The pathways of culinary creation are inscrutable. We would never have thought that a sweet-and-sour gilda could crown a cheesecake, but voilà! There stands Paipái (Plaza del Perú, 4) to prove that nothing is written in gastronomic teachings. This morning, in the competition of The Best Cheesecake in Madrid 2026, organized by The Association of Chefs and Pastry Makers of Madrid (ACYRE Madrid), the restaurant took first place after surprising with an original plating: an olive stuffed with miso caramel, membrillo, pickled grape and a caramelized piparra skewered on a toothpick.
As explained by its chef, Fernando Ruiz, they were looking to make a nod to such a quintessential aperitif and, at the same time, counterbalance the potency of each bite, in which the gilda and the cheesecake mingle, in their case, made with cheeses of intense flavor, a biscuit base and butter from La Colmenareña, with the M seal of Madrid Calidad Producto Certificado.
It is precisely the Madrid cheeses, also under this same brand of food safety guarantee, that give that unique touch to the recipes, as explained by Eduardo Casquero, president of ACYRE Madrid: “In the region we have a wide variety of this product and great producers, making these desserts a festival of flavors and nuances. Each year, the participants surprise us with their choices and the ways of combining them in their cheesecakes, and this year has been no exception, even with gildas.”
Second and Third Places
Cream from La Colmenareña, eggs from Granjas Villarreal and cream cheese from Albe are three of the ingredients used by Claudia Covarrubias, founder of Prímula Pastelería (Jorge Juan, 65), to shape the classic cheesecake – very creamy, but without a biscuit crust – that has earned second place: “We prioritize creaminess in the center and a sturdy outer layer, which is why we bake it at high temperature for the first few minutes and then reduce the heat for the rest of the baking time,” she notes, while acknowledging that it isn’t very sweet, as she doesn’t want it to be cloying. It also includes a touch of yogurt to give it a tart note and prevent it from feeling heavy.
