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CLOSED: Isla del Tesoro - Manuela Malasana
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7
Closed
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Vegetarian
Vegan-friendly
Lacto
Western
Beer/Wine
Asian
Spanish
The first of its 2 vegetarian restaurants. Vegans to specify. Reservation suggested. SEPT 2013 REPORTED SHUT DOWN.
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Last update on 23 Sep 2013 by Guest
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17 Reviews
First Review by nottsvegan
kympatterson
Points +66
Fantastic creative vege food - Edit
This place offers both creative and delicious vege food. I tried several vege places in central Madrid and this was by far the best!
Read moreThe Asian-inspired dishes were delicious....a great combination of flavours and fresh produce. It was fantastic to find such 'clever' vege food in Spain.
The restaurant has a lovely setting and the staff were very friendly.
As per a previous reviewer, I would recommend booking as we arrived at 9.20pm and were lucky to get the very last table in the place. And, it is worth the effort!
Pros: Delicious food, Lovely setting, Great choice
Cons: Need to book
Guest
flormadel
Points +267
Nice to look at - Edit
I went here for a birthday dinner, and it was a really quaint and exotic place. It's visually appealing, and the food is also pretty to look at. However, there weren't many vegan options, and it was a bit overpriced. I would suggest going for drinks, or perhaps a (non-vegan) dessert since it's a nice place, but wouldn't really recommend it for the food.
Read morePros: beautiful
Cons: overpriced, not a lot of vegan options, small portions
Guest
BanjoGirl
Points +227
Colorful and friendly - Edit
My husband and I ate here when visiting Madrid. I loved the interior of this place. Very colorful and lots to look at. Had a much homier feel than any other restaurants we went to during our trip. The waiter was laid back and friendly. We shared a jungle burger, potatoes, and a salad. Both were good, but not the most amazing thing ever. My favorite was actually the roasted onion and chickpea dish with bread that came as an appetizer. I definitely want to make it!
Read moreI would go back if I was in Madrid.
Pros: love the decor, friendly
Guest
rjmehra
Points +323
Amazing food, reflected in cost! - Edit
Although the vegan options are limited (a common them in Madrid's veggie eateries), those that exist are amazing. Really amazing.
Read moreMy friend and I shared the following. A Zanzibar salad, a jungle burger, and a Spanish noodley thing.
It really was fantastic food and it's a shame we couldn't finish it.
The decor is nice, it feels like a very established restaurant.
Pros: Quality, Seating, Atmosphere
Cons: Expensive, but still good value
Guest
aifos
Points +53
Not bad - Edit
I'm vegan and after reading the reviews I was a bit scared.
Read moreThey are right, very few vegan options.
The service was not great, they didn't pay much attention when after ordering 2 vegan dishes they brought us a non vegan appetizer... fortunately my boyfriend is not vegan and I wasn't really hungry.
I had the Fideua Isleña which was spectacular and my boyfriend the Jungle Burger.
Of course, as everyone says, the atmosphere is amazing and the decoration very fun and original.
I would recommend this place to vegetarians, not so much to vegans.
The price is a bit higher than the average veggie place.
Pros: cool decoration, nice atmosphere
Cons: not many vegan options, service, pricey
Guest
Blacklizard
Points +101
We wanted to like it . . . - Edit
We have been living in Madrid for two months, and just ate at Isla Del Tesoro for the third time. We purposely chose an apartment near this restaurant because it sounded so good in online reviews. The location is great, the decor is unique, and the atmosphere very pleasant. It is almost always fully-booked, so it is advisable to book ahead (you can do it on their web site) if you don't want to be turned away. They have an interesting menu, and a Menu del Dia lunch special that features a different cuisine each day.
Read moreHowever, as much as we want to like this restaurant, we have been disappointed by the food every time. To our taste, everything we have ordered has been too bland, salty, and overcooked. We are full-time vegans/vegetarians, and we love good vegetarian dishes, but that is not what we have found at this restaurant. We both left our entrees (mine the Jungle Burger, my wife the Japanese noodles) half-finished on our last visit, and the wait staff did not seem to care.
