- The secret has remained the same for decades: top-quality produce, respect for the seasons, precision in every dish and a friendly, family atmosphere. A way of understanding the hospitality industry based on craftsmanship, consistency and honesty.
- With Paco García at the helm for a quarter of a century, Ponzano proves that you don’t have to reinvent yourself to stay relevant. All you need to do is cook well, charge fairly and treat customers as if they were at home. Who hasn’t heard of the Cocido madrileño (Madrid stew) on Wednesdays, or its marinades, stews and meats?
The Bar Restaurante Ponzano (Ponzano, 12. Madrid. Tel. 91 448 68 80. is celebrating a very special double anniversary this year: 40 years since his father turned it from a grocery store into a bar-delicatessen-ham shop and 25 years since Paco García – known to everyone as ‘Paco Ponzano’ – took over the project, turning it into one of the most honest and beloved eateries in Madrid. Behind all this machinery there is also the silent and fundamental work of Melania Berdún, Paco’s partner in life and in business.
It all started with a bar that served food to the locals, to anyone who came in, without any fuss or fanfare. Paco, who until then had been working as a financial auditor, decided to give up his professional career to devote himself to the family business and an inherited passion: cooking. The place grew naturally. They expanded the space, renovated the adjoining premises, and in 2008, what we now know as Bar Restaurante Ponzano, affectionately known as Ponzano12, was born. It is a simple and cosy restaurant with a dining room accessed from Calle Morejón, designed so that the most important thing is what arrives on the plate. Because here, there are no tricks or gimmicks.
Recipes are not reinvented, nor is tradition reinterpreted. At Ponzano, like any good eatery, you eat what you expect to eat: traditional Spanish cuisine, the same as always, which Paco sings about in his suggestions. Stews, marinades, spoon dishes and a classic recipe book that continues to fill tables year after year. Patatas a la importancia, Castilian soup, marinated partridge, chicken in almond sauce, bocartes a la bilbaína, callos or crispy torreznos are part of a repertoire that knows no fads.
One of the great pillars of the house is its daily menu, which has become almost an institution in the neighbourhood. For €18, Ponzano offers exceptional market produce that justifies why the place is full every lunchtime, with traditional dishes such as Fabada, Caldo gallego, Lacón con grelos (a tribute to the Galician chef who was with his grandfather when they started). Special mention should be made of the full Cocido Madrileño on Wednesdays, a ritual with loyal customers who reserve week after week and which shows that traditional cuisine, well made and at a fair price, still has a large following in the capital. It is also available to order for groups of 10 people any day of the week for £28, and it is now customary in winter to always have it at the weekend.
The menu, prepared using ingredients from the best suppliers, allows customers to decide how much they want to spend: from patatas bravas or a well-made tortilla to the finest seasonal mushrooms, excellent fish from the Pesca XXI fish market, poultry from Higinio Gómez and meat from Urbano de Frutos, Cárnicas LyO, or El Encinar de Humienta, such as young pink beef steaks, Simmental, Rubia Gallega or Casina. In the bread section, those from Viena La Baguette and Cientotreintaº are the perfect accompaniment. As for house wine, Bodega Fernández de Piérola; or butter from Mantequería las Nieves, the same brand that was sold in the grocery store.
An authentic variety with excellent products that perfectly defines the restaurant’s leitmotif. ‘Since this establishment was founded, the philosophy has always been the same,’ says Paco. ‘Since the 1980s, we have remained faithful to traditional recipes, without being influenced by passing fads or changing the way we prepare our tripe, pickled meats, sweetbreads, and Russian salad, which we make in-house every day… Fashion is what has evolved towards the type of cuisine we make. And I think that’s why we’ve been enjoyed by so many generations.’
Ponzano seats 40 diners in the dining room (average price in this area, €50), 6 in its private room, 30 on the ground floor and 40 in the bar area (where the average bill is around €30). Its full menu of the day, with a choice of first and second courses – always homemade and balanced options – drink and coffee or dessert, costs £18. Due to its popularity, it is highly recommended to book a table in advance, especially on Wednesdays. The restaurant is open from 1:00 pm to 4:30 pm and from 8:30 pm to midnight. The bar is open Monday to Thursday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and from 7 p.m. to 12:30 a.m.; on Fridays and Saturdays, it stays open until 1:30 a.m., and on Sundays, it closes at midnight. On weekends, breakfast—or brunch, depending on how you look at it—starts at 11:30 a.m.
Source: AIRES NEWS Communication
