In the middle of the valleys and mountains of the most emptied and unpopulated Asturias, there is hidden, against all odds, one of the best restaurants in all of Spain. Casa Marcial has accumulated three Michelin stars and the fault lies with a cuisine from a territory where the raw materials are from kilometer zero. It's far from everything, but that's part of its charm. A getaway that, rather, becomes a pilgrimage for food lovers.
Nacho Manzano is the chef at Casa Marcial. I could have chosen any city to open this elegant place with a rural soul where the food is like a god. But he wanted to be faithful to his roots and opted for the land where he grew up: La Salgar, a tiny and lonely Asturian village of just 15 inhabitants that now all lovers of good food know how to put on the map.
The Asturian flavor is present in all its dishes, made with products from livestock and agriculture in the area, to support local producers. Among his works of art (aka recipes) there is the smoked llámpares broth, the crunchy mussel, the celery curd, the grilled beans, the aromatic trout or its stewed pitu 'in my mother's style'.
The tasting menu costs 250 euros and also includes such surprising desserts as cereal skin with fresh cream, cream with kefir toffee, goat yogurt and kefir and oxalis ice cream; or fresh, fermented and roasted corn, mole, chocolate and butter. Additionally, you can add marinade and bread for 300 euros.
Such an offer earned it its first star in 2000, its second star in 2010 and the last in 2023, a green star thanks to its recycling and waste reduction system. In the words of the Michelin guide itself, Casa Marcial “is passion, respect, love, hospitality; endless sensations that leave their mark both on the menu and on the tasting menus.”
