- Chef Wilmar Soto is responsible for Papúa Colón’s culinary offerings, fusing typical Spanish dishes with tropical touches, highlighting the use of high-quality products and innovative presentations.
- Daniel Regajo is in charge of the cocktail bar, offering bold creations and innovative techniques for a unique liquid experience.
- Located beneath Madrid’s Plaza de Colón, Papúa Colón transports its guests to a tropical paradise, with décor reminiscent of the jungle.
- Its atmosphere, full of vegetation and natural elements, creates a unique space that makes each visit an immersion in an exotic and fascinating environment.
“Haute cuisine with exotic touches, inspired by tradition and flavour, with great technique and no shortage of fun” is how the two founders, Noel Duque and Jorge Rivero Prados, sum up what you can expect from Papúa Colón. These entrepreneurs turned successful businessmen started out in the sector with the Noah wine bar in Alcalá de Henares and now also own Martilota (Alcalá de Henares), Gran Vía 18, the WOW Concept gastronomic space, and Papúa Colón, the jungle beneath Madrid’s Plaza de Colón. And very soon, the eagerly awaited Papúa Valencia will be added, Grupo Papúa’s first venture outside the Community of Madrid.
With a unique location next to the Fernán Gómez theatre, Papúa Colón opened its doors in 2020, in the midst of the pandemic, and since then has become a gastronomic benchmark in the capital with its pleasant and exotic atmosphere and excellent cuisine that stands out for its quality ingredients and intelligent blend of traditional Spanish cuisine with international flavours.
At the helm of Papúa Colón’s kitchen is chef Wilmar Soto, the creative soul behind a menu that focuses on excellent produce, grilled dishes and surprising presentations. His dishes combine traditional roots with an international outlook, resulting in recipes with character and a travelling soul. The house recommendation is to start with their own version of Caesar salad: served Korean ssäm style, it is eaten with the hands and contains all the ingredients of the traditional dish, plus an extra helping of Parmesan. From there, a parade of flavours begins that will not leave you indifferent, with essentials such as fried egg with caviar on chips in carabinero sauce, 40-day matured Galician blonde beef picanha carpaccio with 24-month Comté cheese, and veal sweetbreads with herb EVOO that will delight the most daring.
Rice dishes are another of Papúa Colón’s great specialities, prepared with precision and care. From the smooth and creamy pumpkin risotto, creamed with Shropshire cheese and topped with tempura courgette flowers, to the intense socarrat rice with red prawns, black garlic aioli emulsion and salicornia, to the hearty bomba rice creamed with 180-day matured Galician blonde beef picanha. The oak wood grill is a constant feature that gives identity to dishes such as glazed chocolate pepper with its juices and battered anchovies in vinegar, or grilled avocado with prawn and crystal shrimp tartare.
For those looking for meat and fish that live up to their expectations, Papúa Colón offers prime cuts such as Angus tomahawk, T-bone steak cooked at two temperatures — with truffled steak tartare made from sirloin and oak-charcoal-grilled tenderloin — or Avileña beef sirloin with morel mushroom sauce and green pepper parmentier. On the seafood side, highlights include dishes such as grilled snapper with shrimp satay, Jerusalem artichoke purée and padchoi, or oak-charcoal-grilled sea bass with low-temperature fennel, celeriac purée and glazed lemon. Iconic dishes such as foie gras waffle with creamy passion fruit and PX, “Jules Verne” steak tartare, or organic free-range scrambled eggs with boletus foam, truffle, and Iberian pork jowl complete an experience designed to amaze and delight.
And for dessert, you must try their cotton candy cake, a red velvet sponge cake with buttercream, red fruit mousse and lychee ice cream; their mini inverted chocolate fondant cake (70% Papua origin) with biscuit ice cream; or the caramelised brioche French toast with almond cream and vanilla ice cream. All served on handmade tableware, exclusively crafted by a potter from Fregenal de la Sierra, where no two pieces are alike. The restaurant also offers a sensational 10-course gastronomic menu priced at €80 per person.
Signature haute mixology: Daniel Regajo's proposal
At Papúa Colón, cocktails are not a complement, but an essential part of the sensory experience. At the helm of the bar is Daniel Regajo, a true liquid alchemist who is revolutionising the Madrid scene with a bold, technical and deeply creative approach. His menu is a journey through flavours, textures and aromas that surprise both for their complexity and their balance. Here, each cocktail is conceived almost like a dish: with carefully selected ingredients, cutting-edge techniques and a presentation that seduces even before the first sip.
Among his most unique creations is the Perro Verde, a daring combination of pisco, mezcal, apple, jalapeño, lime and agave honey, topped with smoked spice salt that challenges and conquers the palate. The Pasión Pop, with white rum, passion fruit, white chocolate and an unexpected touch of popcorn, is pure fantasy in liquid form. For those seeking a more spicy and exotic profile, the Jaka mixes tequila, jackfruit, mole and tamarind in an ode to fusion. The Papúa Spritz, meanwhile, reinterprets the classic aperitif with a sophisticated twist that includes St Germain, Grey Goose vodka, mint and a touch of champagne.
Each cocktail created by Daniel Regajo follows the same roadmap that inspires Wilmar Soto’s cuisine: breaking the mould, awakening the senses and turning every sip into an experience that leaves its mark. More than a restaurant, Papúa Colón is a sensory universe. A place where signature cuisine, creative mixology and an enveloping atmosphere come together to create something greater than the sum of its parts.
Papúa Colón
Address: Plaza de Colón, 4 Madrid
Opening hours: Monday to Wednesday from 12 noon to 1 a.m.; Thursday from 12 noon to 2 a.m.; Friday and Saturday from 12 noon to 3 a.m. Closed on Sundays.
Average price: £35-£40
Daily set menu: £20.90
Reservations: https://www.papuacolon.com/reserva
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/papuacolon
Source: BORSONIA Comunicación