Pros: Good location, Decor, Atmosphere
Cons: Food is not good, Uncaring staff
Guest
necropalice
Points +131
Very disappointing... - Edit
My friend and I ate in Isla del Tesoro for our last meal in Madrid. The decor was fabulous - it has a great interior, lovely staff and an English-language menu. We enjoyed our free appetizer of Moroccan-style chickpeas with bread, and I had a mango juice that was delicious. For our entrées, I had a pasta "wrap" - kind of like one huge piece of cannelloni - whilst my friend had Thai-style noodles. Both dishes were really disappointing and incredibly bland. My pasta "wrap" was huge, but flavourless, and came with no salad, which would have been a welcome addition. My friend's noodles were nothing special. We both left our plates half-finished, despite knowing we'd be unable to eat again for ten hours, and agreed we'd not return to this particular restaurant.
Read morePros: great interior, friendly staff, good value
Cons: bland-tasting food, dissatisfying portions
Guest
sbszine
Points +250
No vegan food, but otherwise excellent - Edit
Great food, wine, and atmosphere, but a difficult place to get vegan food. All you can do is say "sin queso" and hope for the best.
Read moreIf you're a lacto-ovo type, it's the perfect place to eat.
Pros: Value, Atmosphere
Cons: No vegan food
Guest
estefinparis
Points +858
Definitely worth a visit - Edit
This restaurant, which gives no tips about being vegetarian from the outside but describes itself as "healthy cuisine", was recommended to us by the concierge at our hotel, so we had no idea what to expect. The concierge really knew what he was talking about: the street where it is located is very pleasant, the decor was charming and the food was really good. The menu is not very extensive but includes a fair amount of alternatives both for vegans and vegetarians. We had the "Island croquettes" (quinoa, oats and polenta with a green tomato sauce - excellent!), the Zanzibar salad (bulgur and dried raisins with marinated tofu, eggplant and other raw vegetables on a green salad bed and hummus sauce), the Jungle burguer (azukis and vegetables on whole bread with baby potatoes and salad) and the "combo de luxe", which was a combination of sushi and futomaki-like rolls and some really delicious gyozas. All accompanied by an organic red wine. The servings were so generous we couldn't fit in dessert, so instead we picked a tea from the extensive tea selection.
Read moreIsla del Tesoro is most definitely worth a visit and I believe this is one of the best veg restaurants in Madrid (even in Spain) earning plus points for the creativity of the menu. It is a great place to bring your non-veg friends as they will surely not miss the meat!
Guest
emsr2d2
Points +66
Absolutely stunning - Edit
A friend of mine found the listing for this place. Despite living in Madrid for 4 months I'd never heard of it.
Read moreWhat a find!
Our first attempt to eat was thwarted by out-of-date opening times, but we went there for Sunday lunch. No reservation required - we got there at 1.45 pm.
The place itself is beautiful inside. Lit with candles or low lamps, there are lots of little niknaks (not to mention the purple velvet double bass just inside the door!)
It is based on Pacific Island cuisine and culture which leads to an interesting fusion of Asian and Indian. It's also macrobiotic.
The aperitif that is automatically brought to your table was gorgeous. Warm cooked chickpeas in olive oil and (paprika?) with caramelised onions, topped with garlic mayonnaise, with a basket of fresh, dark, nutty and/or fruity bread.
My friend had the jungleburger and home made fries - very tasty, and I went for glass noodles with red curry and cashew nuts. I can safely say it was the best veggie meal I have had in years. Both dishes were cooked to perfection, beautifully presented and interesting.
We were so full, we couldn't even consider dessert, unfortunately (!) so we went for fresh mint tea. Divine.
Just a week later, I went again with a different friend, this time for Sunday dinner (9.30). We'd reserved, which was a good idea as it was fairly busy. The aperitif was the same (fortunately as I'd been really looking forward to it!).
This time I had kinotto (risotto made with quinoa instead of rice) with green leaves (chard and chicory we think!). My friend had the Energy Wok - a stirfry full of healthy, energy boosting veg and spirulina.
