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50
Top
The 25 best restaurants and
the 25 best gastrobars in Spain
In association with
1
The 25 Best Restaurants in Spain
Here is a selection of the 5 best
Spanish restaurants, compiled by
Rafael Ansón, a great culinary
expert (page 4).
Of the 25 restaurants, 8 are in the
Basque Country, 6 in Catalonia, 3 in Madrid, 2 in Castile-La Mancha, 2 in Asturias,
2 in Andalusia, 1 in the Valencia region,
and 1 in Extremadura.
Others establishments have received
high ratings in some of the guides. In
Catalonia: the Hispania, Lasarte and Vía
Veneto. Madrid: Horcher, La Terraza del
Casino and Zalacaín. Basque Country:
Guggenheim. Navarra: Rodero. Balearic
Islands: Tristán. Canary Islands: M. B. de
Martín Berasategui. In most of these cases
the owner is also the head chef.
Some top restaurants, grouped by
Autonomous Communities, do not figure
among the best 25. In Aragón: La Venta
del Soto and Taberna de Lillas Pastia.
Cantabria: El Cenador de Amós. Castile
& León: Estrella del Bajo Carrión, Vivaldi
and Ramiro’s. Galicia: Casa Marcelo and
Solla. La Rioja: El Portal de Echaurre.
Murcia: La Cabaña. Navarra: Rodero and
Maher. Balearic Islands: Tristán and Es
Molí d’en Bou. Canary Islands: M.B and
El Duende.
In the selection of the 50 Best Restaurants in the World there are five from Spain:
El Bulli, Can Roca, Mugaritz, Arzak and Martín Berasategui. And between places 50 and
100 are Etxebarri, Pedro Subijana, Carme
Ruscalleda-Sant Pau, Quique Dacosta and
Can Fabes.
Haute cuisine
AkelArre
There are several reasons to justify a
trip to this restaurant, founded by Pedro Subijana in 1970. One is its location,
atop Monte Igueldo, with magnificent views
over San Sebastián and the Bay of Biscay
from its lovely panoramic dining room,
modern and elegant. Another is the love of
cooking that Pedro brings to his creations,
which are full of innovation and personality,
dishes based on excellent raw materials and
executed without any stridency. Another
reason is the perfect functioning of a dining
room team headed by Perfe Prol, Pedro’s
wife. Their excellent garden and the fine
wines are another source of pride.
Paseo Padre Orcolaga, 56.
San Sebastián
www.akelarre.net✍
4
ArzAk
Eating at this restaurant is one of
best culinary experiences possible.
To speak of Juan Mari is to speak of the
dean of Spanish haute cuisine, a master
of masters. Since his beginnings in 1966,
Juan Mari has produced exceptional and
authentic Basque dishes, with a clear idea:
to adapt tradition to new times.This temple
of gastronomy, with modern and elegant
decor and excellent lighting, has an assured
future: Elena Arzak has shown herself to be
Spain’s star chefs are among the best in
the world
as professional as her father, Juan Mari.
Avda. Alcalde José Elosegui, 7.
San Sebastián
www.arzak.es✍
Atrio
Created by Toño Pérez and José A.
Polo and elegantly and soberly decorated with classic works of art, this
restaurant has an intimate, welcoming
ambience. There are linen tablecloths,
Riedel crystal, fine silverware and porcelain
and excellent service organised by José. In
addition, it has one of the finest restaurant
wine cellars, which has won important
awards. Toño, also a prize winner, is one of
the great chefs. His continual quest to learn
has allowed him to wed the best of haute
cuisine with typical Spanish cooking: he has
The S. Pellegrino List of the World’s 50 Best Restaurants
is increasingly prestigious (www.theworlds50best.com).
Among the top 10 in the 010 edition are El Bulli in Roses
(chef Ferran Adrià), down one spot from its previous four
straight years as número uno (he was declared Best Chef
of the Decade 000- 010); Mugaritz in Rentería (Andoni
Luis Aduriz), El Celler de Can Roca de Girona (Joan Roca)
and Arzak in San Sebastián (Juan Mari and Elena Arzak).
No other country comes even close to Spain. And then
there’s Martín Berasategui, in Lasarte (Guipúzcoa), in a
magnificent thirty-third position.
But there are many other chefs, some of whom occupy leading positions, such as Bittor Arginzoniz at the
Asador Etxebarri, in Axpe (Vizcaya); Carme Ruscalleda, of
Sant Pau in Sant Pol de Mar (Barcelona); Pedro Subijana, at
San Sebastian’s Akelarre restaurant; Santi Santamaría from
Can Fabes in Sant Celoni (Barcelona); Quique Dacosta,
at El Poblet in Denia (Alicante). And others: Sergi Arola,
Paco Roncero, David Muñoz, Dani García, Fermí Puig,
Carles Abellán...
