A Conversation with Manu Franco, Six Months After Receiving a Michelin Star

Paola Malmierca
3 days ago
3 min read

I have had an interview with Manu Franco prepared for some time. Since this house received the Michelin star, we have prioritized other matters, which is why I have kept it for a moment when we could focus solely on it, perhaps this summer...

I am Paola, and as he says: I help the world know what we do.

Six months after receiving a Michelin star, Manu answers five questions that place us in the most current today. The summer interview will hopefully be conducted on video.

Six months later, how are you? And how are things going?

If this restaurant was already pure emotion, now it is even more so. It has been a year with little rest and at times I am exhausted, but happy at the same time. In terms of responsibility, not much has changed, because this house had already been operating as if it had a Michelin star for two years. Since achieving it, we have filled most of our days, and that makes us very happy. Currently, we fill our weekends almost two months in advance—a true dream that keeps me motivated, stronger than ever, with the real goal of making happy those who take the trouble to come to our home.

Where would you like to evolve in the medium term?

Our future intention is to double the bet. But this year is about consolidating the project and this beautiful adventure we set out to turn into success more than five years ago. At the moment, every service is like a theatrical performance based on real events and a challenge in which we aim to improve step by step each day, introducing new details in everything—from the dishes to the service, the tableware, the wine cellar, the glasses… step by step, menu by menu, enhancing an unforgettable experience inspired by a day in the mountains. This is what makes us unique and different in concept and experience. Consolidate the star, the concept, continue shining, and next year, aim for more…

Has it been difficult to bring in new or different dishes? What does the spring menu feature?

It is true that our desire to keep growing remains intact, which means making the next menu slightly better than the previous one. Our best version of this menu has 15 courses for a total of 26 bites, and to achieve this, we must have 123 different preparations ready before each service. Regarding ingredients, we continue to rely on what the mountains around our village and the Sierra de Madrid offer: what’s in the fields, aromatic herbs, thyme, lavender, rosemary, oak, rockrose, pine—as the backbone of our cuisine. In this season, considering it is the spring menu, we also make use of seasonal vegetables: lágrima peas, broad beans, spring mushrooms, wild asparagus… And of course, we continue with a cuisine full of feeling and sensitivity, paying homage to our land, our village, and our family with dishes that carry the names of those who have made us who we are.

How do you bring the wild environment into a fine-dining dish without losing its essence?

By making it recognizable, enhancing the flavor, but respecting that it tastes exactly like what it is—just that. When we cook what we gather ourselves, something magical happens. The flavor is radically better than if we didn’t, but going out into the field is also very important to me. It’s a moment where I truly take a breath, and this environment makes it so easy… I need it, I think I need it too much…

What specific emotions have you wanted to capture in this season’s menu?

Several. The emotion evoked by a time that, although it does not return, comes back in memory. The love with which we always try to do things, because ultimately, I dedicate my life to making others feel better, and that can only be achieved with love. And also hope—especially in one of the desserts, which recreates Valmayor, a very special place in our village where the Virgin of Hope resides. Using this as an excuse, I aim to convey and inspire everyone who feels that their life is not good enough: there is always hope. We also tell the story of a torrija, connecting it with moments from our past… It is a succession of emotions that must be experienced and felt. Guests cry, laugh, close their eyes, or open them wide when tasting our creations. Every service brings magical moments.

Thank you, Manu, for this time.