Expectations were high: lines of people were expected at the door, waiting their turn to get a table at one of Madrid's gastronomic temples: the Robuchon restaurant. It wasn't like that. The opening of the legendary tea room, shop and restaurant in September 2022 at number 12 of the Paseo de la Castellana, the same place where Embassy has been since its inauguration in 1931 and for 86 years, was not well received. It was not what had been predicted by those responsible for the brand of one of the giants of French gastronomy, Joël Robuchon, who in the presentation on his online page of the project announced the landing of the group in Spain, which would make “this” possible “This iconic corner should once again become the benchmark for restaurants in the capital.”
After the first impact of the inauguration in September 2022, after two years of renovation of the premises, which attracted gourmets, media and customers loyal to the previous business, but never consumed with a waiting list or the line organizer like some shops in the space, the bubble deflated . “The days are very irregular, there were services in which we made four covers, in others it was 30. The upper part worked, but the lower part did not work,” says a member of the team on the other end of the telephone call. Founder of the restaurant, who prefers to remain anonymous. These figures are a far cry from the capacity of the premises of 950 square meters, the renovation of which was carried out by interior designer Lázaro Rosa-Violán and divided into three different concepts.
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Upstairs is L'Atelier, with a Japanese bar and several tables, inspired by Nou Manolín, the bar in Alicante where the French chef was a guest due to his time in Calpe, with a total of 66 seats, an average price of the menu of more than 80 euros. In the entrance area there is L'Ambassade, a tea room and a restaurant with a more informal offering and a capacity for around 80 customers. In addition, there are 112 planned seats on the terrace. Another space was also designed, Le Speakeasy, a meeting point where you can enjoy drinks and cocktails. “But none of this has materialized in these year and a half,” says the source cited above.
Regarding this first exercise, Richard Clark, the CEO of JRI (Joël Robuchon International), which brings together the Spanish subsidiary as well as the rest of the restaurant licenses – a total of 24 spread over three continents with the chef's brand – points out in a written to this newspaper According to a statement sent, the experience helped “gain valuable knowledge and understanding of the local market and clientele as we strive to provide the best possible experience based on our core values of simplicity, excellence and coherence.” And he adds: “We are satisfied with our progress so far, but we are always striving to expand our commercial knowledge of Madrid and the relationship with our clientele, which continues to grow, as does the loyalty index that makes us believe that we are.” on the right way. “correct address”.
Interior of the restaurant Robuchon Madrid.ROBUCHON
During this time, the restaurant has lost one of its strengths: some of the talent that started the ambitious project. Most positions of responsibility were eventually left. “Out of boredom or frustration that things aren’t working,” explains a source in the area. Among the professionals who have left the ship is Mercedes Moraleda, who joined the Lateral group in 2021 as General Director and is responsible for the implementation, development of the business plan as well as the design of the brand's operating model in Spain. He left the company a few months ago. L'Atelier's experienced head waitress, Rebeca Bellido, has also left the company and now serves as manager of the Mexican restaurant Can Chan Chán. The last to leave the door this week was Chef Jorge González, a renowned chef trained at the School of Toulouse (France) and also in charge of the gastronomic offer of the Ritz Hotel in Madrid for more than 14 years Work at the Goizeko Wellington restaurant, also in the capital.
Another professional who left his position as sommelier was Alberto Ruffoni, who ran the local winery for just over a year. His reasons, as he explains to EL PAÍS, have nothing to do with dissatisfaction or disappointment, but are part of his learning process and the fact of having had a unique experience, such as opening a restaurant of this type. Span. “It is a job that requires long hours because the group is very demanding, and this idea fits with the perfection that is part of the success of the Robuchon brand.” “It was the icing on the cake of my time in the hospitality industry, and “Now I dedicate myself to other training and consulting tasks,” explains Ruffoni, who was replaced by the renowned sommelier David Robledo, who has plenty of experience from two decades at the Santceloni restaurant. in Madrid.
All these changes, emphasizes the company's marketing director in Spain, José Luis Reyes, are due to the aim of improving the restaurant's business model “because we are reformulating our offer”. And he recognizes that from the outside looking in, we may not have had overwhelming success, “given that Madrid is a complicated place and our goal is not to be a fad but a long-term recurring restaurant.”
Regarding the need to continue attracting high-quality professionals, the CEO of the group, which has already received 15 Michelin stars, highlights “the strengthening of the gastronomic offer by our culinary director Mathieu Desbat, a profile that knows: “Perfection is. “ the essence of Robuchon, having worked in our restaurants in Cyprus and London,” as well as the new general manager, Daniel Olid Román, “who is excited about our future in Madrid.”
Another novelty, according to the marketing director, is the work that will begin in February this year on the ground floor of the premises where L'Ambassade is located, “to adapt it to the new needs of the restaurant”. The new space is expected to reopen in March next year. The aim would be to eliminate any associations that could remind us of the previous tenant of the premises. Some still remember how, in the beginning, customers from the Salamanca district, regulars at Embassy, would come in and order the classic champagne cocktail that had been served since the 1940s, with Campari, ice and a secret house blend. Nobody could reproduce it.
The chef Joël Robuchon, who died in 2018, in an archive photo.Portal
The Madrid opening is part of the expansion plan of a group that maintains Joël Robuchon's desire to make his name something more than that of a chef: a prestigious restaurant brand present in Europe, Asia and North America through various branches Models Atelier de Joël Robuchon, Joël Robuchon Restaurant, Le Salon de Thé de Joël Robuchon, La Méditerranée Robuchon, Le Comptoir Robuchon and Le Deli Robuchon. He died of cancer in 2018 at the age of 73 at his home in Geneva (Switzerland), and before the group, owners of his brand, decided to start the adventure in Spain, a country where the chef spent a long time, among other things Reasons to enjoy Spanish gastronomy. But he never wanted to open a restaurant. His argument: “There are many exceptional restaurants here.” Now his name is looking for a place among them.
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