Imagine you were an American with Filipino roots and you wanted to open a restaurant. You could go for Yankee comfort food, you could go purist with your mother’s gastronomy, or you could do what Chuck George does: a remix -with French touches- with personality.
Chuck’s Madrid is the new stop for a guy who already has locations in Milan, Paris and Rome. Is it a burger joint? Is it fusion? Is it the new temple of natural wines? The answer is: yes. And it’s also a place without a sign. If you walk by and don’t see it, you’ve seen it.
Chuck George made a name for himself in the foodie world with a “no-modifications” griddle burger in Milan. The concept evolved and now, in Madrid, there’s more on the menu: a kinilaw (a Filipino chicharro ceviche) that’s to die for, chicken wings that turn into gyoza and are reminiscent of very similar ones from the recently starred Sen Omakase, and even a braised rabbit royal with sriracha and jus. To drink, natural wines selected by Natalia Cano Bresciani -formerly at Bendito.
A bistro with an Asian soul
The venue, designed by Chuck himself and executed by Barr Atelier, captures the essence of a French bistro but with a local twist. Inside, wooden tables, oak benches and lamps made by blacksmiths and carpenters from Madrid. On the walls, works by Lucien Smith, Eliza Rutson Pang and Almudena Canedo. Outside, a terrace for when the weather is nice.
Chuck comes from Newport, grew up in Virginia and passed through New York before setting out to conquer Europe. First with a take-away window in Milan, then with premises in Paris and Rome, and now with this concept in Chamberí, which seems to be a declaration of intent: his business goes beyond the burger.
As he himself says: “The opening in Madrid is about post-pandemic hospitality, about the idea of being and feeling seen. It’s the evolution from a small window with a minimal offer to a space with character and a bigger menu. It’s cooking for a community that comes together and shows up. So let me cook you something else, something different, something that’s me.”
Save the name (and the address – Calle de la Santísima Trinidad, 6 – because it doesn’t have a sign).