1993 The beginning
On August 13th, 1993, in the midst of a summer plagued by drought, economic crisis and high interest rates, Paquita, mother of the Laredo family, lit the fires in the kitchen. Meanwhile, David and Miguel, filled with both apprehension and excitement, served their first draught beers with appetizers and typical dishes in the tiny premises with just a few small tables.
Their focus has always been ingredients of the finest quality. And they knew exactly how to do it. They had to be in Mercamadrid (the largest fresh food market in Madrid) at 5am to source only the finest products. They became renowned in Madrid for the scarlet prawns and white shrimp they served, in addition to their carefully selected wine cellar.
By 2003, the Laredo brothers’ Mitulo had won its place among the best despite the fact that the bar, restaurant, kitchen and store room took up only 60m2. Finding other premises was essential.
2004 The Great Leap
The curtain went up on the new Taberna Laredo in February 2004 with a crucial addition, Javier. The third of the brothers took over the large bar area, soon becoming a reference for their new and discerning customers.
David spearheaded the creation of new dishes. He successfully dealt with the hectic pace of food orders as they came in and out of the tiny kitchen as well as looking after the fundamental objective they had decided on from the beginning, ensuring the high level of quality their customers demanded.
The initial suspicion that these were not the definitive premises was eventually confirmed. Miguel, David and Javier conveyed their concerns to their friends and excellent architects, Joaquín Torres and Rafael Llamazares, who helped them to make the Laredo of their dreams come true.
2012
The move from Taberna Laredo to the current Laredo in Doctor Castelo, was not a simple one. It opened on 6th June, 2012. The first few days were really hard, “and we already had lots of experience!!!”, says Miguel.
The restaurant soon served over a hundred customers a day. More kitchen staff were hired, more money was invested in the business and constant changes were made to the menu – new salads, seafood, rice dishes, casseroles, meat, fish, vegetables…
Despite all these changes, Laredo is still true to its origins. They are fully committed to sourcing quality ingredients and creating innovative dishes using seasonal products. A friendly environment and attention to detail is their trademark.
Today the bar at Laredo is an indisputable reference in the city where you can enjoy any dish or wine from the menu. The exquisite approach to top quality ingredients in the kitchen is widely renowned. The temperature-controlled wine cellar features innovative options from the best Spanish and international wine producers.
“These 25 years have given us the energy and the excitement to keep moving forward. Every day we raise the curtain on Laredo, it’s with the same enthusiasm as when we opened Mitulo”, says Miguel. With this approach, the Laredo brothers will certainly brighten our days to come.