Cardumen: The Unique Restaurant That Leaves No One Indifferent

Cardumen It is one of those restaurants that leaves no one indifferent. The reasons that make it unique are many, starting with the location, in a car dealership on Avenida de la Albufera, 323. Ral (47) and Luis (41) Sánchez Vega, the brothers behind this temple of fish and fish. grilled seafood, they have turned their dining room into a gastronomic destination in itself. “We never considered opening anywhere else.“, comments the first while giving some instructions to the team. From Vallecas to heaven… gastronomic.

In these latitudes there is no distillation of posturing nor canned marketing. “Here you come to enjoy the table and have a good time.” And boy is it enjoyable. In his room sits the same architect Joaqun Torres, the CEO of Telefnica, José María Álvarez-Pallete, or the players of Rayo Vallecano, to name a few of those who have passed by there in recent days. Word of mouth has put them on the foodie map. “We have a two-week waiting list for weekends.“, says the eldest of the tandem. From Alto del Arenal “all his life”, his history with the hotel/gastronomy industry begins in his father’s fish shop. “He had worked as an accountant in one of the neighborhood, but in 1988 he bought a small place on Pont de Molins street and there he started as a fishmonger.

While the kids played in the family business and soaked up that culture of effort, the space became small. “We bought a bigger one on the same street,” recalls Ral, who does not hide the pride he feels in his neighborhood. “Hospitality orders began to grow tremendously and we lacked space to store the goods.” The third extension took them to Avenida de la Albufera, where today they have the fish market, an informal snack bar, where preserves and small fish reign supreme, and the grill restaurant, the flagship of the project. “We even have our own cookhouse,” she says with a smile.

A DISCREET POSTER

It’s 11 o’clock. In the polygon where it hides The Lonjera (name that encompasses the fishmonger and the informal establishment) and Cardumen (average ticket:60-70 euros) the activity does not stop. A discreet sign indicates the way to the gastro area. More than one absent-minded person who does not know the area misses the entrance and takes a few extra turns around the block. When you go up the ramp, the first thing you see is the fish market and that gives it a very authentic feel, explains Ral. It is open from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. During times like Christmas, queues lasting several hours are common. “At this time we serve more than 1,500 hospitality clients in Madrid“, among them, restaurants such as TriCiclo, Florida Park, Bugao, El Espign, Yugo The Bunker…

A few meters from the market, some high tables welcome the first customers of the day. “During the week there are a lot of work meetings.” With a can of mussels and cockles in front of you, almost everything is better to talk about. “At first only friends and acquaintances came to have a few cans and a wine.” In 2011, they officially opened La Lonjera, the group’s first space; In March 2021, they took a leap and they launched with what is now the ‘jewel’ of the family. “We took advantage of the pandemic to do the work.”

From the beginning they were clear about the concept: product and embers. Beln Cedeo (35) has been the head chef for two years. “Before I worked in Yakitoro with Alberto Chicote and in the Larrumba group,” she has her jacket already on and ready to light the embers. “I saw Cardumen’s offer on the Internet and I liked it. Plus, I lived in Ensanche de Vallecas.”

The recipe with which I conquered Luis, a zamburias ceviche. “As I tried it, one Friday night, she told me: ‘You’re hired.’ Every day when she arrives, the first thing she does is go to the fishmonger’s to choose the day’s fish.”On a good weekend we can sell 300-400 kilos of fish“, he assures. Red tuna, turbot, San Pedro rooster, urta, sea bream, oysters, croaker, octopus, clams, shrimp, carabineros… The display case is a spectacle that enters through the eyes. “We bring goods from all the markets in the country“: from Vigo, from Ayamonte, from Corua, from Palams, from Motril,” Ral adds. “That carabinero and that shrimp are from Ayamonte,” he says, pointing to the fresh genre as they place it. In the meat, they maintain the level of demand : the parts are provided by Discarlux.

Cardumen – which means school of fish of the same species – is distributed in three spaces, with a careful and cosmopolitan decoration signed by the Triscaideca studio: the workshopwhere the open kitchen is located, undoubtedly one of the attractions of the place, although far from the only one. The winerythe second space, leaves any wine connoisseur or fan open-mouthed. They have about 1,200 references in letter: from a Jos Pariente to a Petrus. “What we always aim for is that every table has a bottle of wine,” explains Ruth Ortiz (46), the sommelier. “We have a variety of prices that allows us to guarantee that everyone can enjoy good wine. Bottles are sold here, few people order glasses.” The area of overseas It is the last corner.

Ruth came to Cardumen “by chance” and her experience with the project was a true crush. “I came with certain stereotypes in my head because of the area and so on, but as soon as they told me the story I loved it. It’s the first place, in addition, where I really manage.” Among his weaknesses, champagne. “We have more than 90 references”. Passionate about what she does, she loves that there are more and more people who put themselves in her hands when it comes to choosing. “I always try to introduce new things.” There is no shortage of rosés and sherry wines, so much on everyone’s lips lately. “If I had to highlight an area that arouses my curiosity now, I would say Galicia, which is the great beneficiary of climate change at the wine level.”

DINNER WITH PAIRING

They currently have a team of more than 50 people. “We have a lot of problems finding qualified personnel for both the kitchen and the living room,” explains Ral, who has already set to work to set up a kind of market-school in San Cristóbal with a charity association to train kids.

We left the team tasting wines for the pairing dinners that they celebrate on the last Thursday of each month. “We have designed a menu of five courses with dessert for 70 euros,” concludes the head chef. We say that Cardumen was a unique restaurant for many reasons.