Patrick Burgoyne is blogging all week from Design Week Monterrey

The regional speciality in Monterrey is cabrito, or baby goat. And there’s only one place to eat it: El Rey Del Cabrito where, if you’re lucky, you’ll meet owner Jesus Gonzalez. He’s not exactly the shy, retiring type and his restaurant is a design gem…

At El Rey Del Cabrito, more is more. A crown sits proudly atop the building, at night it lights up and, of course, revolves

Inside is a riot of carved wood. To open the lift doors, just push the buttons in the eyes of the carved wooden horses.

Pictures of the owner, sporting suspiciously black hair and tache as he enthusiastically embraces various local celebs are everywhere - not just on the menu and the walls but even hanging from the ceiling in special illuminated displays. This is Jesus’ joint and he’s not going to let you forget it.

Upstairs, Jesus envokes his eclectic tastes with statues of buddhas, Egyptian gods and stuffed an impressive display of firearms. But the piece de resitance is in the main room downstairs - two stuffed lions leaping at each other in front of, of course, a real waterfall.

Mmmmmm…. cabrito

Our hosts here in Monterrey have taken us to some very cool restaurants that bear comparison to any in the world, but I’ll never forget my visit to El Rey. It’s not just kitsch, it’s a brilliant, unique experience.

Thank you Miguel and Mercedes.