Crucina Restaurante

My partner and I visited for dinner on a Thursday night. The restaurant has recently been refurbished and was beautifully intimate with low lighting. We had the tasting menu which was simply stunning from beginning to end; a lightly dressed salad, moussaka, lasagna, meatballs followed by tiramisu, all accompanied by white wine and mineral water. The food was beautifully presented, suitably paced and did not disappoint. Flavours were complex, with varied and subtle use of herbs and spices - a real treat for the tastebuds. The two signature dishes (moussaka and tiramisu) were simply divine. It is easy to understand why they are gaining cult status at Crucina. I highly recommend this restaurant, a real 'Jewel in the Crown' of raw vegan restaurants.
A special thank you to the proprietors for assisting us with getting a taxi back to our hotel.

Tasty raw vegan restaurant. The food is outstanding, flavorful, nicely presented and well conceived. The restaurant by itself is quite dark and wine offerings can improve. Service is friendly.

100% raw, mostly vegan (ask for bee honey use in some desserts).

Be prepared to a unique food experience. The chef will be happy to explain every dish.

Don't miss the quiche, the vegan "cheese" assortment. But, most of all, allow the chef to guide you.

A bit expensive with respect to other vegan and vegetarian restaurants in Madrid. Anyhow, it's price for value.

Also offers unexpensive daily menu for lunch.

amazing food, some of the best i have ever had! soooo good! thumbs up

A little quiet for a Saturday evening, but the food was delicious. The staff were friendly and genuine, the chef was knowledgable and passionate when personally presenting all dishes to the customers. I had a three course, all dishes were excellent, but the lasagna was the highlight for me :-)

My wife and I visited last week and this place is the vegan equivalent of a 3 start Michelin. We had the sampler menu which went from strength to strength. Every dish was a revelation in ingenuity and tasty combinations that made our pallets sing and our hearts & spirit soar.

For me the lasagne was of particularl mention and more ranks as the best dish I've ever tasted (vegan or not). Each layer had its own flavour of perfection and delicacy, but combined they rose to a new level of taste experience that challenged what can be achieved in a kitchen.

I'd be a Cretin if I did not also mention the chocolate mousse. This is the smoothest velvety mouse if tried since turning vegan and tasted far better than anything succeeded in making with our without egg. So good that I had to use a finger to scoop out every last bit.

The price might be the highest among the Madrid vegan options - but if you like food it is well worth the journey in its own. Crucina is a temple to food and exhibits divinity in the kitchen - a must go!

I've only tried the menu of the day but it was very good: a very nice salad with an interesting dressing, tasty raw zucchini noodles with pesto sauce and a yummy chocolate mousse as a dessert. Good price, friendly staff and relaxed atmosphere. I want to go back to try the rest of the menu.

To my big disappointment this lovely restaurant was closed when i arrived, while according to the opening hours it should have been open. :'(

Try the raw vegan mousaka , a real treat!

On the one hand the dishes are lovingly prepared and are visually stunning. There are some really interesting taste sensations. And it is obviously a statement/event restaurant with a proprietor who is passionate about this food. But ... too many of the basic flavours were repeated; raw food does not have to mean small portions and, ultimately it was unsatisfying as a meal unless you spend quite a lot of money. Tax is added after the menu price - we paid 47 euro for three dishes and one drink. (We arrived at 8.10pm without booking, were told our choice would be limited; but the restaurant was empty and we followed the proprietor's suggestions so we don't think this is mis-representing our experience.)

i had a 3-meals feast, plus the dessert: I started with spinach/ avocado soup, passed nori roles, devoured zucchini/ portobello hamburger, and ended up with tiramisu. looking back, i cannot single out the best of what i had. it was all very delicious, tasty, filling and healthy. i really felt like feeding my cells by antioxidants and vitamins. the place is precious and i am sorry i have not something similar back home in split... of course that dishes are a bit pricey, but i would pay even more for such raw food delicacies :)

