Where to get authentic Spanish fare in Madrid, according to designer Edward Cuming
The Sydney-born designer takes us on a tour of his adopted home, through the art galleries he visits after work to the institutional restaurants he frequents for authentic Spanish fare
By 
EDWARD CUMING followed love to Madrid. “He’s Spanish, so it was really only that,” he says of meeting his partner, and choosing to put down roots in the sprawling European city. Spiritually, “Madrid was the closest thing to home that wasn’t Sydney”.
Before he made the move in 2019, Cuming had already been living abroad; he moved to Barcelona at 20 to study an undergraduate degree in fashion, then moved to London to complete his master’s at the prestigious Central Saint Martins. The same year he graduated, Cuming launched his eponymous label. While it wasn’t his primary reason for relocating, shifting to the Spanish capital afforded him a lifestyle better suited to developing a young brand. “[Madrid] created a healthy mental space for me,” he says, speaking to us from his studio in the city centre. “I feel like I can take more creative risks here and look at things in a very realistic way.
“And being able to a ord a space to work in,” he adds with a hint of delight. His first studio space in the city was shared with a bridal brand. “They were two businesswomen who made white dresses for middle-class women – which was fab. It felt so removed from what I was doing that we were able to support each other on an emotional level – like saying, ‘Running a business sucks a lot of the time’.”
Six years on, and the Edward Cuming brand has gained a global cult following of customers who like cerebral clothes. Among his big-name stockists are Dover Street Market Paris, Chinatown Country Club in Sydney and the seductive white void that is SSense.com. Washed until tenderised, each piece of clothing he designs is an exploration into his fascination with the patina of vintage clothing – as a teenager, Cuming would spend weekends traipsing through op shops along Crown Street in Surry Hills and King Street in Newtown, collecting pieces with textures he found interesting.
“The simple gesture of washing something once prepares it to age in an interesting way,” says Cuming. “I critique myself in that I try to move a little beyond, and think about what I’m trying to achieve in my distressing . . . [my clothes] are speaking to someone who’s a little bit more whimsical, for want of a better word.” This approach has manifested in an evolution of Cuming’s signature aesthetic; his spring/summer 2025 collection features worn-in pieces finished with a tailor’s eye.
Living in Madrid, where he can dip in and out of the fashion world, Cuming approaches his downtime like he does his designs: with a sense of balance, maybe hitting a gallery opening after work or holing up at a bar until the early hours of the morning (we’re in Spain, after all). But it’s the culinary scene he’s writing home about. “You’re gonna find amazing quality food in most places, whether it’s cheap or expensive, because the produce is amazing here and the culture around food in Spain is quite strong. There’s so much for any restaurant to build on and riff on.”
The bar: Cemento
“I would order beer on tap because that is generally all I drink. Mahou beer, always. It’s a nice vibe in an area near the flea-market zone of Madrid. [Cemento] always has interesting people, good music – enjoy a second-hand or first-hand ciggie smoke at the door, where everyone usually congregates. Madrid is one of the only places in Spain where if you want to be out seven nights a week, you can be. It’s quite dangerous for people who like to party, ’cause it can suck you in . . . it’s a vortex.”
The restaurant: La Lloreria
“It looks like a classic Spanish restaurant, but [La Lloreria] is run by these young chefs who worked in Michelin star restaurants in Madrid and wanted to bring that research and energy to something that felt more grounded in real Spanish food. It’s a really nice experience.”
The institution: Sacha
“Sacha is an institution. The interiors [make] it a really classic restaurant. I think it’s been around for over [50] years but it was taken over about 30 years ago by Sacha [from his parents]. It’s based on Galician food, which is often the best food in Spain. The best meat, the best seafood, the best produce comes from there, a lot of the time. They’re famous for their ‘lazy tortilla’. Instead of using potatoes, they use potato chips, and they don’t do the flipping of the tortilla. They also use these really nice cured peppers and finely cut morcilla.”
The gallery: Travesía Cuatro and El Chico
“Madrid has a great arts scene A lot of the time after work there will be something opening at the galleries here. Travesía Cuatro is my neighbour’s gallery. It’s probably one of the best contemporary art galleries in Madrid. Another one is called El Chico, where you can find more emerging, more experimental artists.”
The park: Casa de Campo
“I miss nature in Sydney, but there’s beautiful nature here to explore, as well . . . Casa de Campo used to be the hunting ground for the royal family. So, when you get to the edge of the city and you go to the palace in Madrid, you’re looking over a vast nature reserve. And that was back in the day when the royal family would be hunting and doing sports, and then they gave that to the public. So now [the reserve’s] got a big lake, and you can do long bike rides through it. It’s a beautiful place in the spring to sit and have a picnic. You feel like you’re in the middle of nowhere.”
This story appears in the Winter 2025 issue of Esquire Australia with the title “Welcome to: Edward Cuming’s Madrid”, on sale now. Find out where to buy the issue here.
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