Just a few steps from the Prado Museum, Los Jerónimos has established itself as the epicentre of premium gastronomy in Madrid. This unique enclave, declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2021 together with the Paseo del Prado and Retiro Park, offers an experience that goes beyond the culinary to become a sensory journey where art, history and flavour converge.
History of a neighbourhood with cultural soul
The neighbourhood’s name comes from the old Prado de los Jerónimos, a stretch of wild meadows that surrounded the Monasterio de San Jerónimo el Real from the 16th century onwards. During the reign of Felipe II, this outlying area began to transform when the monarch chose the monastery’s Cuarto Real as a place to rest. Later, Felipe IV built the Palacio del Buen Retiro here, whose palace gardens today make up Madrid’s iconic park.
It was Carlos III who drove the area’s definitive development, creating the famous Salón del Prado with his Enlightenment vision of turning the area into a space dedicated to science and knowledge. This period gave rise to the Real Jardín Botánico, the Gabinete de Ciencias Naturales (today’s Prado Museum) and the Real Observatorio de Madrid. The Cibeles and Neptuno fountains, designed by Ventura Rodríguez, completed this monumental ensemble, which today forms part of the Art Triangle.
The gastronomic renaissance of Jerónimos
In recent years, Los Jerónimos has undergone a genuine culinary revolution. The combination of high-income residents, a steady flow of quality cultural tourism and a privileged location has drawn in gastronomic offerings that raise the standards of Madrid’s hospitality scene.
The area stands out for its signature Mediterranean offer, where restaurants around Calle Moreto and Calle Casado del Alisal serve everything from traditional Spanish cooking to international fusions. The area’s establishments share a common denominator: a commitment to quality produce, contemporary techniques and service that understands the expectations of the demanding diner.
Proximity to luxury hotels such as the Ritz and the Palacio del Retiro creates a gastronomic ecosystem where every venue competes to offer memorable experiences. The neighbourhood’s terraces, many of them with privileged views, have become coveted destinations for premium afterwork drinks and special celebrations.
Signature cocktails: the new frontier
As Madrid cements its position as the world capital of signature cocktails —the city recently hosted The World’s 50 Best Bars gala— Los Jerónimos is emerging as fertile ground for concepts that fuse mixology and gastronomy. Visitors to the Art Triangle increasingly demand experiences that combine liquid sophistication with creative bites, a niche that had until now remained unexplored in the area.
The trend for premium gastrobars that combine technical cocktails with avant-garde cooking represents the next evolutionary step in Jerónimos’ hospitality scene. These hybrid spaces, already thriving in other parts of Madrid, offer a distinctive value proposition: the chance to enjoy a full evening where every cocktail converses with every dish, creating sensory narratives that go beyond mere consumption.
STILLROOM: the art of the invisible arrives in Jerónimos
Against this backdrop of gastronomic buzz, STILLROOM bursts onto the scene as the first Gastro Cocktail Bar in Los Jerónimos. Located on Calle Moreto 9, two minutes from the Prado Museum, this new concept fuses creative signature cocktails (70%) with technical small-plates cooking (30%) in a format unprecedented in the area.
The name pays homage to the old European stillrooms: spaces somewhere between laboratory, kitchen and apothecary where, from the Middle Ages through to the 17th century, essences, liqueurs and remedies were distilled. STILLROOM recovers this distilling philosophy to create a laboratory of liquid emotions and contemporary bites, where every invisible detail —the precision of the techniques, the rigour of the processes, the selection of every ingredient— materialises into memorable experiences.
The gastronomic offer is built around a smoke-free kitchen based on sous-vide cooking techniques, which guarantee exceptional consistency and allow flavours to be developed that would be impossible to achieve with traditional methods. The liquid menu, meanwhile, explores narrative mixology: every cocktail tells a unique story that connects with the guest through carefully selected ingredients, advanced techniques and presentations that invite contemplation.
The space evolves throughout the day: a gastronomic laboratory in the early part of the day, a cocktail sanctuary as night falls. The interior, intimate and warm, with shelves of fermentation jars on display, holds the plan together just as well in the depths of winter as in summer.
That first stretch of the day now has its own name in the neighbourhood: from Wednesday to Sunday STILLROOM opens for brunch from 11:00, ideal before crossing over to the Prado Museum or taking a stroll through the Retiro. And in the mid-afternoon, on the days we don’t close at midday —Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday— it’s time for an afternoon snack: coffee, house-made sweets and our own alcohol-free ferments, like roasted pineapple tepache.
A destination for connoisseurs
Los Jerónimos today offers a density of premium gastronomic options that is hard to match anywhere in Madrid. From established restaurants with years of history to the most recent arrivals like STILLROOM, the area has become a must-visit destination for anyone seeking culinary experiences that live up to the artistic heritage surrounding them.
Strolling along its cobbled streets, discovering corners steeped in history and rounding off the day in a space that celebrates good drinking and good eating is the essence of a perfect visit to this World Heritage area. Los Jerónimos no longer just guards pictorial treasures; it also distils experiences for the senses.
Discover STILLROOM at Moreto 9 and live the art of the invisible in the cultural heart of Madrid.
Frequently asked questions
Where can you grab a bite near the Prado Museum?
Just two minutes from the Prado Museum, at Calle Moreto 9, STILLROOM is the ideal choice for a bite without giving up sophistication. Our technical small-plates kitchen, made using techniques such as sous-vide and the radiant oven, offers contemporary bites designed to share or enjoy on your own. Set against the area’s more traditional offer, here every bite converses with our signature cocktails: a pause between masterpieces or the prelude to a memorable evening in Los Jerónimos. You can take a look at our small plates menu.
What kind of food do you serve at STILLROOM?
At STILLROOM we practise a smoke-free, technical small-plates kitchen, based on sous-vide cooking, the MyChef radiant oven, the blowtorch and induction. This lets us achieve textures and flavours that are impossible with traditional methods, while keeping impeccable consistency. Our kitchen menu, which makes up 30% of the offer, is complemented by creative signature cocktails (70%). The result is a gastronomic experience where every bite is designed to accompany and enhance the cocktails.
Is STILLROOM just a cocktail bar, or can you eat there too?
We are a Gastro Cocktail Bar, which means cocktails and cooking share equal billing. We offer a technical small-plates menu that changes how you think about a quick bite: precise creations using cutting-edge techniques, designed both to go with a drink and to sit down and eat without rushing. What’s more, from Wednesday to Sunday we open for brunch and, on the days we don’t close at midday, for an afternoon snack too, with house-made sweets and our own alcohol-free ferments. Come just for a drink or stay to eat: both plans fit here.
What makes STILLROOM different from other bars in Los Jerónimos?
We are the first Gastro Cocktail Bar in Los Jerónimos, a concept that brings narrative mixology and technical cooking together in a single space. Our name evokes the old European stillrooms, laboratories where essences and remedies were once distilled; that philosophy translates into rigorous processes, carefully selected ingredients and invisible techniques that come together in memorable experiences. The space evolves throughout the day: a gastronomic laboratory in the morning, a cocktail sanctuary as night falls.
Is it well located for visiting the Prado Museum?
Yes, we are at Calle Moreto 9, a two-minute walk from the Prado Museum and five minutes from Retiro Park. Our location is ideal for planning a full cultural visit: brunch before crossing over to the museum, a pause for a bite halfway round, or a signature cocktail on your way out of the galleries. Los Jerónimos, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, offers the perfect pairing of art and gastronomy, and we are the gateway to that experience. If you’re ready, you can book a table.