Best of both worlds
Chele Gonzalez, Rodrigo Osorio, and Irene Fernandez are playing the long game—and they are doing it through an enriching customer journey seen, felt, and tasted in the distinct yet cohesive spaces of their one Michelin star restaurant.
An unexpected lounge in the middle of a small lagoon serves as the initial touchpoint of the new Asador Alfonso experience. Erected several meters away is another lounge that mirrors the rebranded Alfonso Roasting Room occupying the first floor.
Gonzalez says the demarcation of Asador Alfonso arose from several observations.
“We realized we were hosting two very different kinds of guests,” says the chef patron and co-owner. “Some were looking for quiet and focus. Others came with families, kids, and a lot of energy. Trying to force both into the same room didn’t work for anyone.”
The struggle for identity
A diverse consumer demographic with varying expectations is a common challenge many restaurants face. “People came here with very high expectations,” Gonzalez explains.
The chief grievance was the premium price point of the sharing menu, but the trio chalked it up to cultural misalignment and recalibrated their approach to offer plated five-course set menus.
“And we started to become a little more fine dining—not because we wanted it, but because of the demand of our clients,” says Gonzalez.
The pivot eventually led to the foundation of the Journey menu before it evolved into its current multicourse iteration.
It took some time, but Gonzalez has finally put to bed the confusion customers experienced as well as the unintentional brand dilution that came in its wake.
Sibling spaces
Today, Asador Alfonso is the well-run, high-end restaurant it has evolved into, while Alfonso Roasting Room keeps the rituals of roasting alive and well.
The key element here is the absence of friction. “When guests know exactly what they’re booking, the experience improves before they even arrive,” says Gonzalez.
Lamb and cochinillo from Segovia are the only products allocated between the two restaurants—though the preparation and presentation are different.
“My main goal [with Alfonso Roasting Room] was to really try to be Spanish gastronomy in a real, different way,” Gonzalez says.
The Alfonso Roasting Room’s menu is populated by familiar favorites that surpass expectations yet retain traditional Spanish integrity—there’s a great Manchego croqueta, perfectly grilled pulpo with cauliflower puree, and a roasted vegetable dish called escalivada with goat cheese, almond, and romesco sauce that’s smoky, sweet, and earthy all the same time.
Those with a deep yearning for more robust, heartier plates should consider the rabo de vaca, where the boneless oxtail cooked in red wine and served with porcini sauce is given room to shine.
Fine zone
And then there is the new Asador Alfonso, an intimate space overlooking the pool and pasture, seducing guests with its geometric frenzy and plates that emotionally connect with palates.
“These aren’t traditional tasting menus,” says Gonzalez. “They’re structured experiences. The pacing matters. The progression matters.”
Indeed, the fine dining experience he espouses in Asador Alfonso is unhurried, with Gonzalez and Osorio taking pleasure in crafting produce-driven courses in the open kitchen, and Fernandez keeping service slick but with a softness and care that come from dedication.
Asador Alfonso’s identifiable differentiator from Gallery by Chele is that it exhibits inherited dynamism, progressing from one Spanish tradition to another without being predictably standard.
The Cangrejo, under a blanket of ikura and potato mousse, is a simple but powerful course that stands out on its own. Homemade sourdough bread, cured A5 Japanese wagyu, and a Jamón Ibérico croqueta also burst with purist flavors, alongside his Verdura de Temporada, a textural, vegetal dish of artichoke, leeks, and fennel that gets extra oomph from a wonderful celeriac toffee puree.
Gonzalez also plays with ingredients in interesting ways, such as Gallagher oysters in chicken and mushroom escabeche served with pork trotter cracker, or a lip-smacking glazed veal sweetbread flourished with creamy egg yolk.
Signature plates, showstopping flavors
The final leg of the Journey sees Gonzalez and Osorio commit to more signature plates. Mediterranean gamba roja rice in a clay pot, tender cochinillo with confit potato, gorgeously roasted lechazo with some greens from their farm, and a pineapple dessert done in different textures—all of which nod to the upholding of the ingredients themselves as the main showpiece.
The Lenguado, however, is a celebration of luxury and ease. It’s deceptively simple but a symbol of the kind of work they do at the renewed Asador Alfonso—perfectly cooked sole (sous-vide first before roasting), then glossed in a glorious collagen emulsion that, Osorio explains, is made in a very traditional way.
It’s this kind of quality-first approach and respect for tradition and ingredients that defines the experience guests will remember long after leaving Alfonso. And this is the product of a strong leader in Gonzalez, a passionate patron galvanized by years of perseverance and who never rests on his laurels.
“The place needs to evolve and grow,” he says, clarifying that the transformation is still ongoing. “The fourth floor can be a beautiful cellar, I see us doing farm-to-table, a lot of things happening here.”
“And I also see myself spending more time here,” muses Gonzalez, hinting at settling down in the countryside and watching all his hard work pay off in the comfort of his home.
