In the beginning it was the Hotel Urban: a five-star Grand Luxury belonging to the Derby Group and located in Madrid’s Carrera de San Jerónimo, a stone’s throw from the Congress of Deputies and the Paseo del Arte. There he established himself as a masterful director of Pato Patón Food and Beverage, after having officiated brilliantly at the extinct Paradís de Marqués de Cubas –where Estimar operates today– and at the Hotel Villa Real of the same group. And, with Paco, chef Joaquín Felipe (formerly El Chaflán) came from the sister hotel, with his exquisite recipe book of southern flavors updated. It was 2005 and that restaurant named Europa Decó was a boom.

Ten years later, Urban’s gastronomic dining room metamorphosed into Cebo after the signing of chef Aurelio Morales: an excellent manager of Alcalá origin with an enviable resume in Catalan houses (Tickets, Comerç 24, Abac…) and a great desire to set his own style . The Michelin star came in less than two years.

For a few months now, Aurelio has been directing Abya’s brand new project at Ortega y Gasset; while Pato Patón has been running his own business in Chamartín, La Fonda de la Confianza, for just over a year. As for the Urban, the Clos family, owner of Derby Hotels, has entrusted the kitchens of Cebo – without changing its name this time – to the talented twenty-somethings Javier Sanz and Juan Sahuquillo, then the boys from Cañitas Maite.

Revelation chefs of Madrid Fusión 2021 and winners of a rosette from the red guide for their Oba project in Casas-Ibáñez (Albacete), Sanz and Sahuquillo prepare minimalist cuisine full of nuances, elemental flavors free from any artifice and with impeccable visual finish. With these parameters they have carved out a well-deserved fame in Albacete lands and now they are looking for their place in the capital with “a haute cuisine format with the room taking center stage, and the aesthetic value of the dishes to convey visual enjoyment and flavor in equal parts. ”, according to the restaurant’s website. In short: the right technique and only the necessary ingredients.

It was endearing to return to this space the other day, which a few friends inaugurated 18 years ago, to verify that, despite some changes in the interior design, its charm prevails just like some good room professionals immutable to changes. The concept is daring, following the pattern of many new culinary addresses in the capital: access only by reservation, a handful of well-separated tables with capacity for 22 diners and just two menus to choose from: the 8-pass Classics (€95) and the Season of 15 rollovers (€145).

Atrio, Casa Marcial, Mugaritz… The work history of these two figures is impressive, as well as their precocity and the merit of having succeeded in the heart of La Manchuela with what our former colleague and yet friend Alberto Luchini has accurately defined as ” a fresh, fun kitchen, attached to the land, with a refined technique and that opted for an exceptional product”.

Since their ascension to the altars last year, the duo has won countless awards and has embarked on many parallel adventures, starting with the opening of the ambitious Oba in their town, going through the advice of Can Domo in Ibiza and continuing with their I disembark at Villa y Corte, in a dining room that does not admit the slightest slip. Perhaps that is why they have planned to take turns at the head of the different houses, relying on a young and well-prepared team.

At a spring lunch on a Friday, we were able to verify that most of the menu has been created specifically for the Urban, with the exception of a couple of classics (the croquette and the carabinero) that we already knew about Casa-Ibáñez and that here represent the DNA of our protagonists. Of course, they change little, because the Season menu that we ordered has been unchanged for a few months. Which, for those of us who distrust overly fickle creative recipes, is not necessarily a negative.

We start standing, before going to the table, with an aperitif consisting of a glass of basic champagne from a great brand and a long-fermented brioche with old-fashioned grass-fed butter. Once installed, the Joselito assortment arrived -in honor of the Iberian magnate from Salamanca-, which consists of an impeccable sheep’s milk croquette with a layer of coppa on top, with which the boys also won the Best Award at Madrid Fusión Croquette of the World, accompanied by a comforting broth and a somewhat bland potato biscuit, stuffed with Iberian pork tartare.

On the printed menu, the dishes have such basic descriptions as Tomato Cuerno de los Andes or Setas Silvestres Botadas, but they turn out to be less simple than one might imagine, the result of reflection and very precise preparation. For example: the tomato is accompanied by goat milk and a rather bland macha sauce. Luckily the artichoke from Lodosa with cockles, cod and chicken fat enlivens our senses… although the use of this last ingredient seems to us an unnecessary art brut gesture, as there are other more noble ways of instilling smoothness.

Stupendous, for their part, are the Maresme peas with cocochas of hake and mint broth. Good for the grilled hook-scarred squid! But be careful with the onion serum and that Pelayo-style broth with sake that tends too sweet.

Remarkable, the black grouper with 15 days of maturation, on gazpachuelo from its spine, and unbeatable the matured red shrimp with lard zabayon and its coral fritter. That’s the way!, what they would say in The Madalorian. The beef tenderloin arrives wrapped like maki in sea lettuce and surrounded by herbs, as if it were a sea and mountain of the global village. A good dish, ideal to accompany wine.

In the final stretch, it is appreciated that the desserts, in addition to being highly creative, are not very sweet. Oscietra caviar is actually the topping for an original oxidized banana ice cream, followed by fresh sheep’s milk ice cream with yogurt and a fun cocoa with mushrooms.

Attractive selection of artisan bread, room service with a lot of school and a well-stocked cellar that is committed to small producers. High bills, at the height of a hotel of this level.

Will the Cañitas manage to conquer the hyper-active Madrid diner with these delicate recipes? So much purity and conceptualism, together with a certain tendency towards delicate flavours, entails the danger that one will leave eating so happy, but not be able to share anything memorable with friends the next day. For the sake of such an exquisite project, dare more!