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Deli is perfect for lunch

3 Posted on 01 / 27 / 2013

I went to visit a friend in Madrid and during my trip ate here twice. We ate in the deli which I thought was great for lunch.

There is a LOT of choice which can be slightly overwhelming, and information about all ingredients in each dish. The deli bar contains soups, salads which you can get a selection of and pay by weight), sandwiches, pre-prepared plates (e.g. seitan and rice which they will heat up) and a large selection of cakes and other desserts (including vegan cakes). These things can be combined in a 2 course or 3 course meal, although the 3 course meal would be very heavy for lunch for one person! There is also an a la carte menu with more choice.

They also had good coffee and fresh juices.

I thought the food was good and tasted home cooked although not out of the ordinary - my friends had the vegetable stew/soup which was very comforting. I had an asian noodle dish which was filling, although not as full of flavours as I had hoped. I also had a vegan cake which was good.

Pros: Lots of choice, Filling
Cons: Average food

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Ecocentro

5 Posted on 01 / 20 / 2013

This is a big restaurant with two floors, spacious and quiet. Varied menu options. Good quality, taste and quantity of food. Perfect for business meals. Low mobile coverage in underground area. Ever full with people but ever with availability. Quick service. Good quality/price relationship. Store, bookshop, and activity areas in separate premises.

Pros: good food, spacious

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Everything a vegan or vegetarian needs

5 Posted on 12 / 11 / 2012

Ecocentro is an institution with something for all vegans and vegetarians - deli, health food shop and restaurant (side by side but separate entrances). The deli and health food shop have a huge range of vegan meat/dairy substitutes, fresh fruit and veg, supplements and vitamins, books and beauty products etc. Probably the largest range in Madrid. The cafeteria offers a cheap buffet upstairs (around €12 for a big serving of food) with some other basic dishes available to order. And at night the restaurant does a more fine dining experience downstairs. It's all great!

Pros: Huge range of products, Reasonable prices, Cafeteria and restaurant options

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Meh

2 Posted on 12 / 11 / 2012

Disclaimer: I went here through a Groupon deal, and would NEVER have gone without it, because who the hell can afford a 20 euro buffet? Though I ate more than enough, I still thought it wasn't really worth the price I paid. I liked that they had lots of options, but everything was cold, and it felt like you are eating mildly healthy hospital food. Or very bad food you just bought at the Whole Foods salad bar. The atmosphere of the place is very cafeteria-ish and not really cozy. The staff was not the best either. It's not the best location, since it's a bit out of the center of the city.

The stores (2!) surrounding it (called Ecocentro as well) were amazing, and you should really check those out. They were huge and had lots of different vegan products.

I'd recommend going shopping for some products if you want, but avoid the restaurant.

Pros: good store, lots of options, all-you-can-eat deal
Cons: expensive, cold, bland food

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Average

3 Posted on 08 / 22 / 2011

I ate here several times.

The food is average. They use a lot of veg meat in their dishes. Nothing particularly memorable, flavorful or that stood out as being particularly Spanish in the choices.

Pros: Vegan options
Cons: cafateria setting

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Good choice!

4 Posted on 08 / 21 / 2011

I enjoyed this place. None of the courses I tried was probably anything out of the ordinary, but they sure did the trick. Besides, there are quite a few vegan desserts, which is always a plus! (especially in Spain)
I would imagine choosing individual dishes rather than a set menu is the affordable, smart thing to do.

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Best option after Crucina Raw Food Restaurant

5 Posted on 08 / 06 / 2011

I ate here numerous times in April 2011. Between the Bio-bufé and the restaurant there are tones of options, including vegan, which were clearly marked. Everything was fresh. I had no complaints.

If it wasn't for Crucina Raw Food Restaurant, EcoCentro would be my number #1 choice.

Pros: Buffet, Restarant & Health Store in one, Near Metro

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Tasty if a little overpriced

3 Posted on 03 / 09 / 2010

I ate here recently with the Madrid Vegetarian meetup group. Ecocentro is comprised of 3 parts - the natural/health food shop, a self-service cafe-style area and a full a la carte restaurant. We ate in the main restaurant (which doesn't open until 9pm).

The ambiance and atmosphere are very calm despite the whitewashed walls and quite bright lighting. It's down in the basement of the building so perhaps that's why it feels quite snug!

There's a menu of the day (lunch or dinner) - 3 courses for €15.95, or full a la carte. The dishes range from soup for around €4.95 up to €20 for a combination plate to share.

