Spanish chefs with Michelin stars
A taste of the best restaurants
Which chefs are at the head of the best restaurants in Spain, those with three Michelin stars? Find out on a journey across the country, from north to south and east to west with a single constant: talent. Tradition, creativity, innovation, sustainability, and aesthetics are the strong points of these chefs who have made our gastronomy one of the most widely admired in the world.
With the help of an incomparable generation of chefs, Spanish cuisine has become a leading gastronomy worldwide, and proof of this are the 291 restaurants that boast at least one Michelin star. In fact, during the ceremony held last November in Murcia, 32 restaurants received their first star in recognition of their excellent culinary proposals. If we looked at the top of the scoreboard and went to the three-star restaurants —the highest distinction possible—, which Spanish chefs would we find in their kitchens?
Dabiz Muñoz
The cuisine by Dabiz Muñoz, with its flagship at DiverXO (Madrid), stands out for its irreverence, an attitude that pushes him to break down barriers and always be a front runner. With his flying pigs, his dinner guests step onto a rollercoaster of flavours from around the world.
Ángel León
Known as the chef of the sea, Ángel León has turned Aponiente (El Puerto de Santa María, Cádiz) into a place of pilgrimage for fans of haute cuisine, especially for those who are also committed to the environment. Because his avantgarde cuisine doesn’t lose sight of sustainability.
Juan Mari Arzak
In Alto de Miracruz there’s a large family house that’s also an iconic restaurant for Spanish gastronomy: Arzak (San Sebastián, Guipúzcoa). Managed by Juan Mari Arzak and his daughter Elena, who’s part of the new generation taking over, its kitchen offers the best of Basque tradition without sacrificing creativity.
Martín Berasategui
When this Basque chef clenches his fist and exclaims his famous expression, garrote [in his words, having a winning attitude], he invites us to face life with passion and hard work. And this is precisely what one finds at Martín Berasategui (Lasarte, Guipúzcoa) and Lasarte (Barcelona). Alongside French chefs Alain Ducasse, Pierre Gagnaire and Yannick Alleno, he’s the chef with the most stars in the world.
Creativity and innovation are some of the keys to the success of Spanish gastronomy. © Francesc Guillamet - Disfrutar
Quique Dacosta
The culinary proposal that this chef from Extremadura provides at Quique Dacosta (Denia, Alicante) pays particular attention to aesthetics and beauty. His dishes, strongly associated to the Mediterranean which adopted him despite being born on the other side of the country, catch your eye and are pleasing to the palate while also appealing to your intelligence.
Eneko Atxa
Protecting the environment and the values of Basque culture go hand in hand at Azurmendi (Larrabetzu, Vizcaya), the restaurant where Eneko Atxa aims to cook a better future. The establishment’s architecture, whose entrance is graced by an offshoot of the Tree of Gernika, has adjusted to offer dinner guests a unique experience.
Joan Roca
If we talk about Joan Roca, we also have to mention his brothers: Josep, the sommelier, and Jordi, the pastry chef. Together, they have turned El Celler de Can Roca (Girona) into one of the most acclaimed restaurants in the world. Their proposal is all-encompassing, appealing to all five senses with a whirlwind of sensations.
“Haute cuisine has nothing to do with ostentatious luxury, but rather with unique experiences that are reached through talent” — Dabiz Muñoz
Pedro Subijana
One of the founding fathers of what is known as New Basque Cuisine is still ready for anything at Akelarre (San Sebastián, Guipúzcoa). If getting to the top of gastronomy is hard, it is even harder to stay up there and this veteran chef has managed this by betting on creativity, which is reflected in his constant renovation without losing sight of tradition.
Jordi Cruz
His presence as a judge on a successful TV programme (MasterChef) has made him one of the most famous chefs in the country. Focused on seasonal products, technical excellence, and Mediterranean flavours, ABaC (Barcelona) has been a leading haute cuisine restaurant for years.
Jesús Sánchez
The Casa-Palacio Mazarrasa is home to a temple of gastronomy, Cenador de Amós (Villaverde de Pontones, Cantabria), with chef Jesús Sánchez at the helm. The restaurant boasts its own organic vegetable garden, which allows it to respect the seasonal nature of products and take care of the natural surroundings, both Cantabrian hallmarks.
The best Spanish restaurants take care of both the food they offer and the environment they are a part of. © Azurmendi
Paco Morales
Córdoba is the cultural melting pot that is home to the restaurant by chef Paco Morales. It is called Noor (Córdoba), which means “light” in Arabic. A light that brightens each dish to recover the essence of Moorish cuisine with modern techniques. Each season broaches a different phase in history.
Toño Pérez
Atrio (Cáceres) is a particular place of devotion for Iberian cuisine. Its famous “cochinito feliz” [happy pulled pork], which makes the most of the flavours of Iberian pigs raised in the grasslands of Extremadura, bringing together tradition, technique, and creativity, is the best example of this dedication. Don’t forget to visit its incredible wine cellar, home to real gems.
Sergio y Javier Torres
The most well-known twins in the world of gastronomy, Sergio and Javier Torres, host their dinner guests at Cocina Hermanos Torres (Barcelona). A place that bets on the circular economy and dealing directly with producers, without middlemen. The result is a culinary proposal that is as inspiring as it is spectacular.
Eduard Xatruch, Oriol Castro y Mateu Casañas
The three chefs (Eduard Xatruch, Oriol Castro, and Mateu Casañas) at the helm of Disfrutar (Barcelona) worked at El Bulli, Ferrán Adrià’s iconic restaurant, and for many they are his natural successors. You can tell in their ravishingly creative cuisine. If you’re looking for innovative flavours, shapes, and textures, you’ve come to the right place.
Nacho Manzano
The last Spanish chef to get into the three-Michelin-star club is Nacho Manzano, from Casa Marcial (Arriondas, Asturias). And he has achieved this with a family-run project that, from its remote location in the mountains, suggests a journey full of creativity around the roots of Asturian cuisine.
On the next step down, with two Michelin stars, we find top names in Spanish cuisine like Andoni Luis Aduriz (Mugaritz), Paco Pérez (Miramar), Mario Sandoval (Coque), Diego Guerrero (DSTAgE), Paco Roncero (Paco Roncero), Jordi Artal (Cinc Sentits), Ramón Freixa (Ramón Freixa Madrid), Dani García (Smoked Room), Fina Puigdevall (Les Cols), Ricard Camarena (Ricard Camarena), Javier Olleros (Culler de Pau), Mario Cachinero (Skina) or Francis Paniego (El Portal de Echaurren), among others. Because the talent of Spanish cuisine knows no bounds.
