most.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Massimo\u00a0<\/p>\n

From there, Massimiliano went to England: \u201cI wanted to see something different; it was popular, in vogue. Even though they didn\u2019t do high-end cuisine there, you learned different things\u2014it was another world. You definitely learn to manage stress, tension, and high volume. You learn to handle high volume, which is always useful.\u201d His return to Italy took place at a prestigious establishment\u2014the Four Seasons in Florence with Vito Mollica: \u201cDefinitely a great experience, a fond memory, a wonderful team, and incredibly important values. Vito has always been a chef who knew how to build a team.\u201d From Florence, he returned to London, then it was finally time for Spain\u2014first nearly four years with Adri\u00e0\u2019s group, then six years with Dani Garc\u00eda.<\/p>\n

\"Dining\u00a0<\/p>\n

And the two stars awarded to Smoked Room in the blink of an eye came as a wonderful surprise: \u201cI was the last person who expected anything like this to happen. And really, the most curious thing is that we didn\u2019t start this project with the idea of getting there\u2014absolutely not\u2014especially since the Dani Garc\u00eda group had already gone in a different direction. Dani closed his three-star restaurant in 2018\u2014after receiving the third star\u2014shut down the restaurant, and opened very different types of establishments. By then, he had already left the world of haute cuisine behind because, after all, after 25 years, he\u2019d grown tired of it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"The\u00a0<\/p>\n

My relationship with Garc\u00eda is close: \u201cHe\u2019s taught me so many things. First and foremost, the importance of being transparent\u2014of saying what you want and what you think. And in that regard, too, I think he\u2019s always been incredibly fair to everyone. Whether with Michelin or with people, he\u2019s never hidden behind any pretense. No, absolutely not. And this is something he always conveys to me: you have to seek out that sense of happiness for yourself, too, through cooking. Even with regard to Smoked Room, he never made a secret of the fact that he wasn\u2019t there\u2014that he\u2019s now focusing on other things\u2014quite the contrary.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"The\u00a0<\/p>\n

For Massimiliano, Smoked Room is \u201ca genuine space, where everything that happens is out in the open\u2014there\u2019s no deception. The restaurant is full of life, something real\u2014we cook everything right in front of the customers, and we\u2019re truly ourselves there; in other words, there\u2019s no pretense. Over the years, Luis Baselga and I have built a great partnership.\u201d As for the cuisine: \u201cSmoked Room is very freestyle\u2014that\u2019s just who we are: we stray a bit from the classic protocol and traditional formulas. It\u2019s also very exclusive, seating only 14 people. A lot of study and research goes into the ingredients. In my opinion, we\u2019re doing a great job, and there\u2019s enormous potential.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"The\u00a0<\/p>\n

Delle Vedove is a young, enthusiastic chef who is confident in his abilities but at the same time capable of being surprised: \u201cThe simple fact is that I probably never would have expected to be where I am today. A few days ago, after talking with some friends, I was reflecting on how lucky I am, on the gift that life has given me. And in the end, all these experiences, all the travels\u2014but sometimes I don\u2019t even realize it. Sometimes they don\u2019t even feel like they\u2019re really mine. Yeah, you say, \u2018But am I really the one doing all this?\u2019 And then suddenly they happen\u2014there are moments that make you think.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Dining\u00a0<\/p>\n

There\u2019s no doubt that Smoked Room, beyond Dani Garc\u00eda\u2019s \u201cbrand,\u201d is in fact a creation that draws its energy from Delle Vedove: \u201cThe hardest part, many times, was especially during the first few months. When you have such a prominent figure by your side\u2014even if they\u2019re not physically there\u2014you never really know whether it\u2019s your name or theirs, whether you\u2019re truly earning it yourself or if it\u2019s just because you\u2019re there. In my opinion, you should always ask yourself why, and nothing should be taken for granted.<\/p>\n

\"Dining\u00a0<\/p>\n

Then, over time, I realized that when you do something genuine and honest, and create a space that truly feels like home, I hope the customer will understand all these values as well. Then there are the flavor combinations\u2014for our latest \u201cfake tomato\u201d dish, we took inspiration from one of Dani\u2019s signature dishes, but it\u2019s entirely our own now. In fact, Dani doesn\u2019t really like it that much and says, \u201cNo, that\u2019s a poor imitation.\u201d Then he laughs, because we always bring it along when we go out\u2014because, in my opinion, it\u2019s the best, obviously. Oh well, a chef needs a little ego, after all.\u00bb<\/p>\n

