Alcalá de Henares, 30-abril-2025.- Alcalá de Henares is hosting the second edition of the European Tapas Week, a journey through the flavors of the European Union in 27 bites. This is a joint initiative of the Community of Madrid, the City Council of Alcalá de Henares, Alcalá Gastronómica–Fomentur, and Alcalá Desarrollo to commemorate Europe Day, which is celebrated on May 9th.
This year, 27 restaurants that are members of the Alcalá Gastronómica association will pay tribute to the gastronomy of the 27 countries of the European Union through original and creative tapas served from May 2nd to May 9th.
The deputy mayor Isabel Ruiz Maldonado presented this initiative this morning at the Tourism Department in an event attended by the directors general of Territorial Rebalancing, Javier Carazo, and of Cooperation with the State and the European Union, Cristina Menéndez, the president of Alcalá Gastronómica-Fomentur, José Valdearcos, as well as representatives from the hospitality sector of the city.
Ruiz Maldonado stated, “I am especially happy to share with you this symbolic and delicious offer that is the European Tapas Week. I am happy to see how our restaurants are increasingly raising the quality and promotion of the city, and I am also happy to see how the Community of Madrid is supporting our promotion, our city, and our tourism professionals.”
Furthermore, the Tourism councilor highlighted the good moment that tourism in the city is experiencing, with recognitions such as the Citizens’ Award at the State Secretariat for Tourism for its commitment to the Smart Tourist Destination, the Award for the Best Urban Tourism in 2024 granted by Competur at the Congress of Deputies, and the award for Digital Signage from the Tourist Offices of the Community of Madrid. “In these last two years, around 500,000 overnight stays and over 850,000 visits to tourist attractions have been achieved,” she pointed out.
Ruiz Maldonado also affirmed that initiatives like this European Tapas Week aim to destigmatize tourism and, along with Complutum Renacida and the White Night, “boost all tourism activity in the month of May and achieve levels similar to the magnificent cultural and tourist Autumn of our city.”
From Hungarian Goulash to Cypriot roasted lamb bread
Among the tapas that can be tasted during this week, there are appetizing creations such as Hungarian Goulash in warm bread, Cypriot bread stuffed with roasted lamb, the traditional Irish Shepherd’s pie, or the Maltese reinterpretation of croquettes with gbejena cheese and Cointreau compote. A range of flavors that blend creativity and tradition, with the quality stamp of Alcalá’s cuisine.
These are the restaurants of Alcalá Gastronómica – Fomentur participating in the European Tapas Week and the creations that can be savored:
- Restaurante Santo Tomás. Parador de Alcalá: Patatas bravas (Spain).
- Martilota: Crispy potato tartlet filled with veal cheek and mushrooms with truffled mead foam (Lithuania).
- Ki-Jote Restaurante Fusión: Marinated salmon Smørrebrød with wasabi and pickles (Denmark).
- Talanis: Shepherd’s pie. Minced lamb pie with mashed potatoes (Ireland).
- Caiko Smokehouse: Belgian stew, carbonade. Braised beef with dark beer (Belgium).
- Nubium: Slovak-style sandwich. Bread, York ham, tomato, boiled egg, cucumber, and grated cheese (Slovakia).
- Norwegian Skrei. Another way to eat cod: Hungarian Goulash in warm bread (Hungary).
- Sacromonte: Kyufté (spiced Bulgarian burger) with kartofi sus sirene (Bulgaria).
- Sacromonte II: Kaunis. Finnish-style meat dumplings with Dijon mustard and cranberry sauce (Finland).
- La Terraza del Mercado: Czech goulash with stewed brisket in dark beer (Czech Republic).
- Plademunt. El Restaurante Imaginario: Kaspressknödel. Austrian bread and cheese dumplings (Austria).
- La Cúpula: Slightly spicy mussel croquette on roasted sweet potato (The Netherlands).
- La Cátedra. Hotel El Bedel: Cypriot bread filled with roasted lamb, yogurt sauce with Mediterranean herbs, pickles, and pistachio (Cyprus).
- Restaurante 1888: Grilled rye bread with Janu cheese (cottage cheese) and smoked mackerel (Latvia).
- Bar Restaurante Nino: Gromperekichelcher: Potato pancakes (Luxembourg).
- Cafetería Las Nubes El Corte Inglés: Sweet bread filled with pork knuckle in Consauerkrut beer and sweet apple mayonnaise (Germany).
- Restaurante Asador La Ermita: Spinach and feta cheese Spanakopita with tzatziki (Greece).
- Restaurante El Encín Golf: Goulash with fried potato gnocchi (Slovenia).
- Restaurante Mesa12: Fried macaron filled with truffled steak tartare, parmesan cloud, and basil emulsion (Italy).
- Fino Bar: Gbejena cheese croquette, finished with Cointreau and cinnamon compote (Malta).
- La Fábrica Gastrobar: Sarmale. Cabbage leaves stuffed with minced meat, rice, onion, spices, and herbs (Romania).
- Antológico: Mussels in buzaru umak sauce (Croatia).
- Magistral Gastrotaberna: Baltic herring topped with sour béarnaise and salted kama (Estonia).
- Casino Alcalá: Green pork broth (Portugal).
- Ambigú: Köttbullar (spiced matured beef meatballs), mashed potatoes, and cranberry sauce (Sweden).
- Santissimo: Foie gras and roasted apple eclair (France).
- Abrasador Casa Benito: Beef tataki with Oscypek cheese and vodka reduction (Poland).
