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by Manos Angelakis
 Hotel Villa Real,
member of the Derby Hotels Collection
Plaza de las Cortes, 10
28014 Madrid
SPAIN
member of the
Small Luxury Hotels of the World Collection
Tel: (34) 91 420 37 67
Fax: (34) 91 420 25 47
www.derbyhotels.es
 It is a small, only 115 rooms and suites, but very centrally located five-star boutique hotel that also houses a unique collection of 2nd and 3rd century Roman mosaics and amphorae as well as very attractive modern art pieces. It was created by combining 3 buildings facing the Plaza de las Cortes. Across the street to the north is the Congreso de los Diputados, a grand Neo-Classical structure whose main architectural feature is a portico with 6 Corinthian-style columns topped by a great pediment with sculptures by Ponciano Ponzano. The hotel is less than a 30-minute drive to Barajas Airport.
The lobby is decorated with numerous modern art pieces and has very comfortable leather couches. Steps off the lobby are the hotel’s two restaurants, Europa Restaurante and the East 47 Restaurant and Bar and the Business Center. A corridor behind the lobby leads to the elevator bank, conference rooms, the Bar Villa Real, as well as the Salon Cibeles, where a lavish buffet breakfast is set every morning.
After registration, we were whisked to a standard room; a lovely split-level, with a king size bed on the upper level and a leather sofa across from a desk and television on the lower level, 2 steps down. Our balcony overlooked the Plaza de las Cortes and the Paseo del Prado.
 After settling in, we met with Pilar Cuesta, our “guardian angel” during our Villa Real stay. A very nice young lady, who spoke very good English -- though she did not think so herself. She, together with Immaculada Borras, the Meetings and Incentives Director, took us on a visit of the suites and public spaces.
The suites were on the two top floors and were duplexes, decorated with some of the Roman mosaics and other antiques, with beautiful furniture and furnishings.
While visiting the Europa Restaurante which was presenting Jornadas Atún 2004, the Tuna Week, with numerous tuna based à la carte dishes plus a complete tuna  tasting menu with or without accompanying wines, Pilar made diner reservations for us to try the kitchen’s capabilities.
As soon as we were seated, we were presented with a selection of fruity olive oils from 3 different oil-producing areas (Navarra, Toledo and Cordoba) paired with 3 different salts (smoked, sea-salt with algae and what was described as Sal Especiada). There was lovely, crusty Italian style bread for dipping.
The appetizer was “Rinds of Red Tuna”, deep-fried tuna skin, “Tuna Roe Eggs with Tarragon Pepper Sauce”, rondelles of roe in a pimento sauce, and “Layers of Tuna Heart and Mozarella with Fried Green Tomatoes”. The presentation was in an oblong, white dish. The appetizer was paired with an excellent Juve & Camps Milesime 98, Cava, one of the best sparkling wines we had tasted during our trip.
The next dish, paired with a 2000 Premier Cru Fourchame Chablis, was “Red Tuna Tartar with Sea Urchins from Finisterre”. It was presented in a square white plate with whole-wheat wafers and toast points. The sea urchins gave a boost to the just-out-of-the-sea smell of the tuna.
The dish following was “Seaweed Salad with Tuna from Ijar and Descargamento en Medio Salazon”. A combination of tuna carpaccio and pressed salty preserved tuna. This was accompanied by a 2000 Comtes d’ Eguisheim Gewürztraminer from Alsace, an aromatic almost dry wine, redolent of toast, violets and honeysuckle.
Following that, was a “Ventresca of Tuna with Green Asparagus and Soup of White Asparagus”. The “soup” was actually a loose white sauce. The wine with this dish was a ‘99 Promis, from Tuscany, a lighter red with vanilla, red fruit, cigar-box and cloves on the nose. Very pleasant and well suited to the dish.
The final dish in the flight was “,Fillet of Tuna with Anemones and Soya Buds”. Even though the dish was very nice, the wine accompanying it, a ‘97 La Fleur Gazin from Pomerol was a disappointment. Too austere, it left behind a metallic taste.
The dessert was a “Turmeric Ice Cream with Maracuya and Crunchy Chocolate”. It, accompanied by a “95 Vintage Naval Silval Port, was one of the highlights of the meal.
By this time we were all tunaed out. Too much of a very good thing, is still too much. Advice to the chef: something is needed in-between the later courses to cleanse the palate, probably a sorbet between the Seaweed Salad with Tuna and the Ventresca of Tuna.
Service was friendly and attentive. The Asian influence in presentation was very apparent as every dish was presented on a different shaped plate, which made for an interesting visual contrast. The special menu was wrapped in a piece of blue tuna net and had a booklet (in Spanish) explaining about the tuna and the wines, as well as the actual menu (available in both English and Spanish).
 The next evening we decided to try the East 47 Restaurant and Bar. It has an entrance from both the lobby and the street and has a good selection of tapas and other typical Spanish dishes. The bar has a large selection of sherries and a good representation of Spain’s top brandies. So we ordered tapas and a beautifully dry fino and felt like true Madrileños.
The hotel is very centrally located, yet the interior is extremely quiet thanks to double glazing. There is wireless high speed internet access and direct dial telephones with data ports connect guests to the rest of the world. Soft terry cloth robes and slippers are available in every room. A selection of nice bath products is in the bathroom and a complete set is delivered every morning when the maids make-up the rooms, whether the old one is used or not.
We wish to thank Félix Garcia Hernan, the general manager, and staff of Villa Real and especially Pilar Cuesta for an unforgetable sojourn.
©JulyAugust 2004 LuxuryWeb Magazine. All rights reserved.
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