The Dishes\"Corn\u00a0<\/p>\n

What\u2019s the dining experience like at Smoked Room? The two stars, awarded in Spain, are never a coincidence. The cuisine is wonderfully immediate in terms of flavor, capable of concealing research, technique, and absolute precision behind powerful taste sensations: \u201cThese are very simple dishes, yet they always linger in your memory. Sometimes we\u2019ve found the key in simplicity. Obviously, these are flavors we\u2019ve created ourselves. However, we\u2019re always looking for something authentic behind the dish.<\/p>\n

\"Aburi\u00a0<\/p>\n

And then there are all those appetizers that so many restaurants serve to start with\u2014the ones you can\u2019t even remember half of after eating ten of them. Well, we\u2019re much more\u2014perhaps\u2014straightforward, direct, and to the point, both in our thinking and on the plate. It\u2019s also true that Dani Garc\u00eda has always created cuisine that\u2019s quite bold and intense in flavor, so in that regard, at least, I think we\u2019ve provided continuity and identity.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Grilled\u00a0\"Grilled\u00a0<\/p>\n

Among the dishes we tasted, the common thread is clear, bite after bite. It\u2019s that intense flavor that creates a \u201clofty,\u201d elegant, and incredibly striking sensation. \u201cQuisquilla,\u201d or Motril shrimp, toasted butter, and yuzu kosho, where richness and freshness come together at their peak.<\/p>\n

\"Motril\u00a0<\/p>\n

The famous \u201cfake nitro tomato\u201d\u2014which isn\u2019t actually a tomato, despite its shape\u2014is absolutely delicious: the white \u201cnitro\u201d shell (from nitr\u00f3geno, the Spanish word for nitrogen, used here in liquid form) contains a smoked eel mousse and is served with Malaga-style ajoblanco and roasted red pepper caramel.<\/p>\n

\"Smoked\u00a0<\/p>\n

The grilled bluefin tuna cheek, served with pork tail jus and caviar, is rich and succulent, with flavors of the sea and aromas masterfully balanced. Equally exquisite is the duck with carrots, served with sake cr\u00eapes suzette and yuzu bigarade.<\/p>\n

\"Saku\u00a0\"Anatra\u00a0<\/p>\n

Pan jam\u00f3n y manzanilla, among the desserts, evokes a delicious Andalusian trio. L\u00edas de sake, vainilla y caramelo de soja is a feast for the eyes and unparalleled in its refinement, with the fermented notes of sake blending with the sweetness of vanilla and the savory depth of soy caramel. Chocolate, barley miso, and smoke plays on the notes of cocoa, the rich savory flavor of miso, and an elegant smoky note of whiskey. A remarkable experience.<\/p>\n

\"Chocolate\u00a0Smoked Room<\/p>\n

Hyatt Regency Hesperia Hotel, P.\u00ba de la Castellana, 57, Chamber\u00ed, 28046 Madrid, Spain<\/p>\n

Phone: +34 911 08 62 77<\/p>\n

Website<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The restaurant The interior of Smoked Room is quite consistent with the message conveyed by the cuisine: dark, intimate, and in some ways theatrical, designed by Astet Studio to evoke the world of fire. Against an almost monochromatic backdrop, materials emerge that reflect light and evoke the glows and sparks of fire. Above the tables<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":14854,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[268],"tags":[2081,12801,5201,13059,7,13057,13056,557,558,559,560,8457,872,13058],"class_list":["post-14853","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-spanish-restaurants","tag-chef","tag-dani","tag-i","tag-really","tag-restaurant","tag-room","tag-smoked","tag-spanish-tapas-bar","tag-spanish-tapas-bars","tag-spanish-restaurant","tag-spanish-restaurants","tag-time","tag-world","tag-years"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/vive.im\/@dnc\/117149990162811143","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.diningandcooking.com\/restaurants\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14853","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.diningandcooking.com\/restaurants\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.diningandcooking.com\/restaurants\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.diningandcooking.com\/restaurants\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.diningandcooking.com\/restaurants\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=14853"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.diningandcooking.com\/restaurants\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14853\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.diningandcooking.com\/restaurants\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/14854"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.diningandcooking.com\/restaurants\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=14853"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.diningandcooking.com\/restaurants\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=14853"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.diningandcooking.com\/restaurants\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=14853"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}