In Madrid's Chamberí neighborhood, the new MYO spot has sparked interest with its Spanish-twisted hand roll bar concept. Founded by three entrepreneurs, the restaurant draws young crowds queuing before its 8 p.m. opening. It serves temakis made live at reasonable prices.
MYO is located at García de Paredes, 63, in the quiet Chamberí area of Madrid. It opened in October after a soft opening with friends and family, and has since drawn daily queues, particularly from young customers. Founders Markel Azurmendi, Pedro García, and Álvaro Laca drew inspiration from trips to cities like New York to adapt the hand roll bar format to Spain, prioritizing fish quality. "We saw it a while ago in New York, where some bars worked well, but without the care for fish found in a country like Spain," explains Azurmendi, an ADE graduate from Universidad de Deusto and former Deloitte employee.
The venue features a large central counter where chefs prepare hand rolls live—rice cones wrapped in nori seaweed with proteins like fish and seafood, plus local twists. Examples include ebi with fried langoustine and kimchi, kappa with cucumber and salmorejo mayonnaise, or maguro with tuna and tomato. Starters offer options like Santoña anchovy gilda with Japanese pickle and olive, tamago toro egg with tuna, or cocido miso. Desserts are ice mochis. Drinks include sake, wines by the glass, and pre-batch cocktails like Matcha Mule from Dragon Experience Factory.
The menu features hand roll combos starting at 14 euros for three, with an average a la carte bill of 30-40 euros, and a weekday lunch set at 19 euros. Plutarco's industrial design creates a futuristic vibe with low lights and evening music. With no reservations, service is swift to fit two or three turns nightly. "We want to offer something simple, quick, with good raw materials and at a fair price," adds Azurmendi, emphasizing profitability goals.