Coco Montes
Chef-owner of Pabú, Madrid's one-Michelin-star restaurant built on a daily-changing microtemporada tasting menu.
- Michelin stars
1- Repsol Soles
1- Restaurants
- 1
Coco Montes, born Ignacio Montes, is the chef and owner of Pabú, a one-Michelin-star restaurant he opened in Madrid's Chamartín neighborhood in November 2023. He studied business administration and worked at IBM before training at Le Cordon Bleu in Paris and under Alain Passard at the three-Michelin-starred L'Arpège, with further stints at Zalacaín and Azurmendi. Pabú earned its Michelin star in November 2024 and a Repsol Sol in 2025, and runs on a daily-changing "microtemporada" menu built around fresh, local, largely unfrozen produce.
From @restaurante_pabu on Instagram
Este fin de semana, PABÚ lleva su cocina a la @f1 de Madrid. Del 11 al 13 de septiembre, Coco Montes y el equipo de PABÚ estarán cocinando en Club 91, el espacio de hospitality más exclusivo del Fórmula 1 TAG Heuer Gran Premio de España, que se celebra en @madring_oficial . Tres días en los que ll
Septiembre marca una transición, pero algunos ingredientes todavía están en plena expresión. El tomate es uno de ellos. Seguimos el ritmo de la microtemporada, observando cómo evoluciona cada ingrediente y dejando que sea ese momento el que marque nuestra manera de cocinar. En PABÚ evolucionamos
Este fin de semana, salimos a rodar en las pistas de la Fórmula 1 en Madrid con nuestro equipo de cocina !!!! Una oportunidad extraordinaria para encontrarnos, compartir y celebrar junto a grandes colegas de la alta cocina española, como @qiqedacosta @pacoperezmiramar @lutafona @ivancerdenolopez @rd
Biography
Early years
Montes, whose full name is Ignacio Montes, comes from a family with Basque and Asturian roots; his parents are Eduardo Montes and Rita González. He studied Administración y Dirección de Empresas (business administration) and worked as a consultant at IBM before training as a chef at Le Cordon Bleu in Paris. While studying he cooked weekends at Zalacaín in Madrid.
Career
He trained under Alain Passard at the three-Michelin-starred L'Arpège in Paris, and also worked with Eneko Atxa at Azurmendi, alongside a stint at Eleven Madison Park in New York and international projects in Shanghai, Los Angeles and Sydney. Montes opened Pabú in Madrid's Chamartín neighborhood in November 2023, a 24-cover restaurant with a team of 14; its two tasting menus, Pate and Bubú, are named for the nicknames his nephews use for his parents, Eduardo and Rita, who also runs Pabú's dining room. Pabú earned its first Michelin star in November 2024, one year after opening, and a Repsol Sol in 2025. That same year the Academia Madrileña de Gastronomía named it Restaurante del Año, the International Academy of Gastronomy gave Montes its Prix au Chef de l'Avenir, and he was Cocinero del Año 2024 at the Premios Excelencias. In June 2026 Pabú received Wine Spectator's Best Of Award of Excellence for its wine program.
Philosophy
Montes builds Pabú's menu around what he calls microtemporada: sourcing daily from markets and small local producers rather than planning menus in advance, and avoiding frozen ingredients. He has described the restaurant's approach as working "in a corner of gastronomy," deliberately pushing back on the idea that all Michelin-starred restaurants look alike.
Restaurants
On Guidavera
1Coco Montes in our guides
Editorial guides featuring Coco Montes’s restaurants.
Accolades
- ·1 Michelin Star, Pabú (2024)
- ·Sol Repsol, Pabú (2025)
- ·Cocinero del Año, Premios Excelencias (2024)
- ·Restaurante del Año, Academia Madrileña de Gastronomía, Pabú (2025)
- ·Prix au Chef de l'Avenir, International Academy of Gastronomy (2025)
- ·Best Of Award of Excellence, Wine Spectator, Pabú (2026)
- ·We're Smart sustainability distinction, Pabú
Frequently asked
Does Coco Montes have a Michelin star?
Yes. Pabú, his restaurant in Madrid, earned one Michelin star in November 2024, about a year after opening.
Where did Coco Montes train?
At Le Cordon Bleu in Paris, then under Alain Passard at the three-Michelin-starred L'Arpège, with further stints at Zalacaín, Azurmendi, and Eleven Madison Park.
What kind of food does Pabú serve?
A daily-changing, micro-seasonal tasting menu: French technique applied to fresh, largely unfrozen ingredients sourced from small local producers.
When did Pabú open?
November 2023, in Madrid's Chamartín neighborhood.
What did Coco Montes do before becoming a chef?
He studied business administration and worked as a consultant at IBM before leaving to train as a chef at Le Cordon Bleu in Paris.
Why are Pabú's tasting menus called Pate and Bubú?
They're named for the nicknames Montes's nephews use for his parents, Eduardo and Rita, who also runs the restaurant's dining room.