It has the word “museum” in its name, Hollywood celebrities have visited it and it has the largest wood-fired oven in Spain, but it is a restaurant. It is the Mesón Cuevas del Vino Museum, located in the subway caves of Chichón.
What in the 18th century was a farmhouse where oil and wine were stored, has today become a gastronomic and heritage jewel. This is the recognition of the Restaurant & Bar Design Awards 2025, the main international competition that rewards the design of food and beverage spaces. Mesón Cuevas del Vino has been selected as a candidate in the category of heritage building, dedicated to restaurants located in historic buildings or environments.
This restaurant, in addition to offering tasting menus and a menu of traditional food, is protected by the Heritage of the Community of Madrid. At the national level, it has already received awards such as the Silver Medal for Tourist Merit, awarded by the Ministry of Industry and Tourism for its contribution to tourism. Will it be able to add the award for heritage building of the Restaurant & Bar Design Awards 2025?
A movie lunch
Great movie stars such as Tom Holland, Orson Welles, José Sacristán and Adrien Brody, among others, have passed through the more than 3,500 square meters of the Mesón Cuevas del Vino Museum. Within its walls have been recorded from old movies like Sex or no sex (1974) in which José Sacristán appeared, to Uncharted ( 2022), starring Tom Holland.
Orson Welles, during the filming of A Deadly History (1968) in Chinchón, also went to eat at the Mesón Cuevas del Vino Museum every day. And during his stay there, the great figures of the cinema did not miss the opportunity to try some of the best dishes on the menu: Iberian ham croquettes, sirloin steak, paella or salad with sherry vinegar.
But to enjoy the mesón’s specialties it is not necessary to be a Hollywood celebrity, since the average price per person is between 35 and 37 euros. You can even discover some of their homemade desserts for less than 7 euros.
The largest wood-fired oven in Spain
The historical value of the Mesón Cuevas del Vino Museum in Chinchón is not limited to the building, but is transferred to its gastronomy. The kitchen of this restaurant has the largest wood-fired oven in Spain, which allows them to cook 90 roast casseroles at the same time.
Every year, they use 25 tons of firewood to make sure they serve their delicious roasts, peppers, baked potatoes and even cakes and butter rolls. In this way, they make sure that tradition goes beyond the walls of a heritage building and can be tasted through their dishes.
A unique gastronomic museum
Since its opening in 1964, the Mesón Cuevas del Vino Museum has become a tourist and gastronomic reference for Chinchón. The restaurant is renowned for its speed in serving meals and on Good Friday 1993 it achieved its personal record, serving 2104 dishes.
This can only be achieved with good equipment and a perfectly equipped kitchen. In 160 square meters there is more than enough space to serve such a quantity of food with exceptional speed.
With years of experience behind it and a unique historic enclave, the Museo Mesón Cuevas del Vino has managed to position itself among the finalists of the Restaurant & Bar Design Awards 2025 for its historic building. It competes with rivals such as Brass, the restaurant of a hotel in New York that combines the classic with the contemporary, or La Ménagère, located in Florence and with a great romantic atmosphere.
Until October 27 this year, when the Restaurant & Bar Design Awards 2025 will be held, we will not know if the Museo Mesón Cuevas del Vino will add the award for best heritage building to its track record. It is up to future customers to check if their menu lives up to its history as much as they promise.