Full of enthusiasm, a perfectionist, approachable and fun, chef Ramón Freixa learnt the ropes as a child, pitching in at his family's restaurant in Barcelona (El Racó d'en Freixa). At his eponymous eatery, he advocates a style of behaviour rather than a culinary doctrine: “the whole philosophy behind my cooking, just as in art and in life, revolves around the pursuit of happiness”. This elegant restaurant, part of the Hotel Único Madrid, boasts strikingly beautiful flooring, a main dining room, a private dining space, plus a glass-fronted terrace resembling a veranda, all of which combine to create a truly luxurious setting in the Salamanca district. Working with complex flavours, the meticulous cuisine is centred around several tasting menus (“Temporalidad RFM”, “Descubriendo RFM” and “Universo Freixa”; plus the “Petit Menú”, available for lunch from Tuesday to Friday) which might seem rather eccentric at first, but it soon becomes clear that they strike the perfect balance between traditional and cutting-edge cuisine.