The Box Art La Torre hotel offers a way to make returning from holiday a little easier with a getaway that combines nature, relaxation and the culinary talent of renowned chef Álex Marugán.
Located less than an hour from Madrid, Box Art Hotel La Torre offers a way to prolong, just a little, that sense of freedom which fades away when the holidays come to an end: swap the city for the Sierra de Guadarrama for a night, the hustle and bustle for tranquillity, and the daily grind for a table around which to let the hours slip by. Its Gastronomic Experience Package includes accommodation, a gourmet breakfast and the Raíces y Brasas tasting menu at KOMA, the hotel’s restaurant, which is entering a new era with Álex Marugán at the helm of its kitchen.
Part of the charm begins even before you sit down at the table. Box Art Hotel La Torre is housed in a 19th-century neoclassical building in Collado Mediano, converted into a small boutique hotel where art, books, design and nature are all part of the experience. There’s no need for grand plans here. Arriving whilst it’s still light, going for a stroll, putting your phone aside, opening a bottle of wine or simply gazing at the Sierra de Guadarrama from your room may be all it takes to rediscover that slow pace of life that seemed to have been left behind with the holidays.
The experience can be enjoyed in any of the hotel’s seven rooms, but the best option is undoubtedly the Torre Suite, a 50-square-metre panoramic duplex spread over two floors and offering unobstructed views of the mountains. On the upper floor, a freestanding bath invites you to turn the end of the day into one of those moments when there’s nowhere else to go afterwards.
Memory and technique in the hands of a great chef
As evening falls, the journey changes scene and moves to KOMA. The restaurant, recognised by the Michelin Guide, is embarking on a new chapter under the guidance of Álex Marugán, who finds in the mountains a place from which to return to the essence of cooking: produce, terroir, memory and fire. His philosophy takes shape in ‘Raíces y Brasas’ (Roots and Embers), an 11-course journey that speaks precisely of roots, locally sourced produce and flavours that linger in the memory; but also of fire, technique and a contemporary approach to cuisine.
The experience begins with small bites such as the stew fritter, the garlic prawn croquette or the ceviche-style sea bass sausage, before delving into the region’s flavours with seasonal vegetables served with a goat’s cheese emulsion, fermented honey and spring truffle, followed by a KOMA-smoked Sierra trout with a reduced stock made from its toasted bones. The flavours intensify in the stews and grilled dishes section, featuring verdinas beans with monkfish in black recado and crème fraîche, lamb neck sope with vadouvan mole and goat’s yoghurt, and a cut of matured ‘vaca vieja’ from Collado with a Périgord sauce made from Tuber borchii and flame-roasted peppers. The finale reconnects with the landscape through a lemon thyme ice cream with honey biscuit, before rounding off with KOMA’s Los Puches.
The Gastronomic Experience Package with accommodation in the Torre Suite is available from 348 euros, and includes one night for two people, two 11-course ‘Raíces’ and ‘Brasas’ tasting menus, and a gourmet breakfast.
Box Art La Torre.
Paseo de Rosales, 48,
Collado Mediano, Madrid
Telephone 918 558 558
Source: BUCK3T Comunicación