Bodega El Capricho

This is the best steak i have ever had. We flew to Madrid from NYC just to try this. Drove to Leon (3hr drive) and it was totally worth it. The tour is recommended and the food and ambience were phenomenal. A++++++**

Everything is wonderful from the food, the ambiance, the experience. Mr. Jose Gordon even sliced our steak himself. Staff are very helpful with my little Spanish language knowledge. We Drove from Porto, Portugal to Leon, Spain just to visit and Dine in El capricho.

We would like to thank you for Jose and Noemi our fantastic dinner and all the staff who took care of us. I work as a chef myself specializing in south american meats like tenderloin, ribeye etc. But the ox sirloin was the most tender meat what i have ever eaten in my life. Their own red wine, and the cheesecake were also fantastic . I highly recommend this place for anyone who loves steaks. Gr. Jozsef and Susie.

The Second-Best Steak in the World Recognized globally and celebrated for its exceptional quality, this steak has claimed the title of the world’s second-best. With a rich, tender texture and a marbling that melts perfectly when cooked, it’s truly a work of culinary art. The meat boasts deep, savory flavors, balanced with a hint of natural sweetness, which comes from premium cattle carefully raised to produce a one-of-a-kind steak experience. Every bite offers a harmonious blend of juicy succulence and robust flavor, ensuring an unforgettable dining experience for steak enthusiasts around the world.

A big opportunity for this trip was to experience truly world class cuisine. The Basque Country did not disappoint, and today’s experience, just outside of La Bañeza, is a memory I’ll cherish for a long time. Nestled in an old wine cave, at a perfect 14 degrees, the ambience is undeniable. The level of consideration and attention this place brings to their dishes and service is next level. From the first taste of the watermelon gazpacho, I knew I was in for something extraordinary. Some of the meats were aged more than three years in caves nearby. I went for the Homage deg menu and their locally produced wine (Elchano - Cosecha 2020 #91,119 of 16,382), which a delightful Argentinian som recommended, who loves Australian Shiraz. It was simply perfect. 🤌 The range of flavours from each cut was genuinely incredible. Matt the seasonal watermelon parfait, palate cleanser, before the main was exceptional. Something I felt you would do. I always think it's sometimes the people that truly make the experience the best, and Lara was amazing. She stayed with me the whole time, explaining every dish in excellent English. Hilariously, we both have mini schnauzers, so it was ace connecting over them. If you are ever in this part of Spain I thoroughly recommend a visit, it won’t disappoint. Muchas Gracias El Capricho. One of the absolute highlights of the trip so far.

More than words can say, a true steak lover place, i stay in their hotel and have the farm tour alongside having their lunch, i order the big menu set and we both can finish it all, the htl feels like home, steaks is great, the tartar is amazing

Great experience for meat lovers. They host a unique product that you can’t eat anywhere else. A true gem for those with a fine taste for meat. I recommend not to go crazy with the steaks sizes because it has very strong flavor and it is high marveling / fat meat so you won’t be able to eat more than 400-500g.

This was an incredible experience. Started off with a tour of ranch and the bodega where wine is stored. They take great care of the ox and are very proud of the history and the process. The meal was incredible. Every dish had unique flavor. I’ve had aged steak many times, but this was truly special. Impeccable service. This place deserves a return trip, but it’s not easy to get to.

Una experiencia inolvidable. La mejor carne de buey en España, en verdad es un restaurante que no se puede perder. Todo estuvo excelente. El servicio fue excelente, muy atentos. Finalmente, el ambiente/local fue algo mágico, estaba acogedor y rústico.