I went with Crema de Esparragosa (cream of asparagus) to start (very tasty), then Arroz Horneado con Verduras (Baked Rice with Vegetables) as a main. It was good but a little dry and not terribly creative.

We shared 3 bottles of the young red wine (the cheapest at €10.95 per bottle) and a few people had dessert, which did look good but I was full. They offer various desserts and different teas and coffees but there are no liqueurs on the menu (digestifs).

The bill came to just about €25 each - I thought this a little expensive for just 2 courses and 1.5 glasses of wine each.
The ratio of vegetarian to vegan was pretty good. I would say about 40% of the menu was vegan, or appeared to be able to be adapted.

It took a long time for anyone to come to even take a drinks order from us, and when we asked for a jug of tap water, they brought bottled, but to be honest, those are the only complaints.

I believe it's non-smoking though I didn't actually notice any signs. If not, then there were a lot of non-smokers there that night! Rare in Spain.

I would go there again (it's very convenient for where I live though it's a little out of the way if you're in the centre of the city) but there are better veggie places in Madrid. I will, however, be visiting the shop soon as that looked interesting.

Pros: Variety, Taste, Atmosphere
Cons: Location, Non-smoking

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too simple

3 Posted on 09 / 14 / 2009

the advantage is that everything is organic and there's vegan options clearly marked. But, without being bad, the food is not extraordinary, very simple indeed.

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Great Veg Compound! Don't miss the fine dining!

4 Posted on 08 / 14 / 2009

Wonderful Veg Grocery Store with all your regular fare. Then next door they have a cafeteria, which I assume most people think is also the restaurant, but if you go inside to the back of the cafeteria you'll see a pathway with some stairs like the last reviewer said and down you go to a really fine dining experience. Great food, service & atmosphere. You'll have no idea you're in a basement, the place looks brand new, too!

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The best we had in Madrid!

5 Posted on 03 / 02 / 2009

This is a restaurant, coffee shop, and grocery store. Make sure that you head for the restaurant downstairs, not the self-service cafeteria upstairs. Not that there's anything wrong with their salads and sandwiches, but we almost missed the sign for the restaurant which is in the basement and it would've been a shame to miss their three-course meals when that was what we were looking for.

I used to live in this neighborhood when I was in Madrid, but I never knew about this place! The food is really incredible, the menú del día was very good value. I wouldn't hesitate to take omnis here, everything was so so tasty.

All four dishes that we had were fantastic, and so were the desserts. The staff were friendly and polite.

I definitely wanna go back to this place, it was wonderful!

Pros: clearly marked vegan items, wide selection of mineral waters, near the metro

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the center of the world for me! (a vegan in love!)

5 Posted on 10 / 29 / 2008

This is the best restaurant I ever have been too..... I am encantado with it mucho!! if you are vegan and not one of those extremely lucky americans or canadians who never are happy with restaurants in the rest of the world(read the other weird reviews and you will surely get the wrong impression!!)

Really, if you are a veg and you loooove food, goooo hereeee!!! (from a norwegian who never been a better place in the world!)

Pros: food is the best, people are nice!, atmosphere greeeat!
Cons: price? they are very normal for norway;), I dont manage to eat everything at the, same time!! todos para mi!! por favor!!

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A haven for vegans in Spain

3 Posted on 08 / 25 / 2007

I worked in Madrid on a temporary assignment in 2005, and EcoCentro became my home away from home. I'd lived in Spain previously before becoming vegan, so I was nervous at the prospect of not being able to find vegan options in a notoriously meat-based culture.

I needn't have worried. EcoCentro is a combination vegetarian/vegan deli/shop/store, small by American standards and limited in variety, but a lifesaver for vegans who find themselves in Madrid for any length of time. They do have a small selection of organics, soy and rice milks, and soy analogs such as tempeh for sale. The shop also sells various herbal remedies, incense, New Age books, jewelry and imported goods. EcoCentro offers a variety of classes on various topics, and you can find more offers and activities listed on their bulletin board.

I lived down the street from EcoCentro, so I would stop into the deli to pick up vegan meals to take on weekend trips around Spain. The range of vegan cuisine is quite inventive and rotates on a regular basis. You can check out the current menu (and other info) at www.ecocentro.es

Pros: Creative organic cuisine, Herbal medicines, whole grains
Cons: Expensive, Limited variety