This year, Tapapiés has given a verbena-like atmosphere to the Centro district: groups of friends eating and drinking on the street, waiters running around filling plates with tapas, music in the squares… Meanwhile, more than a hundred locals from Lavapiés have competed for the award for best tapa of the festival. The 2024 edition has been full of proposals linked to international gastronomy and vegan philosophy.
The winner for the jury
The jury gave first place (El Águila Dorada Award) to Souksou (Salitre, 43), a typical Moroccan street food restaurant, which presented an exotic Patela Finger with Amlou Sauce: filo pastry roll with chicken, onion, coriander and a special sauce with honey, almonds, peanuts, cinnamon and a touch of argan. “We have a larger version of this tapa on the menu, but with different toppings (for €7.50). We are thinking of keeping the sauce that won at Tapapiés to add it to the dish,” the Souksou team explains to Madrid Secreto.
Second place (Jury Prize) went to Mr. Matambre (Calle Amparo, 12), a Lebanese food place that brought a roasted eggplant with tajin yogurt and caramelized coca. A proposal with a sweet touch of the most original, which mixes two of the best dishes of the house (artisan coca and candied eggplant) in one.
The winner for the public takes the Third Prize.
The public’s favorite tapa was Patacón de la Alpargata: a fried green plantain toast with margariteña salad (raisins, carrots, cabbage, mayonnaise and lemon) under a shower of cheese. It is the brainchild of La Alpargata Vegana, a tavern located in the San Fernando Market (stall number 10). “It’s a tradition to order this dish in the Caribbean platas. It is not on our menu but we would like to add it because it has been very successful. We are very happy,” comments the tavern’s team.
La Alpargata Vegana boasts a totally vegetable and homemade gastronomic offer. To drink, it has everything from natural juices to organic wines and craft beers. To eat, all kinds of sandwiches and main dishes with ingredients suitable for vegans.