A restaurant that is a just a treasure.
No words can explain one of the our most amazing dinner we had last night.
After the 30 min you just forget you are in a raw food restaurant , we realised that is a Top restaurant offering crazy food, so gourmet, tasty , natural with high quality ingredients.
Meeting the Greek chef/owner is just a mind blowing experience ,I've never seen a man so passionate for what he does , we met a guy like him in Australia ,Sydney a raw chef, these guys are changing the world.BTW book a table cause it's a bit hard to find a table, we had to wait 20 min but really worth it.
Thanks and kudos for the experience.
Updated from previous review on Thursday May 22, 2014

Ladies and gentlemen we'd probably found the best restaurant that offers one of the most amazing raw food on planet.
Make sure you get the raw creamy and full of flavor tiramisu and a slice of the greek apple pie the chef and owner is greek that's the reason you can eat the raw vegan mousaka which blows anything similar, fantastic.
This is how a raw food restaurant should be.

We had a tasting menu, everything was awesome until the dessert came and had honey in it. The waiter told me that the concept of veganism in the states is different. No idea what he was trying to bring up, maybe for this restaurant bees have no moral value.

Went here for dinner and was somewhat disappointed. The staff were lovely. I think it is not just expensive but overpriced for many items considering they also add on tax at the end for example almost 11 euros for a miso soup and almost 8 euro for a smoothie.

We had fresh juices which were good and then nachos as starter to share which were beautifully presented but a little lacklustre. The raw 'corn chips' did not quite do it for me, they were too thin and chewy and it simply came with a pretty standard guacamole (it was very nice and fresh) but it was just missing something over all. This cost around 12 euro and was small.

I had the Moussaka for main on recommendation of the owner which I did not enjoy much. It was really rich and fatty with a brazil nut/avocado base and a macadamia nut cream on top it was really just mushy and had no texture to it at all. It was really small but I couldn't have eaten any more of it. It had WAY TOO MUCH nutmeg.

My partner chose the Greek style stuffed courgettes with tomato and basil cheese which was fresh and filled her for a main and she enjoyed the flavours. It was very beautifully presented and you could tell a lot of work was put in to preparing it.

We skipped dessert as there were only two options and one of them (Baklava) had honey in it. Came to 56 euro total.

It was too nut based for me as many raw restaurants can be and I left unsatisfied like I hadn't had a balanced meal.

As the only raw food restaurant in Spain worth a visit already.
The location is nice, a bit away from the centre, nice ambience.

The menu looks great, I wish I could try everything on it! The stuff are willing to describe each dish and everything we had tasted amazing. The cooking sounds form the kitchen (e.g. whizzing of the blenders!) were amusing! :) The food doesn't leave you heavy and there's definitely something about having this raw, living food in you -- that really charges up your day. Highly recommended.

As the only raw vegan restaurant in all of Spain, Crucina does a wonderful job of serving delicious and beautiful dishes.

I m green chef and I can sugested these restaurant!
Tasty and not hevy food ( do not contet too much nuts)
Realy great!

Absolutely outstanding, best raw vegan food I have ever tasted. Quite expensive but totally worth it!

I'm not generally into the raw scene and ended up going here because another place (Bar Kunin) was not open when it was supposed to be. Thank you serendipity; this was my fave in Madrid.

I had 2 mains - the nachos and lasagna - and both were well presented and tasty. (I like to eat and one main may be enough for more normal eaters). I also had a "strawberry pie" which was more like a mousse but it was superb and I don't normally even like mousse. I wish I had more stomach space to try more while I was there. If I could get raw like this all the time then I'd be happy to be raw all the time.

The host/owner George was also most affable with an interesting story.

It was possibly a little pricey compared to other places in Madrid but I don't think there is anything unfair with the prices - you get what you pay for.

Crucina knows flavor and texture. Everything i tried was the top of its class.

This high quality comes at a price: Ordering a la carte, a meal consisting of starter, main course, and drink would total over 30 euros. I found the juices and smoothies to be a bit too expensive.

Fortunately, they offer a menú del día, which delivers fantastic value at 13 euros for a starter/salad, main course, and dessert. I highly recommend it.

