Madeira, December 1st, 2025 – Spanish chef Coco Montes, from the Michelin-starred PABÚ in Madrid was welcomed at The KAMPO restaurant in Funchal, Madeira, for the latest edition of the “12 Chefs, 12 Months” project, an initiative designed to highlight the island’s native products and culinary identity through collaborations with leading national and international chefs.
Last Saturday, chef Júlio Pereira hosted Montes for a special four-hands lunch at KAMPO, following a weekend in which the Madrid-based chef explored Madeira’s landscapes, producers and endemic ingredients, gaining insight into the island’s culinary heritage and terroir.
The “12 Chefs, 12 Months” project celebrates Madeira as a gastronomic destination of excellence, inviting guest chefs to discover the island, meet local producers and work with seasonal, endemic ingredients. Each edition results in a unique menu that marries tradition and modernity, reinforcing Madeira’s culinary identity and promoting the value of its territory, local produce and cultural heritage.
Reflecting on the experience, Montes commented: “It was a privilege to cook in Madeira and to develop my micro-seasonal cuisine with what the island offers at this time of year. I am grateful to chef Júlio Pereira and his team for their generosity and hospitality.”
Pereira expressed his delight at hosting Montes: “It was a pleasure to welcome chef Coco Montes to Madeira and to share with him what gives soul to our cuisine: our native products, their seasonality and the authenticity of this territory. These cultural exchanges are precisely what make ‘12 Chefs, 12 Months’ so special — each chef brings their own perspective while taking with them a piece of Madeiran gastronomic essence.”
Coco Montes trained at Le Cordon Bleu Paris after studying Management in Madrid, and subsequently worked for six years alongside Alain Passard at the three-Michelin-starred L’Arpège, where he coordinated international culinary events in cities such as Shanghai, Bangkok, Sydney and Los Angeles. His career also includes work at Zalacaín, Azurmendi, and Eleven Madison Park.
His restaurant, PABÚ, is Montes’ personal project and has swiftly become one of Spain’s most distinctive and acclaimed contemporary dining spaces. Open for less than a year, it has earned significant public and critical recognition for its cuisine rooted in product purity and micro-seasonality. Inspired by French technique and deeply connected to the plant world, PABÚ received its first Sol Repsol, was named Restaurant of the Year by Tapas (Forbes Group), and was awarded its first Michelin star in 2025.
The special lunch presented exclusive creations from both chefs, celebrating the finest seasonal and endemic ingredients of the Autonomous Region of Madeira.
About PABÚ
Pabú is Coco Montes’s restaurant in Madrid. A space where every day’s cuisine is cooked with absolute respect for the product and its moment of ripeness. It opened its doors in November 2023 at Calle Panamá 4, as a restaurant that lives in harmony with nature. Its concept is based on transparency, craftsmanship, and a daily selection of authentic ingredients: vegetables, fruits, poultry, and fish at their peak.
Nothing is prepared in advance. At Pabú, everything is made fresh daily—from the natural sourdough bread to the pastries and ice creams—respecting the earth’s cycles and the pure flavor of each ingredient. Its cuisine, inspired by French tradition and with a Spanish soul, is traditional and sophisticated, but above all, vibrant: ephemeral, fresh, and constantly evolving. Each dish is a snapshot of the day, a reflection of the micro-seasons that define the pantry and guide the menu.
About the ‘12 Chefs, 12 Months’ Project
Created in 2023, the “12 Chefs, 12 Months” project has brought national and international chefs to KAMPO with the aim of elevating Madeira and promoting it as a leading gastronomic tourism destination. Through immersive visits to the island, its producers and emblematic locations linked to its identity, guest chefs are invited to create menus reflecting the seasonality, cultural diversity and distinctive products of the archipelago.
The initiative seeks to enhance Madeira’s overall value by activating its natural, cultural and gastronomic heritage as a catalyst for local development. Each edition aims to attract visitors to the island and, in turn, send them home carrying the flavours, stories and traditions of Madeira.
PRESS CONTACT
For interviews, images and more information
Vanessa Kroop –vanessak@mateoandco.es M: +34 608 849 809
