Iván Cerdeño

At the historic Cigarral del Ángel (a “cigarral” is a typical Toledo-style country house), set in lush gardens on the banks of the Tagus, guests can savour the unusual cuisine of chef Iván Cerdeño, who creates dishes based on memories from the past and seasonality. In them, he showcases the finest ingredients from La Mancha, the distinctive flavours of game from the Montes de Toledo, and colourful produce from bountiful local vegetable gardens. He also takes inspiration from the different cultures that have left their legacy here, as well as from the distant seas around the Iberian Peninsula. Pickles, sauces, escabeches and marinades all feature strongly, as part of cuisine that combines the culinary roots of La Mancha with a contemporary slant. This is evidenced on four tasting menus (the seasonal Temporada, Monte y Ribera, Toledo Olvidado (Forgotten Toledo) and Memorias de un Cigarral) that usually start with “atisbos”, small traditional appetisers with a modern touch. Make sure you try the flan-like “leche asada”, a version of a dessert that appeared in a 16C book by Ruperto de Nola.