Spain and Madrid, in particular, are a foodie’s paradise. Wonderful meats, seafood, spices and the patina of cultural influences in food give Spain a culinary DNA unlike any in the world. Take that foundation and add the competitive drive of three brothers to take the offering to the epicurean to the next echelon and that’s a recipe for gastronomic nirvana. That confluence of elements is just what happened in Madrid where a team of three brothers, each excelling in their own culinary discipline, opened what has now become one of Madrid’s most esteemed gourmet meccas, the Coque Restaurant by the Brothers Sandoval.

The story begins three generations ago in the small town of Hermes in the north of Spain. The brothers learned their love of cooking from their grandfather and eventually took over his small local bar and eatery. The competitive spirit and drive compelled them to want something more. Each took on a special skill with Mario as the head chef with Rafael as the sommelier and Diego as the maître d’ and restaurant manager. And as the first family ever,  the Sandoval brothers has been awarded Best Chef, Best Waiter and Best Sommelier in Spain by the Royal Academy of Gastronomy.

Chef Mario Sandoval was trained in haute preparation and technique and then applied those skills and his passion for experimentation to traditional Spanish dishes. Ultimately earning two Michelin stars for the restaurant, his focus was to create something new and what is arguably the most revered restaurant in Madrid. His strategy was different than most of his counterparts which was to reinvent Italian cuisine in Spain. Instead he sought to create something that honours the traditions of Spanish fare, but that is uniquely new and his own.

His brothers are an integral part of the restaurants success with Rafael being named as sommelier of the year. There you can expect expert sommeliers who particularly present Spain’s best wines for pairing as well as a wine list of 23,000 bottles with exclusive wines not found anywhere else.  There’s also a special room, La Sacristia there are only Dom Perignon bottles of different vintages.

The restaurant itself in a culinary tour de force at over 11,000-square-foot feet and the aforementioned dazzling wine cellar. Coque is located in a previous discotheque is today remodelled and designed by Mexican architect Jean Porsche.

Unlike the other famous restaurants in Spain, Mario Sandoval has invested in creating dishes that reflect the variations in Spanish cuisine with products from different parts of the country. “I want to create magic and hope my ideas about food from different parts of Spain working together will work. Gastronomy at this level should be something that stands out well above the local cuisine. Someone who comes from another country should not feel that it is specifically Spanish, it is food at the highest level”, he says.

Coque got their first Michelin star in 2004 and the second in 2015.  It has achieved the pinnacle of Spain’s culinary offerings and destination worthy of the journey.

Every detail, from the sous-chefs’ immaculate toques to the waiters’ gloves (white for the heated plates, black for the silverware), is lovingly perfected, while everybody in the building is completely committed to — and knowledgeable about — every aspect of the Sandoval show.

The Coque Restaurant is most renowned for their 11-course culinary journey. When you arrive, you’re taken downstairs  with a lift to the restaurant’s bar to commence your journey through the menu, starting with a special Cocktail Coque Club  and a Bloody Mary ice cream paired with a tapas of Sea Cucumber braised with soft prawn.

Next step is the impressive wine cellar for a savory take on macarons of paprika, paired perfectly with a Tio Pepe Fino. You’ll then venture into the champagne room for a flute of vintage Dom Perignon paired with a  truffle of mushroom, chestnut and sesame.  It’s now you realize that your meal is a field trip throughout the restaurant.

There’s an air of warmth and invitation, partly due to the kitchen’s open layout and bright demeanor. You feel as though you could’ve approached a chef on your own and ask questions about the ingredient choices.  The third step is White Prawns with Palo Cortado pear´s and a suffle of cured Manchego cheese. To drink a sip of a local wheat beer.

Then your tour of flavor finds its final destination at a table for the main set of courses. 11 in total with the desserts – come with an empty stomach. In the sala, or dining room, decorated in soothing vegetal tones created by Mexican designer Jean Porsche, we are met by our server, Giorgio, fluent in Italian, English and Spanish. Giorgio looked to be about 19, but he has almost encyclopedic knowledge of every dish, recipe, ingredient, cooking time, and temperature.

The tour take you on a trip through an exploration of taste, technique, and overall thoughtfulness with each dish placed in front of you.  Grilled scarlet shrimps, hot pickled foie in Oloroso barrel,  tuna with caviar are some of the dishes, all topped with the special dish that´s been with the Sandoval Brothers all those years – the laquered suckling pig.  All dishes excellently paired with Dom Perignon, a Vina Pomal Rioja, a Palo Cortado Viejo, a Fontadi Chianti Classico and Spanish wines from Madrid and Valladolid.

Chef Mario Sandoval mixes the comfort of traditional Spanish flavors with an innovative, modern touch that looks into the future. You’ll be there for about 3 hours in total, it is not simply a meal, it’s much more than that, in fact it is the quintessential  taste excursion.

Coque is more than a restaurant, it is a creative experience designed to enliven all the senses. A recommended living at least once a year.

 

Photos by Carin Tegner