The Royal Palace of Madrid opens its doors tonight to welcome the 40 Heads of State and Government who will attend the NATO summit and their companions, with an official dinner offered by the King and Queen. The banquet, which will open with an assortment of starters, followed by a main course of hake, and a dessert, will bring together 60 guests in the gala dining room, around the imperial table, starting at 8:30 p.m.
In addition to the King and Queen, the President of the Government, Pedro Sánchez, and his wife, Begoña Gómez, attend. Also 14 Prime Ministers and 21 Prime Ministers, in addition to the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen; NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg and his wife, and 18 other companions.
Before dinner, the King and Queen go to greet the leaders and their companions in the Throne Room and then go to the Columns room for the aperitif, and then they will take a family photo in the Hall of Alabarderos, without companions. And from there, they will go to the dining room, where the King will deliver a speech, before the start of dinner.
The menu has been commissioned from Madrid chef Paco Roncero, who has two Michelin stars, and starts with a cocktail made up of thirteen appetizers: spherical olives, red tuna brioche with old mustard, sea bass ceviche with tiger milk, air bag of picaña, lobster with oil soup and pink grapefruit, shrimp omelette, marinated sardine with romescu sauce, glazed beef taco, smoked salmon gilda, garlic prawn croquettes, kikos with guacamole, cod fritter and gazpacho with olive oil basil. The main course will be hake with menier sauce, tapioca and trout roe. For dessert, a coconut foam with mint granita and passion fruit has been prepared. The menu is accompanied by red and white wine and cava, as well as water.
