Fusion food in Madrid: Nikkei, Mediterranean and Latin on Panthera's menu

If you are looking for a fusion restaurant in Madrid, Panthera's menu is international with three clear influences: Nikkei, Mediterranean and Latin. The same table can hold a sea bass tiradito in tiger's milk, patatas bravas with roasted garlic aioli and a chargrilled dry-aged entrecôte, and all of it is made for sharing.

Three cuisines, one table

The word fusion gets used a lot and sometimes means very little. At Panthera it makes more sense once you look at the menu. Nikkei cooking is where Japanese and Peruvian traditions meet: raw fish, citrus, chilli, precise technique. The Mediterranean side brings produce, the grill and dishes anyone from here would recognise. The Latin side adds heat, corn, avocado and a sense of fun.

The result is not a menu split into three, but dishes where the influences blend. A hake tempura taco comes with a chipotle cabbage slaw. Chargrilled Chinese aubergine is served with Thai basil yoghurt, miso and mustard. Chargrilled snap peas get togarashi, katsuobushi and homemade ponzu.

The Nikkei side: raw dishes, nigiri and rolls

This is the largest part of the menu and where the Japan and Peru crossover shows most. A few dishes to start with:

• Sea bass tiradito with yellow chilli tiger's milk, sweet corn and toasted corn kernels. Peruvian at heart, thinly sliced.
• Sorlut oyster No. 2 with homemade ponzu, citrus caviar and sea sorrel.
• Red prawn nigiri with its head grilled, or torched salmon with chimichurri, a Latin wink in Japanese form.
• Smoked steak tartare gunkan with caviar.
• Rolls such as the Dragon Tempura (eel, tuna and avocado) or the Spicy Tuna with sriracha mayonnaise.

The nigiri let you try a lot in a few bites: scallop with melted cheese, sea bass and lime, red tuna with caviar or tuna belly. If you would rather leave it to the kitchen, there is a chef's sashimi selection of 4 or 6 pieces. And anyone who does not eat raw fish still has options here: enoki tempura with yellow chilli mayo or the Veggie roll with seasonal vegetables.

The Latin side: heat, corn and avocado

The red prawn aguachile with avocado and green jalapeño is probably the most Latin dish on the menu: raw, fresh and with a kick. The guacamole is made at the table and arrives with artisan tortilla chips, a good opener for a big group. The lightly spiced fried sweetcorn works as a side or as something to pick at with a cocktail.

The Latin thread runs into the mains too: the wok-seared sirloin with yellow chilli mayonnaise combines an Asian technique with Andean flavours in one dish.

Another clear crossover is the king crab pasta with Thai sauce and fried Chinese bread, or the pork belly katsu sando, a Japanese-style sandwich that is great for sharing when dinner runs late.

The Mediterranean side: the grill, produce and homely desserts

Here are the dishes everyone at the table will recognise, each with its own twist:

The torrija sums up the menu nicely: a very Spanish dessert (think a richer French toast), cooked on the grill and finished with Japanese yuzu and soy caramel. All three influences in one mouthful.

How to order and what to drink

Our advice is to order for the middle of the table in rounds: raw dishes and starters first, then nigiri or rolls, and a chargrilled main to share. That way you taste a bit of each cuisine. To drink, the cocktails follow the same thinking: the Margarita Nikkei is Patrón Silver tequila, yuzu, ginger sugar and tajín, and Cultura Maya mixes mezcal, amaretto, lime, spicy mango and ginger soda. The full list is on our cocktails page.

And dinner does not end with dessert. Panthera is a Dinner and Dance restaurant with live DJs, and at midnight the tables become celebration areas. Time Out included it in its list of Madrid dinner shows in January 2026. If you have allergies, check the allergen menu before ordering, and if you are coming with a big group, read how to organise it.