There is also a tasting menu for 45 euros, which would be a royal treat for those who can afford it.

The ambiance is warm, light, and pleasant, and the service was friendly.

Very highly recommended.

Europe flagship raw food restaurant its got to be Crucina,we were yesterday there and we just loved the food ,tasty and sooooooooo fresh ,the owner is greek so he create this greek desert baklaba which was absolutely delisious OMG.
The restaurant was almost full which is nice to see that so many people in Madrid are really in to healthy food .

This raw (max cooked at 170 Farenheit) vegetarian and vegan food must to be visited once to know the crudivegan food. For a meal es very expensive for the small rations served. Serves honey (therefore is not vegan).

This wonderful restaurant offers a new and fantastic experience. Both comitted raw-foodists and the sceptical will enjoy the delicious creations of a very skilled chef. I've been a number of times and can recommend the 'moussaka' and 'Swedish meatballs' as particularly surprising and tasty. The 'breads', nut cheeses, 'lasagne', and 'hamburger' are also great. Actually, everything is mind-blowing! And afterwards you feel great! Healthy, full of energy and not weighed down with mountains of soy, bread and rice that are often the main part of a cooked vegan diet. It is inspiring that healthy, raw food can taste this good. Well worth it! The owners are also super friendly and welcoming to people from around Madrid or around the world.

After visiting several raw food places I didn't expect much (despite reading the reviews) but I was pleasantly surprised!
The food was excellent and the owner is very nice.
Updated from previous review on Thursday November 29, 2012

This is a lovely space, with lots of light and nice energy. The food is raw vegan gourmet, with a large menu full of delicious dishes, juices and smoothies.
Definitely worth to try, especially if you are not vegan, this food with inspire you. It's healthy, it's creative, playful, full of color, beautiful and damn tasty!

Really good food. amazing deserts
keeping the place clean and with the best organic and raw materials, nice people and great service.
little bit expensive but raw restaurants always are - the you the highest quality of food.
very recommended.

I found the place very expensive, even for Madrid standards, so be prepared. The IVA seemed not to be included in the menu prices, so I was a bit shocked to find the bill even more expensive than I expected.
The food was superb (I had the moussaka). Taste, freshness, preparation, decoration, everything was excellent. The service was friendly.
The only reason I'm not giving 5 cows is because the portions were very tiny. I know that the raw philosophy says you should only 80% of what you could eat, but for me the portion was maybe about 30%. I could easily have eaten three times that much and still not feeling full. Maybe they expect you to order a smoothie, a starter, a main course and a dessert, but that would have been way too expensive for me.

It was a real experience eating here. This is really gourmet raw food. The menu is very delicate and imaginative. We were served by the owners themselves so it seemed and they were very warm and friendly (speak English). The atmosphere was very nice. We had a spinach soup that was superb, an excellent smoothie, very interesting Italian delights and an hamburger that was our least favorite. For dessert we had a fantastic raw chocolate cake. We regretted not having enough time in Madrid to come again and try more things. The restaurant is not cheap but justifies the quality.

Eat here, if not on a budget, because the food here is sensational. Like most veggie places the interior is spookily earnest with no sense of design. BUT the food makes up for this. Try the vegan cheeze plate with raw soft cracker type things. believe me it tastes better than it sounds. Actually, try everything. Last night i had the taster/set menu & it was gorgeous too. i have never been disappointed with what i ordered in this restaurant. The waiter service is polite, pleasant, enthusiastic & helpful. Leave feeling like u've done good to your body, soul & environment & importantly too, your taste-buds. x
Updated from previous review on Sunday June 17, 2012
Updated from previous review on Monday June 18, 2012

I visited the restaurant two days in a row because it was so interesting - unlike anything I've ever tried before. All ingredients are raw, the presentation is gorgeous and the taste very interesting. The service is also impeccable - the waiter and the chef are both willing to explain everything, and were attentive to make sure that everything's ok.
My only two cons
* Price level is definitely NOT "moderate," but very expensive. I had a 4 course lunch and that costed over 60 euros. Keep in mind portions are small.
* Though the food was interesting, after my second time there I felt just a bit uncomfortable in the stomach because I've never had so much raw food all at once. So if you're not used to the concept of raw, take it a bit at a time, don't get too ahead of yourself! :)

So yes, I think the place is very expensive, but it's worth trying at least once.

