COCO MONTES BRINGS THE ESSENCE OF PABÚ TO SOFIA FOR A FOUR-HANDS DINNER WITH CHEF NIKOLAY POPOV
A dialogue between Madrid and Sofia through contemporary ingredient-driven cuisine
- Chef Coco Montes travelled to Sofia to join Chef Nikolay Popov for a four-hands dinner at UNICA, one of Bulgaria’s most exciting contemporary restaurants.
- The event brought together two members of JRE- Jeunes Restaurateurs, united by a shared commitment to craftsmanship, exceptional produce and contemporary gastronomy.
- The collaboration was a celebration of the perfect moment of the ingredient, bringing together PABÚs philosophy of micro-seasons and Bulgaria’s rich agricultural and marine bounty through a sensitive, precise and deeply seasonal cuisine.
- The visit also included a masterclass at HRC Academy, where Coco Montes shared his professional experience with the hospitality students.
Sofia, 11th of June 2026 – Chef Coco Montes of PABÚ restaurant (1 MICHELIN star) in Madrid, travelled to Sofia on the 9th of June to collaborate with Chef Nikolay Popov of the restaurant Unica, at an event organised by JRE Bulgaria and Mastercard. Both chefs are members of JRE – Jeunes Restaurateurs, the international association of chefs and restaurant owners that promotes gastronomic excellence and the exchange of knowledge among its members.
The four-hands dinner brought the chefs together to celebrate the perfect moment of each ingredient, combining Spain’s micro-seasons with Bulgaria’s rich agricultural and marine bounty through a sensitive, precise and deeply seasonal cuisine. It was a dialogue between two cuisines that share the same vision: absolute respect for the ingredient, technique in the service of emotion, and the pursuit of beauty in its purest and most natural form.
Coco Montes’ approach, shaped by years of experience in France and in some of the world’s most acclaimed kitchens, joined the distinctive culinary vision of Nikolay Popov, a Bulgarian chef whose career has been shaped by years of immersion in Italy’s diverse gastronomic traditions. At Unica, he reinterprets classic Italian cuisine using carefully selected Bulgarian ingredients, creating dishes that feel both familiar and entirely new.
Throughout the evening, guests enjoyed the following menu, which highlights the strengths of both chefs, creating a dialogue between Madrid and Sofia:
First Green Glimmers
Fresh Green Beans and Pickled Cucumber
Ancient Mustard and Chilled Almond
From the Garden, in Lightness
Chilled Tomato and Vanilla Soup
Macerated Cherries and Yogurt Ice Cream
The Nearby Sea
Black Sea Mussels
Saffron, Orange and Olive-Wood Smoke
A Moving Sweetness
Warm Bulgarian Tomatoes
Toasted Pistachio Beurre Blanc
Fulfilment Between Two Worlds
Red Sea Bream and the Last White Asparagus of the Season
Roasted Lemons
Tender and Crisp Suckling Pig
Traditional Apricot Chimichurri
Fresh and Dried Fruits
Poached Vineyard Peach
Bourbon Vanilla and Pink Salted Caramel
Nikolay’s Childhood Dessert
Walnuts and Hazelnuts, Fried Bread
The visit continued on the 10th of June with an exclusive masterclass at the HRC Academy. Guided by PABÚ’s philosophy, the class focused on micro-seasonality, refined French technique and ingredient-driven cooking, whilst encouraging students to go beyond mere execution and learn to interpret the produce.
The Spanish chef’s aim was to show the next generation of chefs that there is a path in fine dining beyond the necessary logistics of production and planning in the kitchen. He invited them to learn to read between the lines, to connect with the ingredient and to listen constantly, in order to decipher the territory in which they work and get the best out of it.
About PABÚ (* MichelIn)
PABÚ is Coco Montes’ home in Madrid. A space where every day’s cooking is based on absolute respect for the product and its moment. It opened its doors in November 2023, at 4 Panamá Street, as a restaurant that lives in tune with nature. Its concept is based on transparency, craftsmanship and a daily selection of authentic ingredients: vegetables, fruit, poultry and fish at their peak.
Nothing is prepared in advance. At PABÚ, everything is made fresh every day, from natural sourdough bread to pastries and ice cream, respecting the cycles of the earth and the pure flavour of each ingredient. Its cuisine- French-inspired and Spanish at heart- is traditional and sophisticated, but above all alive: ephemeral, fresh and constantly changing. Each dish is a snapshot of the day, a reflection of the micro-seasons that mark the pantry and guide the menu.
About Coco Montes
Coco Montes (Madrid, 1988) is a chef who understands cooking as a form of expression. Trained at Le Cordon Bleu in Madrid and Paris, he obtained the Grand Diplôme in cooking, pastry and baking. His career has been marked by high standards and the pursuit of purity, with more than six years working alongside chef Alain Passard at L’Arpège (Paris, three MICHELIN stars), where he developed a deep connection with the world of vegetables and seasonality.
During his final period in Paris, he was responsible for coordinating the restaurant’s international events in cities such as Shanghai, Bangkok, Los Angeles, Sydney, Aspen, Abu Dhabi, New Delhi and Punta Cana. He has also worked at Eleven Madison Park (New York), Azurmendi and Zalacaín in Spain.
In 2023, he opened PABÚ, his personal project, which was awarded a Michelin star just one year later and a Repsol Sun in 2025.
About JRE
JRE-Jeunes Restaurateurs is an international association that brings together chefs and restaurant owners committed to culinary excellence, hospitality and the future of the profession. Founded in 1974, it currently comprises more than 420 independent restaurants across 21 countries.
The organisation connects a new generation of culinary leaders who share a common vision: to highlight the value of produce, the local area, culinary identity and sustainability, whilst driving innovation and the constant evolution of gastronomy.
Through meetings, exchanges and international projects, JRE fosters collaboration between chefs and restaurateurs from different countries, strengthening a professional community based on learning, mutual inspiration and culinary entrepreneurship.
The participation of Coco Montes, a member of the JRE Spain board of directors, in this event organised by JRE Bulgaria reflects the association’s commitment to building bridges between culinary cultures and promoting the exchange of knowledge among its members.
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