Ojala (8/10)

I have heard a bunch of people talking about “the bar with the beach” so I was excited to try this place with two friends!  I didn’t love the “beach” part, but the upstairs is light and bright and the food is delicious!!

OjalaOjala Collage

  • Address:  Calle de San Andrés, 1, 28004 Madrid
  • Atmosphere:  there are two floors to this restaurant.  The top floor is your basic “modern” type place with wood tables and cool lights and pretty walls, but the basement is what they call the “ojala beach”.  IMO, it’s a dungeon-like basement that they didn’t know what to do with, so they put sand on the floor with low seats and funky-colored lights and called it a beach.  I think the basement would be cool for drinks at night (in the winter), but otherwise you are sitting uncomfortably with sand in your shoes and your legs all cramped up.  I much prefer the upstairs.  See the above pictures to see what I mean.
  • Type of food: modern.  burgers, sandwiches, wraps and tacos salads, small plates to share.
  • What I had:  Detox: quinoa, lombarda, mix de hojas verdes, cebolla morada, cilantro, granada, pimiento rojo , lima y vinagreta de cacahuetes con jengibre.  I also shared the hummus with sweet potato chips and the order of the mac & cheese.  All of the plates were delicious and I especially loved the salad.  The prices were completely reasonable and while the portions are not huge, I was full for less than 10 Euros.
  • Tips:  Make a reservation, especially if you plan to go during a busy time or if you want to sit “at the beach”

Rating:  9/10 for food, 7.5/10 for atmosphere