Best hotel breakfast. Madrid Fusion Food of Spain Grand Prize

For several months, the Madrid Fusión team has visited countless Spanish hotels. The eight selected establishments listed below will be scored by a jury of experts who will vote secretly, taking into account the most relevant criteria. The three finalists and the overall winner will be announced on one of the stages during the next edition of our congress, which will be held on January 29, 30, and 31, 2024.

Finalists for the “Best Hotel Breakfast” Award

It offers a menu punctuated by several live service stations, where many of the displayed products are sliced ​​to order: cured meats from various origins, freshly baked breads, artisanal cheeses, and smoked fish. This meticulously calculated system serves a dual purpose, both gastronomic and economic: the desire to avoid waste. "Food that isn't sliced ​​keeps perfectly," assures head chef Oscar Molina. A wide selection of juices and seasonal fruits, superb coffee and teas, excellent pastries, and hot dishes prepared to order are also available. A truly impressive offering.

Royal Hideaway Corales Beach. La Caleta (Adeje, Tenerife)

Royal Hideaway Corales Beach.

The merits of this hotel's breakfast, with its constantly updated menu and buffet, lie in its selection of the highest quality seasonal and locally sourced products. Three details set its offerings apart: the extensive range of organic juices and fruits from the "La Calabacera" farm; the presence of a professional acorn-fed Iberian ham carver; and the selection of exclusive breads and pastries freshly baked by Alexis García, the Canary Islands' best pastry chef and a revelation at MF 2018. Eggs Benedict, Florentine with spinach, and Royal with smoked salmon are prepared to order, along with various scrambled egg dishes. Their pancakes with cream and maple syrup, and the selection of Canarian cheeses, are other highlights.

Cortesín Estate. Casares (Málaga)

Cortesín Estate.

Without a doubt, this is one of the great temples of early morning snacks in Spain, with tables that stretch alongside a garden of centuries-old olive trees. No buffet here; everything is à la carte, ordered by the customers, whether it be eggs, freshly peeled fruit salads, juices, freshly baked pastries, or smoked meats and sausages prepared in the kitchen.

Specialties that possess the refined touch of classic Central European cuisine, bearing the unmistakable signature of the renowned German-Spanish chef Lutz Bösing. The fruit is excellent, as are the hot dishes and the selection of breads and pastries. Whether you order eggs Benedict with the finest hollandaise sauce or fried eggs with crispy edges and Iberian ham, it makes no difference.

Soul. Barcelona

Alma.

A sophisticated urban breakfast that combines à la carte dishes with a splendid buffet. Everything is in just the right proportions, with no excessive number of items, but each one of exceptional quality. In essence and style, it's a tribute to small producers, primarily from Catalonia.

The menu features artisanal cured meats and raw milk cheeses, freshly baked breads, and smoked fish. These are complemented by a wide selection of pastries, homemade jams, and freshly cut fruit. The menu includes egg dishes prepared in various ways, including Spanish omelets and eggs Benedict. The service is outstanding.

Alcuneza Mill.

A family-run rural hotel occupying a flour mill with over 500 years of history. Its breakfasts are characterized by locally sourced products and local traditions. A la carte options include breads and pastries (croissants, palmiers, muffins) made in-house, mostly with organic flours from heirloom wheat varieties sourced from the Despelta flour mill. Eggs come from their own free-range hens. Cheeses and cured meats are sourced from nearby regions such as Sigüenza. Their selection of traditional shepherd's dishes is noteworthy, such as gachas (a type of porridge) made with chickling vetch flour and chorizo ​​hash. The juices and jams are also excellent.

Hotel Narbasu. Cereceda (Asturias)

This rural hotel, run by chef Nacho Manzano and his sisters, offers breakfasts that exude the refined, welcoming atmosphere that the family brings to all their establishments in Asturias. The products are not only from Asturias but also from various other regions, all carefully selected. The bread comes from the Mon bakery in Arriondas, the cured meats (ham, chorizo, and salchichón) are Iberian, the cookies are homemade, and the yogurt is artisanal. Beyond the specialties listed on the menu, the appeal of their breakfasts lies in the hotel's ability to accommodate guests' requests. Whether you order fried pork belly with egg, sweet corn cakes instead of bread, or scrambled eggs with smoked trout from the Bedón River, it's perfectly acceptable.

Hotel Pico Velasco. Angustina, Cantabria

Hotel Pico Velasco.

Their breakfasts, designed by chef Nacho Solana, have become a revelation. Not only for the quality of the ingredients but also for the personalized attention given to customers. If their Solana potato omelet, made to order, is one of the best in Spain, the rest of their dishes, which take you on a culinary journey through the country, are equally impressive: pork loin and cheese roll; bagel with organic chicken Caesar salad; free-range eggs Benedict from the Asón River Valley; and organic vegetable ratatouille with egg and ham. In addition to artisanal cheeses, not only from Cantabria, they offer a sweet selection, with sobaos and quesadas pasiegas, croissants, and a wide assortment of artisanal breads with grated tomato, olive oil, or local butter.

The 14th-century abbey's refectory lends a solemn air to the breakfasts at this hotel, which features seasonal products and, despite its elegance, maintains a distinctly rural character. The pastries and breads, baked in their own bakery, are of homemade quality. Other products, such as cheeses, cured beef, and some sausages, also sourced locally, come from various locations in the highlands of Castile and León. The same is true for the free-range eggs from a farm located less than 8 km from the abbey, and the honey from their own hives. Part of their menu is based on reviving a tradition dating back more than half a century to the area: the harvester's lunch, a one-dish meal of eggs, sausages, and fried potatoes.

The breads and pastries served at this hotel's buffet are baked daily in the bakery located on the ground floor. Croissants, napolitanas, and an assortment of pastries, including small cream puffs and fruit tarts, are available. The cured meats and sausages, as well as the 5J Iberian ham, are sliced ​​to order to ensure freshness and minimize waste. The hot dishes on the menu feature eggs prepared in various ways, including eggs Benedict, fried, and scrambled, as well as a Spanish omelet made to order and frequently replenished. Among the hot desserts, two specialties stand out: pancakes with cream and crêpes sucette. Freshly squeezed juices and a good selection of fruit are also offered, along with excellent coffee.