We had a bottle of the house white wine (organic and vegetarian) which was perfectly drinkable, and only €10.
The staff are friendly, unobtrusive, and wear beautiful blue crossover almost kimono-style tops, and black trousers.
Over the back tables, hangs a sort of fishing net strung with twinkling white fairy lights.
If you're in Madrid, I would say this is a must but I would recommend booking. Check the opening hours too (the website is currently distinctly lacking in up-to-date info).
Pros: Amazing food, Atmosphere/ambience, Staff
Cons: Website needs updating
Guest
Ruby X
Points +81
yummy yummy yummy and more yummy - Edit
This was one of the best veggie restaurants I have ever been to. We arrived right at opening time (21h) without a reservation. Bad idea! But they managed to squeeze us into their schedule if we agreed to leave by 23h. Two more couples managed to get in this way but by 21.30 the place was completely full.
Read moreAnd it's popular for a good reason: the food is absolutely delicious! I had croquetas and a jungle burger. Not a very adventurous option, considering the decor, but they were delicious and not liek anything you'll eat at a fast food place. My boyfriend had something more daring (don't remeber the name but it had weird mushrooms and sushi rolls) and he was very enthousiastic as wel.
Conclusion: try it if you get a chance, you will not regret it. But do make a reservation, or you might not get in.
Pros: very yummy food, lovely decor, lot of choice
Cons: you need te make a reservation
Guest
kathyv181
Points +196
Treasure Island - it's true! - Edit
Very very very good food! The price is worth it and justified and moderate. Every friday they have a menu which has great offers AND is cheap.
Read moreIt's an amazing place, has a wonderful atmosphere, has nice art on the walls and makes you feel like in a special place, which it is.
They have many options for vegans as well. It is absolutely delicious and I recommend it to everyone who is coming to Mdrid! You won't regret it!
Pros: great food, great atmosphere, price is justified, moderate
Cons: I can't go every week
Guest
atlantis-gaia
Points +29
Better than the British Veg places! - Edit
I loved the dinner I had here, left feeling well fed and healthy. Prices reasonable. Would love to return!
Read moreGuest
Caryne
Points +301
Useless for vegans - Edit
This place is not vegan friendly at all. Despite having my 'Vegan Passport' (which translated my requirements into Spanish) they still seemed to have no knowledge what a vegan required. They claimed dishes were ok and then bought meals covered in cheese. Probably fine for vegetarians but vegans should avoid.
Read moreThey also brought items at the wrong time, starters as main courses and vice versa!!
Pros: Centrally located, Good for vegetarians
Cons: No idea what vegan means, Wrong dishes brought
Guest
lorihs
Points +68
UNBELIEVABLE! YOU CANNOT MISS THIS PLACE! - Edit
we went there twice in our 6 day trip to madrid, once at lunch, once at night. you really need to make reservations if you can, especially at night otherwise you will for sure not get a seat. the food was incredible and the staff were friendly-ish. there is an english menu so you can understand wha tyou are ordering. the food is inventive and combinations unique, we truly felt it was gourmet.
Read morei am in love!!
Pros: everything!
Cons: need reservations
Guest
BlokefromBristol
Points +91
Set lunch - Edit
Read morePros: Good Value, Good food, Nice decor
Cons: Lunch not always vegan friendly
Guest
nottsvegan
Points +52
Wonderful food - Edit
Wow! The food here is amazing. Imaginative and beautifully presented. This restaurant is very popular so book ahead. We didn't book but just turned up on the dot of opening time on Friday night and luckily managed to get the last table! Staff weren't particularly friendly or helpful, but that was par for the course for Madrid. Quite a lot of vegan options (though you will need to ask for them in Spanish) including some lovely desserts. The menu has four courses but we were warned by the staff not to order more than two and they were right - the portions are large and very filling. The restaurant is in the Bilbao neighbourhood, which is good for bars.
Read morePros: Vegan options, Big portions, Amazing food
Cons: Very busy at weekend
Guest
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