For several months now, the centre of Madrid, specifically at number 36 Rafael Calvo Street, has had a new restaurant where you can enjoy the best of Italian and Spanish cuisine. At Origene by Salvatore Romano, they take classic Italian cuisine to another dimension, offering us a unique and distinctive approach.
At the age of nineteen, a young Neapolitan arrived in the capital with a suitcase full of passion for gastronomy. Two decades later, the founder of Totò e Peppino pays tribute to the country that welcomed him with his most personal project, Origene.
In this new venture, Salvatore is assisted by his right-hand man, Carmine Bavuso, a young, well-travelled and curious chef who has been actively involved in creating the menu, and a dedicated team, forming a family in which each and every member plays a fundamental role.
Salvatore Romano offers us cuisine in which Italian and Spanish gastronomy blend perfectly, making it clear that when we sit down at the table, we have a great deal in common. A love of cooking and respect for the ingredients come together to create a unique experience that celebrates the true origins of culinary passion. Flavours and traditions from both cultures come together and establish a dialogue between two cuisines that have countless stories to tell.
Respect for tradition, local produce and sustainability shape not only a luxurious gastronomic experience, but also a sensory journey that will transport us to the most traditional Italy without leaving the centre of Madrid.
Origene has two distinct but complementary spaces: the gastrobar and the restaurant. The first one aims to create a more casual atmosphere, perfect for after-work drinks, meeting up with friends to enjoy afternoon snacks, but also for breakfast. The restaurant is ideal for dinners with friends, family or as a couple, a place where you can sample unique recipes that cannot be enjoyed in other regions of Spain.
The padellino, the Italian ‘non-pizza’
It should be noted that Origene, owned by Salvatore Romano, is the first restaurant in the capital to specialise in this unique format in frying pan pizza. The padellino, the new creation that is revolutionising Italian cuisine, is an individual pizza, baked in a pan, with a thick, fluffy and light crust, and a genuinely Neapolitan texture and flavour that will win you over. This invitation to enjoy an innovative yet Mediterranean dish comes in two versions: sweet and savoury, and is available to customers at both Origene locations.
Beyond the padellino, the menu, which takes us on a journey through Italian-Mediterranean cuisine, features delicacies such as Torreznos IGP from Soria with brava sauce, cacio & pepe and lemon; Grilled red pepper with ricotta and pecorino mousse, balsamic herb pesto, smoked sardines, crispy capers, tomato confit tartare and fresh basil sprouts; pizzas such as ‘No es un pimiento de Padrón’ (It’s not a Padrón pepper) with a San Marzano tomato base seasoned with spicy Calabrian n’duja, acorn-fed chorizo from the province of León, mozzarella fior di latte, sweet and sour onion, basil and extra virgin olive oil and pasta dishes such as ‘Sorrentinos de Idiazábal’, buttered ravioli in clarified chicken broth with lemongrass, lamb glaze and fresh grapes.
You can also opt for a tasting menu consisting of grilled mortadella from Bologna and guanciale (Italian cured meat) with truffle honey, Iberian Ingot, “Burro” & Anchovies, King Pastrami, Mezzamanica (a type of pasta) with gallineta and ‘Try it Yourself’, padellino sweet.
To round off this delightful moment, a delicious sweet such as the aforementioned ‘Pruébalo Tu’, a cocoa ‘padellino’ with white chocolate mousse and Canarian banana; Choco Crush, an intense pure Belgian chocolate cake with a creamy texture and deep flavour, finished with Maldon salt and a touch of extra virgin olive oil o La Bomba, an Italian brioche soaked in aromatic milk and caramelised in a pan with a wild fennel crumble at the base and a quenelle of homemade hazelnut ice cream.
The wine list comprises a selection of wines, 90% Spanish and 10% Italian, which faithfully reflect the tribute that the project wishes to pay to its Mediterranean origins.
This new gastronomic temple in the Spanish capital is the culmination of a culinary journey that Salvatore Romano began almost two decades ago, reinterpreting Italian roots with a contemporary twist.
