Thieves made off with 132 bottles of wine worth EUR 200,000 from one of Spain’s best collections at a two-starred Michelin restaurant in Madrid.

The heist was carried out at Restaurante Coque of chef Mario Sandoval in the Chamberi neighbourhood.

The thieves are believed to have entered the premises from an adjoining pharmacy that has been closed for a month.

National Police believe the heist was ordered by higher powers, as the thieves targeted the most expensive premium wines – collectively valued at GBP 173,000.

The restaurant’s wine cellar is known to hold some 25,000 bottles with a huge collective value.

Coque’s sommelier and Mario’s brother Rafael Sandoval explained how the crooks first tried to bore a hole through the wall separating the pharmacy and restaurant.

But they eventually gained entry by entering the restaurant’s patio through the pharmacy’s rear window.

They then forced open the glass door to the cellar after disabling the alarm system.

They took advantage of the fact that the restaurant was closed on Sunday and Monday to commit the heist in the early hours of 31st October.

Mario, Rafael and their brother Juan Diego – who own the restaurant – filed a complaint with police on 1st November.

Mario told local media: “We are very concerned and hurt by what happened, not because of the money issue but because some of the stolen bottles belonged to my grandfather Coque from very old vintages like 1925 or 1936.

“There were bottles that have passed from generation to generation and not even the wineries themselves have them. We are very bitter about letting go of these bottles that we hold so dear.”