I dont usually write reviews on websites or write comments but now i just changed my mind and i feel like i have to admit that visiting Crucina made me love more than ever raw food,its hard to explain the beauty and taste of all these amazing food,just the best raw food ever had without a shadow of doubt.Lucky to find this restaurant now that im going to live in Madrid for 1 year.Highly recomended!!!

I found this restaurant on Happy Cow before I went on my trip to Spain and I'm glad I did. The restaurant is tucked away on a quiet side street, but is worth finding. After reading some of the reviews I decided to order the price fixe 5 course tasting menu and it was delicious. The lasagne, baklava and salad with "mozzarella" balls were wonderful. I also enjoyed the veggie kabobs and the tiramisu for dessert. The dinner included a bottle of "still" water. The only slight complaint I have was that the powdered chocolate on the tiramisu did get into my throat and make me cough a few times while eating it, but it tasted good so I can't complain too much. The dining room atmosphere was very nice. I would have loved to return the following evening to try some of the other menu items (the gazpacho was tempting), but they are not open for dinner on Sunday nights. This meal was the highlight of my trip to Spain and I was so happy to find a gourmet vegan restaurant. I had never been to a "raw" restaurant before and this was a real treat. I highly recommend it.

I went to crucina restaurante last week having made a reservation on-line through el tenedor which gave 50% off mains and starters. Me and my friend ordered the "tabla de kesos" to share, a home-made nut based "cheese board" with raw dehydrated crackers. The crackers were good, but their wasn't quiet enough for the amount of "cheese". 2 of the cheeses were particularly good, the others I wasn't so keen on (to me they tasted very much of coconut oil) but my friend seemed to enjoy them. For our main course we both ordered the lasagne. This was my favourite dish, perfectly seasoned, fairly rich (as it also had a nut based cream). For desert we ordered the strawberry cake and the chocolate cake (we wanted to try the tiramisu but they'd just ran out). The strawberry cake was also nut based with a fairly light moussey layer on a dense nutty base. The chocolate cake was similar but the chocolate bit was denser and richer..and not quite sweet enough for my tooth. Overall the food was good, but I felt there was too much emphasis on nuts and not enough fruit,vegetables.. I think they could have made the deserts nicer by having them as mousse (without the nutty base) and with the addition of fresh fruit. Same goes for the table de quesos which could really do with some fresh salad leaves, or tomatoes as by itself it's incredibly rich.
My only real complaint is that the man serving us didn't apply the discount to both our mains, starter and desert, but first only to one main and 1 starter. Then Iasked him about it and he agreed to give us both discount on our mains, but the voucher made it sound like it was 50% discount on everything but drinks and set menus. Another thing I didn't like is that having asked for tap water he brough bottled which cost like 5 euros each bottle!
Updated from previous review on Monday May 28, 2012

Eating at Crucina was the highlight of our trip in Madrid, having this delicious food and the sunlight entering from the these big huge windows in the restaurant made everything look like a spiritual experience.
I'm already a fan of this restaurant and cant wait to go again with my parents this week.
Love it!

I take the liberty to call myself raw food expert cause i cook or lets say uncook raw vegan dishes and always when i travel i am looking for some vegan restaurants actually none of them are something special and dont forget that in europe its hard to find a decent raw restaurant but my boyfriend found crucina and lets say this is not only a good or correct space with raw food we' re talking here about one of the best raw restaurant around maybe the best in Europe.The food was sooooooo delicious made with love that is beyond words, makes you wanna live there and step into kitchen eating everything.Just dont miss it if you gonna be in madrid, highly recomended.

I'm vegan and this one was my first proper raw vegan meal.
The place was lovely, not very busy. The staff really friendly and the food was pretty good.
We had some italian style starters, my boyfriend had a lasagna and I had a hamburger. Everything very imaginative and original.
The flavours were nice.
The only con I have is the price. We were used to 10-15 euro menus and this doubled it easily.
Also the portions are not really big.

