Sam Mamés kid with small barley salad and river cress
For the capital go to Monty it is not something that can be improvised on a Wednesday night. No. First because it is in San Lorenzo de El Escorial , and that implies an hour of travel. Second, because you can't get a table just like that. And it is that Montia, although it opened more than a year ago, by the hand of its head chef Daniel Ochoa , has turned out to be one of those places whose name resonates here and there (especially in the circles of other chefs and bartenders in the capital) . “ the decoration is nice, the food is original and all the plates (with some trickery) they are made with products from Madrid or from the surroundings… and also at a good price”. They are the phrases that are heard the most. But, beware, let's not fool ourselves: Montia is not, by any means, a restaurant for all audiences.
It makes few commercial concessions and takes risks with a signature cuisine that skips the topics to the bullfighter and sticks to the terroir. So if you are one of those who is squeamish when it comes to sitting at the table, this is not your place, because here they will serve you dishes like: “ ear and brava fritter, black bean, Iberian and turnip cappuccino, and a bite of filo pastry and hare pate with black trumpet ” as starters. “ Oyster and pickled cabbage ”; “ onion soup, cheese toast and fennel ”, and “Iberian goose eggs, Hispanic escorzonera and its honeyed heart ”, as main.
Montia (San Lorenzo del Escorial, Madrid)
And if that was not enough, there is no letter . Not even to save appearances. only works with tasting menu that changes every week , and it is also surprise . In other words, allergies and intolerances prevented, you find out what you are going to eat when you have the plate in front of you and the waiters sing it to you. Where you can choose is in the size of the menu: short or long (three appetizers, four or five mains, and one –or two- desserts) . Both are accompanied by two basics: Artisan biodynamic breads from Cercedilla and a kamut wheat cake (from Egypt) and a little Titulcia oil (ecological cornicabra from Grandma's oil bottle) for dipping, and mineral water from the source of the shell , served in its jar.
Sam Mamés kid with small barley salad and river cress
In both are also included the tasting of cheeses from the mountains of Madrid , served on a kind of slate watercolor palette (goat, cow and sheep), and accompanied by their artisan compotes , and dessert (although they themselves confess that they are not too sweet, so you will rather find dishes based on different types of apples, curds or similar, rather than a chocolate cake).
Either of the two -and if there is no car through- the ideal is to do them with pairing, which begins with the craft beer Cibeles and continues with different wines . All biodynamic, natural and ecological (Which, although it is true, is very good and you saw a lot, it limits the offer quite a lot). To finish, the coffee (the Italian coffee maker is brought to your table so that you can serve yourself at will) and a shot of some liquor. the of pomace cream is homemade and delicious , and they bring you a whole bottle to lengthen the after-meal conversation.
Where : Calvario, 4. San Lorenzo de El Escorial (Madrid). Telephone: 911 33 69 88
How many : The price of the menu is 30 euros (eye does not include the coffee or the shot, nor do they tell you when), with the wine tasting 16 euros more
When : Lunch times are at 2:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m. Given the demand and the little space it has, it is essential to book. Closed: Sunday night and Monday
fireplace warmth