StreetXO

Review Highlights

Alexander arrives at StreetXO for the second stop of a three-part Dabiz Muñoz series across Madrid — the casual counterpoint to the three-Michelin-star DiverXO he visited in the first video. Tucked away on the third floor of El Corte Inglés de Serrano inside a shopping mall, the restaurant isn't easy to find, and there's no reservation system: you queue up and wait. Alexander skips the line and heads straight in. Inside, it's like a rave in Berlin — pumping techno, a buzzing open kitchen, loud chatter, and a neon-lit interior unlike anything else. The menu is built for sharing, tapas-style, and Alexander lets the staff choose several dishes alongside his own picks, cracking open a bottle of champagne as the show begins.

• ·Kimchi, sheep's milk, tuna sashimi, and lapsang souchong tea — "Mind-blowing. The flavors are what you would expect from these ingredients, but they are tuned up like hell and the combination is just genius." So good they order a second round, and later a third at the server's suggestion.
• ·Peking dumpling — a StreetXO classic: crispy pig's ear served with strawberry hoisin and pickled slices. "The dish is a classic but the plating is extraordinary, just like the flavors."
• ·Josper-roasted scallop with toasted butter, yogurt, jalapeño gazpacho, and café lime — "The sauce is bloody good. There is some heat in it with the strong flavor of the jalapeño and acidity. The whole dish is crazy good."
• ·Grilled pork belly taco with pickled mussels, sriracha, and tartar sauce — a DIY assembly dish. "Pork belly is like Metallica for me. Always good. Simple dish, robust flavors." Alexander loves the playful, hands-on presentation.
• ·Seafood duo — crispy crab with curry leaves, ceviche sauce, and marinated aioli; followed by a Galician grilled octopus taco with morita chili, tamarillo, pickled carrots, parmesan, and pumpkin seeds. "These flavors are fantastic. There is a lot of work and ingredients in these — still street food style, but the ideas behind it are on a very high level."
• ·Ramen XO — foie gras and habanero ramen with roasted chicken wings, pickled BBQ chili peppers, black trumpets, and steamed range-free egg yolk. The only miss of the meal: "For me, it's a little bit lack of energy and it's a bit slow, but the protein in it is very nice."
• ·Galician beef cheek stewed in jalapeño and epazote green curry, served with fried octopus, sweet and sour pico de gallo, and elotes with toasted butter mayonnaise and parmesan — "No words, just watch my reaction. This one is definitely my favorite so far."
• ·Desserts — a brioche with Madagascar vanilla cream and creamy mango ice cream, plus an unexpected waffle. "If I could get this somewhere on the street, I would be a regular for sure."

Alexander's verdict: this is what fun in a restaurant should look like. StreetXO has everything people love — great food, good service, creativity, atmosphere, and real energy. He acknowledges it won't be for everyone: the loud music and chaotic pace could be overwhelming for some. "But for me, this is what it looks like when someone refuses to compromise. There is a clear vision and he is brave enough to be different." The meal was taken care of by the house, though Alexander insisted on leaving a generous tip for the team, praising both the kitchen and the waiters.

About

StreetXO is the casual, no-reservations concept from Dabiz Muñoz — the three-time World's Best Chef behind Madrid's three-Michelin-star DiverXO — tucked away on the third floor of El Corte Inglés de Serrano in the Salamanca district. It translates Muñoz's boundary-pushing culinary DNA into a high-energy, Asian-Spanish street food format served at a striking red counter wrapping an open kitchen, where neon lights, graffiti, and club-volume electronic music set the tone. Opened as the more accessible sibling to DiverXO, StreetXO applies fine-dining technique and ingredient sourcing to dishes inspired by Muñoz's global street food travels, with a second location in Dubai.