Just a couple of months after Mawey opened in early 2018, the space was reinvented to accommodate the great reception it was receiving. Food fans in Madrid went wild right away for this modern Mexican restaurant in the heart of Chamberí that, with its flavourful recipes, good cocktails and reasonable prices, has carved out a space for itself among the most recommended eateries in the area.
Among the informal bites is a home-made guacamole with delicious tortilla chips, and plenty of tacos, such as ‘gobernador’ tacos made with sautéed prawns, Oaxaca cheese, ancho chilli sauce and pickled red cabbage in a blue corn tortilla. The bar serves up some great classic mixes, like the margarita – they’ve got about six different versions! – and lesser-knowns, like the Paloma, made with tequila, lime, grapefruit and black salt.
In the back is a dining room with table service where another menu awaits. You can get a low-temperature-cooked beef rib with morita chilli barbecue sauce and pico de gallo that melts in your mouth and leaves you perfectly happy to lick your fingers in public.
Fernando Carrasco and Julián Barros are the two cooking enthusiasts behind Mawey, and they’re fascinated with the possibilities chilli peppers bring them. Chillis are to be found in plenty of the recipes that come out of the kitchen, and they work wonderfully, resulting in dishes where the spiciness is perfectly balanced and never kills the flavours of the rest of the ingredients.