In the Bernabeu, home of Spanish football giants Real Madrid, there is a restaurant called Puerta 57. "Puerta" means gate in Spanish, and this restaurant is located at Gate 57 of the Bernabeu Stadium. Coincidentally, at the entrance to the No. 20 stand at the Workers' Stadium, the home stadium of Beijing Guoan, there is also a Spanish restaurant called "Puerta 20", which echoes Puerta 57 thousands of miles away. This restaurant is jointly owned by more than ten star shareholders from all walks of life such as Shao Jiayi, Shang Yi, Yu Dabao, Yang Zhi, Dai Jun, Jin Haixin, etc., Real Madrid President Florentino and tennis superstar Nadal have been guests in this restaurant, and it is common to meet stars and coaches here.
Since its opening in 2013, Porta 20 has attracted a lot of attention from the food and beverage industry, and has won the Best Spanish Restaurant Award at the 2014 Timeout Restaurant of the Year Awards, the Best Tapas Award at The Beijinger in 2015, the title of International Famous Food Brand by the China Cuisine Association, and the BEST50 by Food & Wine.
In 2016, the restaurant hired Rodrigo de la Calle from Spain, known for his "plant-based cuisine" philosophy, as executive chef, and his restaurant El Invernadero in Madrid awarded him his first Michelin star. Rodrigo also injected more vegetable-based cuisine into Porta 20's menu.
Since the positioning of the Porta 20 is more towards the main meal, the Tapas will not occupy the main position at the table of the Porta 20. Tapas don't have a lot of options and won't be on the restaurant's menu, so you'll need to ask the waiter for more. However, just because there are few varieties doesn't mean it's not worth trying, such as cheese potato balls, olive oil garlic shrimp, croquettes, etc., these very classic Spanish snacks are of a very good standard and cost-effective.
5J ham is the signature of Porta 20 and is a must-try when you visit the store. 5J Cinco Jotas is a top ham brand from Jabugo, the birthplace of acorn-fed Iberian ham, and a high-end ham brand that is the mainstream choice of Spanish restaurants in China. Porta 20 is made of 5J's premium grade Jamon Iberico de Bellota, which is an acorn black pig hind leg that has been aged for 36 months and is of excellent quality. The thin part of the ham is thin and tough, the color is crimson, the fat part is soft and firm, the saltiness is moderate, and the acorn grain feed gives the ham a fruitwood flavor, and the fine taste has a sweet aftertaste. Segovia's crispy roast suckling pig is also a good choice, with a crispy skin and tender meat, and the whole piece is quite enjoyable in the mouth, quite like the charm of Beijing roast duck.
Porta 20's seafood is worth recommending, each seafood dish is delicious, seasoned and streamlined, refreshing and sweet, Icelandic shrimp, Galician octopus, Urva shrimp carp, etc., all have excellent performance.
Porta 20's paella has been slightly improved, although it still uses Bomba, a short-grain rice made from authentic Spanish rice, but the hardness of the rice grains is more in line with Chinese habits. The salinity of the paella is not high, the freshness of the seafood is acceptable, and the overall flavor presentation is excellent, but the seasoning flavor is not three-dimensional. In addition to paella, squid ink spaghetti and squid ink rice are also worth trying, but Spanish staples such as pasta, rice and salad are generally more palatable.
Porta 20 has a strong football culture and has close ties with Beijing Guoan and Real Madrid. This is the home of Beijing Guoan, and the relationship with Beijing Guoan goes without saying; Here you can also see the signed shirts and boots of Real Madrid stars such as Cristiano Ronaldo, Kaka, Raul, David Beckham, Zinedine Zidane, etc., most of which were given by Real Madrid president Florentino and the stars themselves. On the second floor, there are also various collectible footballs, trophies, etc., and Real Madrid celebrities such as Figo and Kaka have visited this restaurant, and for fans, coming here to eat has another feeling.
In March 2017, Porta 20 opened a branch in Shunyi Roman Lake, so there are currently two branches in Porta 20. The store is located at the entrance of the No. 20 stand of the Workers' Stadium, the restaurant is not large, there are one or two floors, and the decoration is white and gold, but the environmental style is still difficult to compare with the high-end Western restaurant. The restaurant service is basically in place, courteous, and the removal of the table is orderly. The Shunyi store is located on the edge of the Roman Lake, with beautiful scenery, and the overall experience from the environment, service to dining is quite good, which is a good choice for family travel or friends gathering.
