There are restaurants that perform for you and then there are restaurants that cook with you.

Playing Solo, tucked discreetly into Madrid’s vibrant Malasana (Centro) district dining scene, is very much the latter and all the better for it.

With just eight counter seats, this owner-chef–driven space delivers a deeply personal, fixed-price ($135), multi-course gastronomic experience where everything is cooked and assembled directly in front of you as if you are dining in a friend’s kitchen.

Soft jazz drifts through the room, setting a relaxed rhythm that mirrors the cooking itself…confident, unhurried, and precise.

The intimacy is immediate, The establishment is undoubtedly unique and there is only one evening service.

The small Michelin Guide recommended eatery, inspired by traditional Japanese izakayas, is where you’ll find a counter space for just eight diners all of whom start their meal at the same time.

Chef Luis Caballero creates cuisine with a true Japanese soul, albeit with influences from France and Scandinavia, and always based around the best locally sourced ingredients.

There’s no separation between guest and kitchen, no performative theatrics. You watch the knife work, the plating, the subtle adjustments that only happen when someone actually knows what they’re doing.

The staff are charming and genuinely warm, present without hovering, knowledgeable without lecturing. It feels less like a restaurant and more like being welcomed into a creative kitchen for the evening.

The fixed-price tasting menu unfolds effortlessly. Dishes arrive thoughtfully composed, flavor-forward, and refreshingly free of gimmicks. This is not food chasing trends or Instagram moments. It is food that trusts its ingredients and its audience.

Playing Solo is bold where it needs to be, refined without stiffness, creative without sacrificing taste.

A sampling:

The sake and wine list is quietly excellent curated with intent, not ego. Pairings enhance rather than dominate, chosen to support the meal instead of competing with it.

Playing Solo is a reminder of how powerful simplicity can be when paired with real skill.

The inventive dining experience is Intimate, but never precious, gastronomic without the fuss.

Eight seats. One chef. Jazz in the background and flavors that stay with you well after the last plate is cleared.

Playing Solo doesn’t need company. Madrid is lucky to have it.

Playing Solo Calle de Manuela Malasaña, 33, 28004, Madrid, Spain.