El Capricho in Jimenez de Jamuz, a small village outside of Leon, Spain, north of Madrid, has the serious distinction of having been named as one of the ten best steak restaurants in the World by Luxatic https://luxatic.com/best-steak-houses-in-the-world/. Travelers from Asia and other parts of Europe as well as the US, some flying in on private jets, to feast on their high quality dry aged steaks raised in their own farms, accompanied by organic home grown vegetables including some serious tomatoes and strawberries, and accompanied by their own wines. That, in itself, was enough for me to put it on my itinerary for a recent trip to Spain, but I was also to find out that El Capricho is a travel destination in itself to spend the entire day. And then there are its neighboring villages with their own appeal and El Capricho’s six room hotel to spend the night.

El Capricho started as a bodega selling organic wine made in a cave dug by the founder, Segundo Gordon. Gordon later branched out into selling a small selection of food items for people who came to buy the wine, his son Jose bringing the jugs of wine from patron to patron. Today Jose is the passionate creator and operator, along with his wife Noemi, of the restaurant and over 370 acre farm with hand selected oxen that today number 400. They represent 15 different breeds that are treated almost like members of the family they’re so pampered.

I was fascinated to learn that these up to 1000 kilos oxen fetch up to 5000 to 1000 Euros per animal. By appointment, guests are taken to a fascinating tour of the adjacent farms to go up close and personal with the oxen and learn all about them from Gordon himself, ending up riding through the largest field in a four wheel drive, followed by the oxen, in a “safari”.

The tour can be combined with a wine tasting in the underground “bodega”, one of 200 in the area, and a look at the aging of cecina, comparable to a beef jerky but much more refined. It’s aged for up to three years and served in thin slices like Spanish serrano ham, a process that has been done for two thousand years.

It’s then on to the main event, lunch or dinner at the 38 seat restaurant which is in a romantic wine cellar like setting. We opted for the Homage Menu, fourteen courses that were easily worthy of a Michelin star or two given the presentation and quality of the ingredients. Unique are all of the theme and variations of meat – from a sliver of roast beef served with red onion and pumpkin pickles and classic rump steak tartare topped with caviar and brioche, to sirloin tiradito with line caught tuna and a selection of vegetables.

But there’s more — Gran Reserva Cecina, black pudding, cold beetroot soup with tongue, a selection of different cuts thinly sliced, grilled bone marrow with pepper butter, jalapeno peppers, citrus fruits and paprika toast. Before having the highlight of the meal a palate cleanser was served – pina colada foam with sharp strawberry jam. Then came the tableside final grilling of the finely marbled, oh so flavorful porterhouse steak with – get this touch – the fat grilled and served separately. Of course, all were accompanied by creative fruit and vegetable garnishes, topped off with decadent desserts (180 Euros per person).

Besides El Capricho wines the restaurant has a cellar with a total of 30,000 of the finer wines from around the world ranging from 18 to 38,000 Euros a bottle.

You can go to El Capricho for the day by train to Leon, then taking a taxi for the 40 minute ride. Or, if you go for dinner, think of spending the night at their hotel, Hospedaje Dona Elvira, simple yet well equipped and modern (160 to 310 Euros). Bodega El Capricho. C/Carrobierzo nº28, 24767 Jiménez de Jamuz (León) T +34 987664227

Better yet, visit the medieval city of Leon with its not to be missed Cathedral that is said to rival that of Chartres in the beauty of its stained glass windows (I concur). Then, take in the surrounding villages and natural attractions ranging from the lagunas of Villafafila that’s  a bird reserve on the migratory patch from Africa and what was the largest open cast gold mine worked by the Romans, to rivers, mountains and the largest glacial lake in Europe that also happens to be swimmable. For more information on the Silver Route of Leon, click here.