PABÚ RECEIVES WINE SPECTATOR’S 2026 BEST OF AWARD OF EXCELLENCE
The Madrid restaurant is recognised as one of the world’s finest wine destinations, offering one of the most unique wine selections in Spanish fine dining.
Madrid, 24th of June 2026- PABÚ (*MICHELIN), Chef Coco Montes’s personal project, has been honoured with Wine Spectator’s 2026 Best of Award of Excellence, the second-highest accolade bestowed by the publication on the world’s finest wine destinations, second only to the Grand Award. In this year’s edition, the award has recognised more than 1,800 restaurants across 87 countries and territories worldwide, and PABÚ stands out amongst them as a leading light on the Spanish gastronomic scene.
The Best of Award of Excellence recognises those restaurants that have made wine an essential part of the dining experience, with lists featuring over 350 selections from the finest producers, broad regional representation and an outstanding depth of vintages. PABÚ meets and exceeds these criteria with a wine cellar offering almost 350 wines by the glass and over 850 bottles in stock, with a particular strength in Spanish, Champagne and French wines. This achievement reflects the restaurant’s philosophy: micro-seasonal cuisine created by Coco Montes, where every detail, including the wines, reflects a constant search for purity and authenticity.
Behind this recognition is Patricia García Sánchez, PABÚ’s head sommelier and one of the most prominent sommeliers on the national scene. Under her guidance, the wine list evolves in step together with Coco’s cuisine: the pairings change daily and are presented in different styles and formats to best suit each guest.
PABÚ’s wine cellar is organised not by designations of origin or grape varieties, but by the sensations they evoke when tasted. It is a glass-walled space, visible from the dining room, which houses over a thousand bottles and serves as a statement of principles: authenticity, respect for the terroir and emotion in every bottle. Alongside the wines, you’ll find Champagne, ciders, spirits, refreshing cocktails made with seasonal fruits and herbs, and freshly prepared non-alcoholic alternatives, with the option to bring your own bottle.
Wine Spectator’s Best of Award of Excellence cements PABÚ’s status as one of the leading wine destinations in Spanish fine dining and confirms the value of an approach that has made wine not merely an accompaniment, but the very soul of the dining experience.
About PABÚ
PABÚ is Coco Montes’ home in Madrid. A space where every day’s cooking is based on absolute respect for the product and its moment. It opened its doors in November 2023, at 4 Panamá Street, as a restaurant that lives in tune with nature. Its concept is based on transparency, craftsmanship and a daily selection of authentic ingredients: vegetables, fruit, poultry and fish at their peak.
Nothing is prepared in advance. At PABÚ, everything is made fresh every day- from natural sourdough bread to pastries and ice cream- respecting the cycles of the earth and the pure flavour of each ingredient. Its cuisine, French-inspired and Spanish at heart, is traditional and sophisticated, but above all alive: ephemeral, fresh and constantly changing. Each dish is a snapshot of the day, a reflection of the micro-seasons that mark the pantry and guide the menu.
About Coco Montes
Coco Montes (Madrid, 1988) is a chef who understands cooking as a form of expression. Trained at Le Cordon Bleu in Madrid and Paris, he obtained the Grand Diplôme in cooking, pastry and baking. His career has been marked by high standards and the pursuit of purity, with more than six years working alongside chef Alain Passard at L’Arpège (Paris, three Michelin stars), where he developed a deep connection with the world of vegetables and seasonality.
During his final period in Paris, he was responsible for coordinating the restaurant’s international events in cities such as Shanghai, Bangkok, Los Angeles, Sydney, Aspen, Abu Dhabi, New Delhi and Punta Cana. He has also worked at Eleven Madison Park (New York), Azurmendi and Zalacaín in Spain.
In 2023, he opened PABÚ, his personal project, which was awarded a MICHELIN star a year later and a Repsol Sun in 2025.
More information in this link
Useful information:
Calle de Panamá, 4 – Madrid
Tuesdays to Saturdays. Closed on Sundays and Mondays.
COMMUNICATION CONTACT
For interviews, images and further information
Vanessa Kroop –vanessak@mateoandco.es M: +34 608 849 809
