La Botica de Matapozuelos

The story

La Botica de Matapozuelos | Michelin Star Restaurant in Matapozuelos, Spain

La Botica de Matapozuelos

On the main square of Matapozuelos, a restored 1876 farmhouse houses La Botica de Matapozuelos. The dining rooms preserve the building’s original character—one retains the apothecary cabinet that gives the restaurant its name, while the larger space showcases adobe walls and pine beams. The atmosphere is one of quiet, rural authenticity.

Chef Miguel Ángel de la Cruz is a self-taught cook who practices a natural, artisanal cuisine derived directly from the landscape. He explores the surrounding territory, transforming wild finds—pine nuts, mushrooms, wild herbs—into dishes with sensitivity and naturalness. A student of his region’s gastronomic culture, he is the author of "El cocinero recolector y las plantas silvestres" (The Forager Chef and Wild Plants). This commitment to the environment and hyper-local sourcing has earned the restaurant a Michelin star, a Michelin Green Star for sustainability, and two Repsol Suns.

The menu offerings reflect this philosophy. A traditional à la carte recreates the area's popular cooking, while two tasting menus—"Un paseo por el entorno" (A walk through the surroundings) and "La cocina campesina" (The peasant kitchen)—present the chef’s most personal contemporary Castilian cuisine. The produce comes from small local producers, obtained with respect for the environment and guided by the changing seasons.

The wine program, managed by sommelier Alberto de la Cruz, mirrors the kitchen’s focus on proximity. Local wines, difficult to find in standard distribution networks, take pride of place alongside a cellar of national and international references. The result is a dining experience grounded in place, where humble, culturally significant ingredients become the reason for gathering around a table.