On November 21, 2018, in a fabulous gala in Portugal, the names of the new Michelin star restaurants in Spain were announced: 11 restaurants earned three stars, 25 earned two stars and 170 earned one star. A balance that confirms why Spain is one of travelers favorite food destinations in the world.
When we talk about Michelin stars we refer to the most important awards of international cuisine that recognizes the best restaurants in the world – divided by regions – since 1920. Currently, in the world, there are 2,000 restaurants that have at least one Michelin star. Spain, however, happens to have 253 Michelin stars.
As a result, we present to you in this short guide, the best restaurants and chefs Spain has to offer.
Martin Berasategui, the king of the stars
The Basque chef Martin Berasategui has added two stars to Oria Restaurant in Barcelona and eMe Be Garrote in San Sebastián. .
Spain’s other award-winning restaurants are Lasarte, with three stars, located in Barcelona; MB, with two, in Guía de Isora, Tenerife; and the restaurant Martin Berasategui, with three, in Lasarte-Oria, Gipuzkoa.
He is the most awarded chef with this distinction in Spain and the fourth most decorated in the world, surpassed only by the French chef Joël Robuchon, who passed away last August, Alain Ducasse and Gordon Ramsay.
Berasategui’s cuisine is based on the influences of the ‘new Basque cuisine’ which is where innovation in Spanish cuisine was forged and made known to the world. Technical precision is another of his most applauded qualities.
Six stars for the chef of the Hotel Arts Paco Pérez
Chef Paco Pérez adds another star to his restaurant Terra, in S’Agaró, in Girona. With this recent addition he now holds six stars, which positions him as the second Spanish chef with the most distinctions in the country.
Chef Paco Pérez in his restaurant Terra. Photo: Terra Restaurant
His other restaurants with stars are: Miramar, in Llançà, Girona, with three stars; Enoteca restaurant, with two stars, in the luxurious Hotel Arts of Barcelona; and a Michelin star for his restaurant Cinco of the Das Stue Hotel in Berlin.
Pérez’s cuisine is creative and is based on the roots of the land and the sea, as well as locally produced ingredients.
Photo: Restaurante Terra de Paco Pérez
Dani García gets three stars
The surprise of this year’s edition of the Michelin guide is that of the Malaga chef Dani García who earned three stars for self-named restaurant Dani García Restaurant, located in the Puente Romano Hotel in Marbella. The restaurant was formed with Martín Berasategui and El Bulli de Barcelona.
The restaurant features dishes made with local ingredients and is inspired by his mother’s recipes. It stands out for its cold Andalusian soups that has managed to become haute cuisine in the city.
Photo: Dani García Restaurant.
More Michelin stars news
They duo, Dani García and Martín Berasategui earned their second Michelin star with their restaurants Ricard Camarena in Valencia and El Molino de Urdániz in Navarra.
While Cocina Hermanos Torres (Barcelona), the new restaurant that recently opened at the Towers, a huge research laboratory of raw materials, has inherited two Michelin stars from the restaurant Dos Cielos of the Hotel Me Barcelona, which closed recently. The Torres, which are both stubborn and work hard are vying for their third Michelin star.
Brothers Torres. Photo: Guillermo Pérez
In other news, a total of 22 restaurants were added to the list this year for the very first time. In Madrid they are: Corral de la Morería, El Invernadero, La Tasquería and Yugo.
In Alicante: Beat (Calpe), Orobianco Ristorante (Calpe) and El Xato (La Nucía).
While in Bilbao, Eneko, led by chef Eneko Atxa earned its first star, raising his total amount of stars to five stars, two for Eneko and three for the restaurant Azurmendi, both in Larrabetzu in the province of Vizcaya.
In Catalonia, the Bar of Carles Abellánde, Barcelona and Terra de S’Agaró, Girona also made the list this year with one star each.
In Andalusia, Baga Espacio Gastronómico in Jaén by chef Pedro Sánchez and Lú Cocina y Alma in Jerez de la Frontera, Cádiz earned their first stars as well.
Other restaurants that have been recognized with one star include: Trivio (Cuenca), Pablo (León), Ikaro (Logroño), A Tafona (Santiago de Compostela), Molino de Alcuneza (Sigüenza, Guadalajara) and CanCook (Zaragoza).
11 restaurants with 3 Michelin stars
Based off of this year’s list Spain has a total of 11 restaurants with 3 Michelin stars that you can visit. So take a look and see what these gastronomical delights have to offer.
Related Articles:
Arpège and Alléno Paris au Pavillon Ledoyen, two gastronomic gems in the city of light
Sustainable Fine Dining Arrives in The Riviera Maya
Francis Mallmann, the Argentinian chef who captivates foodies from around the world
