Restaurante Monfragüe

Villarreal de San Carlos is the only village inside Monfragüe National Park, and the Restaurante Monfragüe is its dining room: it is on the village's only street, a few steps from the park's information office and interpretation centres, where the walking trails start. It is run by the Monfragüe Rural family, who have the Monfragüe and El Cabrerín country houses a few metres away; their guests have breakfast here.

A village of Charles III on the Cañada Real

The village has a history as a staging inn. It was founded in 1784, in the time of Charles III, halfway between the Puente del Cardenal and the Serrana pass, to give shelter to the stockmen, muleteers and merchants who used the Cañada Real Trujillana between Plasencia and Trujillo, and to station a military detachment against bandits. It had the church of La Merced, barracks, an inn and houses in a row along both sides of the street. Eating here is still a stop on the road: you arrive on foot from a trail or by car along the EX-208 and sit down at the table without leaving the park.

Caldereta, venison and acorn flan

The menu is traditional Extremaduran cooking with local produce. To start, local cheeses with a Designation of Origin, a selection of Iberian cured meats, the pepper salad from the Vegas del Tiétar or garlic and tomato soups. For a main course, rabbit with thyme, kid caldereta or game, such as stewed venison. The desserts are homemade, and the ones the house highlights are the acorn and chestnut flans. There is an à la carte menu and a menu of the day; for groups of 25 people or more, separate menus.

56 seats, a café and a terrace

The dining room seats 56 people, and there is also a café and terrace, which serve for a coffee before the trail or a beer on the way back. In the restaurant there is also a sales point for local products.

Call before you go

The website does not publish hours or closing days, and on weekdays out of season it is best not to assume it is open. The telephone numbers are 927 199 002 and 927 199 191, and the mobile 686 709 329; the email, [email protected]. In spring and on long weekends, when Villarreal fills up with people coming to watch birds, call to book as well.

How it fits into the day

It is the natural midday stop if you do a trail from Villarreal: the yellow trail to La Tajadilla or the green trail to Cerro Gimio bring you back to the village at lunchtime. If you are staying at the Casa Rural Monfragüe, breakfast is already served here, at flexible times.