Every January 16, a special day is commemorated in honor of one of the most typical and celebrated snacks in our cuisine: Croquette Day. Restaurants such as Arzábal remind us of this occasion through initiatives such as the distribution of 4,000 free croquettes at their headquarters located next to Retiro Park (Avenida de Menéndez Pelayo, 13).
To try one, all you have to do is go to the restaurant this Friday, January 16, where the free croquettes will be handed out starting at 7 p.m. on a first-come, first-served basis while supplies last. With this initiative, they say, they want to turn this date into “a social and participatory experience.”
Their recipe, which results in intensely flavored croquettes with a crispy exterior and a creamy interior, has made them one of the group’s iconic dishes and one of the most popular items on their menu.
The Madrid tavern chosen by Margot Robbie
Arzábal is not only one of the names in traditional Madrid cuisine for locals, but has also caught on with celebrities such as Hollywood stars. Proof of this is the visit that Australian actress and producer Margot Robbie made to the Retiro restaurant last summer.
Interestingly, on that occasion Robbie did not include croquettes in her order, but she did try other typical dishes such as pig’s ear and, for dessert, torrija (a type of French toast).
With diners like her, Arzábal joins the list of restaurants that celebrities choose in our city when they come to visit, and anyone who sits at one of its tables can say that they have eaten at the same restaurant as the star of Barbie.