La Musa Restaurant / Tapas Bar

Malasaña / Chueca, Madrid –

Tapas have dominated Madrid’s gastronomic scene since before it became the capital in the sixteenth century, but La Musa has taken that tradition and run with it. Part of a small population of restaurants seeking to reinvent age-old dishes, the venue fuses traditional Spanish tapas with international flavors.

Not surprisingly, the ambiance follows the same form as the food, juxtaposing a rustic wood interior with modern paintings and new-wave furniture. This whimsical environment is enhanced by the enormous pinwheels protruding from the polished white pillars, and by the flower-shaped stained glass lamps mounted on the bar.

The small room behind the main bar, which is a bit more low key in both décor and atmosphere, provides a private spot where conversation is kept to a murmur.

On weekdays, the restaurant packs in trendy, cosmopolitan Spaniards as well as savvy expats looking for an after-work snack, a few glasses of wine, and some engaging conversation, while the weekends at La Musa cater to groups who come to socialize and savor the future of Spanish cuisine.