Worst experience ever and the way they handled our complaint of being food poisoned left us surprised! We went there for a tour on the 1st of April followed by dinner in the evening. It was a gift to my husband because he turned 50.   We have very much been looking forward to the visit because we saw the documentary and planned our whole trip of 5 days with this as the main highlight. We also booked their hotel for 2 nights.   The tour seeing the animals and the caves with Miriam was a big delight. We really enjoyed ourselves. In the evening we had the big tasting menu. My husband, our daughter and me. It was all very tasty, just not the big steak which was chewy. Because of this my daughter and I did not eat more than a little of this but my husband unfortunately did.   Unfortunately during the night my husband woke up feeling very bad. He was vomiting and having diarrhea. It was very clear that he had food poisoning. The day after we had to drive to Madrid for our flight back home to Mallorca. I am sure you can imagine what a horrible trip that was.   I wrote El Capricho to explain them this as they are a professional restaurant and should handle a matter of this with respect. We waited days and days for an answer. They didn't believe us and in the end send us to their lawyer! I NEVER experienced a service this bad! You should think, being professional they would compensate or at least let us know they were sorry but NOTHING! We are still waiting to hear back from their lawyer but now after months ts clear to us, that they don't care at all unless their clients are happy. Such a shame! Thousands of euros spend and a 50th birthday ruined! We didn't even get an apology.

Very nice restaurant and definitely an interesting experience. Being from the Midwest USA (prime meat country) it would be difficult for me to call this the best steak restaurant in the world and overall quite frankly was a little disappointed. We participated in the tour of the farm, which was fun and quirky. Seeing the aging bodega was cool and understanding the traditions of this particular region really interesting. When we arrived for seating it was a bit of a slapstick comedy as we were circled up and down several sets of stairs, in and out of several rooms, as we were handed off from one person to another. Our server was very pleasant, but did little to describe what was being presented to us through the multiple courses and quickly disappeared once the plate was on the table. Trying to get water was a little bit of a challenge too, despite making it clear this was important to our group. The cave seating and ambiance was really a fun experience. The wine selection focuses on specialized regional / Spanish; wine pairings are not available. The amuse bouse was wonderful and set the bar high for courses yet to come. The cured / aged meats were excellent but the steak selection was flavorful but very chewy and not anywhere near the best of our experience. A good Leon local destination experience but not a culinary experience of a highly touted steak restaurant for the quality received (both food and service) at the high price point.

Well, that was an experience! The beef jerky was excellent, like prosciutto but not a pig. The bone marrow was rich and made me gnaw on the bone to get every last bit of juice and meat. The tartar was powerfully rich and flavorful. The chef's choice aged steak? Intensely flavorful and so buttery rich that I struggled to comprehend it. The flan was excellent for dessert, as good as flan can get. The patatas were as good as fries get. I would skip the jerky and the tartar and go for the steak. My wife did not enjoy the meal nearly as much as I did, though. I believe COVID has harmed her taste buds, so things aren't as intense as they used to be. Maybe 20 years from now, I'll go back?

Its those places that its a strange experience. Quite famous, and weird installation in a underground cellar. Great food, cecina the best ever.... carne tarta super good, tomatoes salad crazy good.... the chuleton premium is very good, aged meat with strong flavors in some parts. If your into food, you should try it.

Most excellent experience, enchanting food, warm hospitality, and charming venue. Utterly delightful

Sometimes you drive for an hour and you regret it, the drive to Bodega El Capricho is not such a drive. As you arrive there appear what look like hobbit holes, which are some kind of party caves that the locals have get together to drink and eat. We enter passing by the kitchen whose counter is piled high with large cuts of beef and a pyramid of tiny button mushrooms. Down some stairs and we are seated in a boothlike alcove carved in to the rock. After a finely crafted gin tonico our starters arrived tiny local mushrooms perfectly cooked along with octopus and potatoes sprinkled with pimenton, both simple yet delicious. Then the reason for the visit, the meat, in our case was a piece of well marbled 7 year old ox meat. The steak which was first presented uncooked, was carved table side. The taste and texture were incredible, deep red, buttery marbling, and deep rich flavor. The sides, fries and watercress salad gave us small breaks before we reutned to the meat. The chef stopped by for well deserved praise. This was worth the drive, everything, service, ambiance, beverages, and food was delightful.