DESCRIPTION: The food is marvelous, everything from the Gambas al ajillo to the Ossobucco! This restaurant has one of the biggest varieties of tappes that I have ever seen.
DATE: 2003-04-19
FOODRATING : 10
SERVICERATING : 8
AMBIANCERATING : 6
OVERALLRATING : 8
RECOMMENDED DISHES : Solomillo and Seabass

What happened?
DESCRIPTION: It had been a long time since I ventured to the BD complex to enjoy what used to be an excellent restaurant -- Cafe Madrid. Obviously, things had changed since I was last there. Despite a reservation, service was extremely slow and rude. I seldom enjoy wait staff hovering over me, but I would like the opportunity to purchase a drink within 20 minutes of arrival. Humorously, at one point, a waiter brought a second round of salads. There were four of us, he brought three. Since we had just finished the same salad only minutes ago, we declined this rerun saying "we just finished this." He replied with "well you can eat it again," turned and gestured humorously to the other patrons. While I love the comedy of John Cleese, I do not enjoy taking part in a Faulty Tower's comedic sketch. Perhaps the better dining experience at Cafe Madrid is to stick solely to their tapas menu. (I did enjoy the mushrooms and clams, but not as much as in previous dining experiences.) On the night of out visit, there were no specials and we ordered 4 of their entr es. The duck was served in a pear reduction which was good, but not overly exciting. A similar treatment was given to the pork with a port reduction. The Lamb shank was disappointing. It was flavorless, more well done than is desirable, and swam through a plate of rather ordinary gravy. I was pleased to see the new baby potatoes dusted with tarragon - an herb underutilized in my mind The final straw occurred when I ordered another bottle of wine (which was excellently recommended by the hostess/owner.) However, when this second bottle arrived, it was not the same vintage (a 2002 rather than a 1998). When confronted the young waiter stated that he couldn t find that one and that this one was "fresher." Please, if you're going to serve expensive wines and list their vintage on the menu, please educate the staff. Will I return to Cafe Madrid? It had always been one of my favorite summer dining locations, and hopefully this experience was an anomaly. Perhaps when the days are again long, I will dare order a variety of Tapas on the patio. Until then...
DATE: 2004-12-16
FOODRATING : 4
SERVICERATING : 2
AMBIANCERATING : 8
OVERALLRATING : 4
RECOMMENDED DISHES : Stick to the tapas or specials.