It is the best restaurant in Madrid. Number one on TripAdvisor. Is called The Mountains of Galicia (c/ Azcona, 46) and has been on the podium for eight years. There is no trick or cardboard here. Almost 12,000 diners give it the highest score: 5/5. At the helm is Daniel Espasandín, son of José Espasandín, who arrived from the Costa da Morte to start as a dishwasher and ended up sculpting, over 29 years, a gastronomic temple that fuses traditional Galician cuisine with modern dishes. Now, Daniel professionalizes the family legacy, a space where the traceability of Galician beef coexists with the avant-garde of sashimi, always under strict respect for sustainability and direct dealings with the producer.
What is a Galician family doing in the heart of Madrid?
My father is originally from a very small village in the interior of A Coruña, with barely 20 inhabitants dedicated to livestock. At 15 years old he decided to emigrate. He started washing dishes in the first place they hired him and grew: from helper to cook, even going to work for free in restaurants to learn, he was in some with Michelin Stars like ‘El Olivo’… After seasons in Mallorca and Lugo, he returned to Madrid with clear ideas, and set up the restaurant 29 years ago. He brought with him all those Galician recipes from his origins.
It is the second generation. What was that transition from finance books to the kitchen like?
I studied Administration and Finance in Madrid and Ireland precisely to run the restaurant. Three years ago I started taking the step seriously. I spent a year in the kitchen starting from the bottom, peeling onions and taking nourishment from my father. Now, while I finish my sommelier degree, I manage the kitchen and dining room, I coordinate the digital part, the reservations, the finances, and I look for a close relationship with suppliers. Oh, and also communication and social networks. I do everything. The business model has changed a lot since my father’s time (laughs).
What does “sustainable cooking” mean in everyday life?
Something that comes naturally to you when you’re looking for flavor. We prioritize the season, traceability and total use of the product, concepts very typical of Galician cuisine. We work with small producers and have a cash payment policy. This guarantees that the product is of the day and we get a better price for the customer for quality ingredients. I have direct contact with the fish markets in Coruña, Vigo and Pontevedra. It’s curious; The best product from Galicia arrives first in Madrid and is then distributed there.
How do you control that the raw material is really what it promises?
Because we always look for the best: skewered hake instead of drag, real Galician ox, certified with the identification number of the cow and the slaughterhouse. For example, beef costs me €150 per kilo; But with the cash method we adjust the costs to the maximum so that the client can afford it. The difference is in the flavor, and those who appreciate the food will notice it.
On the menu they mix recipes from their great-grandmother with dishes such as sashimi or tartare. How do these two worlds coexist?
It’s kind of my fault. I like to open ourselves to the world. The base is always Galicia, with clean flavors, but we are inspired by other trips. They can coexist perfectly to attract all types of audiences. In addition, we play a lot with a menu of suggestions according to what the seasonal market offers: now strawberries, now artichokes or teardrop peas, difficult to see there.
About TripAdvisor. How is that pressure managed?
We have been in the Top 10 for eight years and being at number one is enormously satisfying, but we do not work thinking about the ranking. We listen to opinions a lot to learn, without changing our personality. We simply take great care of the customer.
Do you have any “secret” so that the client always leaves satisfied?
Yes. At the top of our menu we put something that gives a lot of security: if a dish is not to your taste, it will be removed at no cost. We also ask “how are you” at the first bite, so that it is never too late to react. And we have an incredible team; Many have been with us for the 29 years of the establishment’s life. They know how to explain how each ingredient is cooked.
His father said that this level of demand “costs his health.” How do you see yourself 20 years from now?
If I’m honest, I look a little “broken” (laughs). It is a huge sacrifice and a very big responsibility. For me the restaurant is my brother; for my father, his other son, his creature. I’m proud to wear it. My idea is to maintain his legacy and, if possible, open more “Montes de Galicia” in Madrid or even in Galicia in the future, but always respecting tradition, which is our pride.