As a vegan visiting Spain, it's always a rare delight to find somewhere that I can eat everything on the menu. I was tempted by the 'taster' menu but I decided that I wasn't hungry enough and that it was expensive at 39 euros. However I ended up paying almost the same for 3 courses and wine so wished that I had. The soup and lasagne were very tasty but I ended up still feeling hungry. however the piece de resistance was the Tiramisu; a generous portion, and simply delicious. very friendly, good English, great decor, a place well worth visiting.

We ate here twice during a recent trip to Madrid. We've eaten at numerous raw vegan places back in the States and this was one of the best places we've been to for raw dining anywhere. The cucumber bisque, veggie lasagna, and moussaca were all delicious and their vegan chocolate cake is just to die for. Do not miss it! Service was great as well. The owner is a friendly gentleman who speaks excellent english and took the time to carefully explain how the items on the menu were prepared. Sadly, on the two nights we were there we only saw one other group of diners. I guess raw vegan food is still a rather new concept in Spain... Please give Crucina your support. Highly recommended.

We were looking for a place in Madrid to have some good vegan food and stumbled across Crucina from your website. The food was good, the atmosphere was modern, and the staff was incredibly helpful and enthusiastic. It was like a breath of fresh air. I had never tasted raw food before so this was a different experience but I was pleasantly surprised. I would recommend!

Crucina is a relatively new restaurant in Madrid, and enjoying well deserved popularity. The menu is diverse, creative and beautifully executed by a staff that is not only knowledgeable but clearly passionate about what they do, and what they eat. The prices really depend on what you order, you could have a light meal and not do too much damage to your wallet or go all out and spend a bit more, though the prices could not be called unreasonable for what you get. The entrees and desserts at Crucina are the most impressive, McGyver would be blown away with the "cheese" and "meat" the chefs (don't) cook. Aside from the suprising and varied menu, the staff are lovely and the atmosphere of the restaurant is relaxed and warm. A great place to spend an afternoon or evening. Apparently a store is coming soon.

Crucina es un relativamente nuevo restaurante en Madrid, y disfrutando de la popularidad bien merecida. El menu es diverso, creativo y maravillosamente ejecutado por un personal que solo no es entendido, pero claramente apasionado de lo que ellos hacen, y lo que ellos comen. Los precios realmente dependen de lo que usted pide, usted podría tener una colación y no causar demasiado daño a su cartera o cena desde ensalada hasta postre y gastarun poco mas, aunque los precios no pudieran ser llamados irrazonables para lo que le dan. Las entradas y los postres en Crucina son los mas impresionantes, McGyver seria llevado con el 'queso' y 'carne' los de cocina (no cocinan) . Aparte del menu variado y soprendiente, los empleados son encantadores y la atmosfera del restaurante es relajada y caliente. Un gran lugar para pasar una comida o cena. Por lo visto una tienda viene pronto.

This place is great...the menu is varied and all the foods we tried were very yummy. The staff is kind and there is a nice atmosphere. The juices and smoothies are also awsome, so are the desserts. I went with my sisters who aren't raw vegans, and they loved it too. I definitely recommend it!

I was in Madrid last week, and I was looking for a vegan restaurant and I jumped (almost by mistake) in this small and simple restaurant. What an experience. The food is fantastic and the menù is rich and various. I couldn't believe that everything was raw . HIGH RECOMENDED. the staff is also super

Hands down, this is Madrid's top restaurant. The food was marvelous, the staff were super. There's not much more I can say but GO!

P.S. It usually closes for 3 weeks in August. In 2011, it was August 1st to 21st.

This is the first raw vegan restaurant in Madrid and well worth the visit if you like raw food. The staff were mentored by the owner of Pure Food and Wine in New York and it shows! Please note that the hours have changed: Open 1:00-4:00pm and 8:00pm-11:45pm Mon-Saturday; Sunday lunch only.