A perfect day in the Madrid mountains: haute cuisine among bunkers, caves and Alfonso XII's crockery

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His culinary proposal for a day in the mountains starts, after an infusion of rose and cinnamon served at the entrance of the restaurant, with delicatessen such as

, fried egg from happy hens, cow brioche or a trilogy of local leeks for start guessing what will come next: an

foods

from the area that pretend to simulate what was said: a day in the mountains.

We are in Guadarrama for a reason.

And specifically, at

the only haute cuisine restaurant in Valdemorillo, just over half an hour by car from the capital.

The name of the place (design, cozy, with soul) refers to the current owner,

his specialty, for the kitchen.

But above all to his father, who had the same name and ran

eatery for 50 years, transformed today into a gourmet reference in the mountains.

It is one of the obligatory stops on a visit to the town to savor it with all five senses through

such as rice, meat prepared in its

thyme, lavender honey or the cheese on its

(essential), present both in its seasonal menu,

, and in the classic.

Terrace in front of the Plaza del Ayuntamiento.

"Despite being a journalist by vocation, I always had this dream," says Franco, who trained at

after two decades dispatching

around the world from circuit to circuit.

He is not alone.

He is accompanied by his wife, Carolina, who encouraged him to embark on the adventure, and an experienced team.

They have a luxury location in their favor, the town of Valdemorillo itself, which could well have been El Escorial.

We explain it.

If there is something that, in the 16th century, was left over here, it was the granite quarries, the same one with which the famous monastery was built

.

The fact is that

the almighty architect of it, had already booked the place for being a hunting ground since ancient times.

Not in vain, it already appears in Alfonso XI's

(1342) for its hunting benefits.

Josper oven and appetizer log from La Casa de Manolo Franco.

But the

had another interest: the building had to keep in perfect condition the

from his large library, one of his passions.

So he didn't think of anything else but to

to see in which locality they were best preserved.

"Gossips say that El Escorial won and that is why the monastery was built there," says Pamela Sprätz, the City Council's Culture technician.

The Stone Route

Be that as it may, the truth is that his town was left without

Of course, the monarch stopped in Valdemorillo every time he visited the eternal works and the laborers in charge of building it, too, for which

.

His inns even welcomed the funeral procession that moved the remains of

to El Escorial.

Art exhibition at the House of Culture.

By then, Valdemorillo already had a good handful of attractions that continue today.

From his tannery to tan the skin to the ice well,

or the wine cellar of the typical bottled wine of the town.

These are some of the 24 stops on

, organized by the City Council to "promote the tourist destination and publicize its heritage, traditions and a quality hospitality and commercial sector", says the first deputy mayor, Eva Ruiz.

Also part of this route is the old

from which the best pieces of fine earthenware in Spain were produced, including

.

Today, it is the House of Culture and its gigantic chimneys host exhibitions of all kinds.

Interior of the Church of Our Lady of the Assumption.

In the religious section, the hermitage of Valmayor, the Cruz del Cristo de la Sangre or the

stand out, which mixes Romanesque with Gothic, Herrerian and Baroque, highlighting its medieval tower.

It would be necessary to mention

, such as the remains of shrapnel on the façade.

"The church was the headquarters of the Republic," explains Sprätz.

The weight of the conflict is also seen in the surroundings, in the middle of the countryside, dotted with

.

But the valdemorillense nature gives for more.

Like those tours for fans of

and ornithology.

Note: it is one of the best places in Madrid to see birds.

RECOMMENDATIONS

TRADITION.

San Blas and the first fair of the bullfighting season

The town is a reference in the bullfighting environment, since the number one fair of the year takes place there.

In addition, the square, covered, houses a museum.

GOURMET.

From eating house to gastronomic restaurant

Casa de Manolo Franco (Calle de la Fuente, 6) is one of the latest culinary bets in town.

And not just any, since it is the only gastronomic restaurant.

The key: quality local raw material in a design environment.

DESIGN.

Balconcillos street and the mark of the Civil War

Valdemorillo was bombed during the war and one of its hardest hit streets was Balconcillos.

It is called that because, in its reconstruction through the General Directorate of Devastated Regions, each new house wore one of them.

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