In addition, there are chefs throughout Spain who are
long on experience and skills, and while they haven’t yet
received international stardom they merit the highest
recognition.This would be the case in Madrid with Paco
Roncero, Sacha Hormaechea, Ramon Freixa or Abraham
García; in Galicia, Pepe Solla or Marcelo; in Asturias, Pedro
and Marcos Morán, Miguel and Isaac Loya, and Nacho
Manzano; Castile-La Mancha, Manuel de la Osa or the
Rodríguez Rey brothers; Francis Paniego in the Rioja;
Koldo Rodero or Enrique Martínez in Navarra; Raúl
Aleixandre at Ca Sento in Valencia, and Dani García, the
best in Andalusia.
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Haute cuisine
kept alive the typical dishes of western
Spain by skilfully transforming them. He
will soon move this culinary temple to the
old part of town.
Avda. de España, . Cáceres
www.restauranteatrio.com✍
CAlimA
Dani Garcia began at the Cónsula de
Málaga hostelry school, continued in
the kitchen of Martín Berasategui and
has now created Calima. Based on the
traditional flavours of Andalusia, the cuisine
is full of contrasts, and employs advanced
techniques such as the use of liquid nitrogen
in several of its dishes. The lovely modern
dining room is warm and elegant, with
views of Dani’s kitchen, which can also be
observed from the terrace, with its spec6
tacular vista of the sea and the blue sky.The
service is attentive to the smallest detail. In
addition to the ample wine list there is a
large cheese wagon, sweets and teas, and a
range of breads and virgin olive oils.
Hotel Gran Melia Don Pepe. Avda.
José Meliá, s/n. Marbella (Málaga)
www.restaurantecalima.com✍
CAn
fAbes
Santi Santamaría is a real gastronomic
institution in Catalonia and the rest
of Spain: one of the biggest of the big
chefs, and a versatile creator. For more
than 30 years he has been demonstrating
his skill at Can Fabes. This is haute cuisine
based on Catalan traditions and products from the fields and the sea: recipes
have been updated to bring out the most
authentic flavours and textures. One of
the pillars of the operation is Santi’s wife,
Ángels, who efficiently runs the modern
dining room. Rounding out the top-flight
professional team are Cándido Tardío and
Juan Carlos Ibáñez.
C/ Sant Joan, 6. Sant Celoni (Barcelona)
www.canfabes.com✍
CArme rusCAlledA – sAnt pAu
Since 1988 the Carmen RuscalledaSant Pau restaurant has occupied a
19th-century building with a garden
and views of the Mediterranean. Over
the years the team of Carme Ruscalleda
and Toni Balam has worked hard to produce culinary results that have placed this
establishment at the very top. Carme never
went to a professional cooking school: her
knowledge comes from personal experience with the products of the Maresme
region, which are the basis of her cuisine.
Her two dining rooms, which are run by
Toni, are the incarnation of elegance and
good taste. In her efforts to demonstrate
her qualities and knowledge, Carme has
written several books on food.
C/ Nou, 10. Sant Pol de Mar (Barcelona)
www.ruscalleda.cat✍
CAsA GerArdo
When it opened in 188, this was a
humble restaurant and stagecoach
stop. At the end of the 1970s, Pedro
Morán took over, and his kitchen was soon
a sanctum sanctorum of traditional Asturian
cooking, starring the fabada (bean stew)
and the rice pudding. Marcos, representing
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Haute cuisine
the latest generation, is developing things
further with creative versions of this northern Spanish cuisine, although he’s in no
hurry. The basis is still the quality products
from the land and the sea.The very pleasant
classic yet modern dining room with good
service, as well as a large wine list, make this
is a must when visiting Asturias.
Ctra. AS-19, km 8. Prendes (Asturias)
www.casa-gerardo.com✍
CAsA mArCiAl
Located in a farmhouse in a rural
setting in the Sierra del Sueve area
close to the Fito observation point,
Casa Marcial has become Nacho
Manzano’s gastronomic temple. He
was a star pupil of Víctor Bango (Casa
Víctor – Gijón) and is the leader of
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haute cuisine in the Asturias region, with
a special sensibility for local products
and flavours: the broad beans, the pitu
de Caleya (free-range chicken stew), the
tortos (a cornflower, meat and egg dish)...
There is a pleasant, comfortable dining
room with stone walls and a beamed
ceiling, a rustic setting that contrasts with
the elegance of the linen, silverware and
crockery. The careful service and excellent wine list are overseen, respectively,
by his friendly, highly professional sisters,
Olga and Sandra.
C/ La Salgar, 10. Arriondas (Asturias)
www.casamarcial.com✍
diverxo
This restaurant run by David Muñoz
raised great expectation in Madrid
The important culinary events
and soon became an obligatory
stop for food lovers. His blending of
aromas and flavours, as well as his use of
the most varied products, demonstrate
the high degree of creativity of the different menus. Another important factor
is the charm and professional approach
of Ángela Montero in the dining room.
This is a large, attractive room with a
glass wine storage container overseen by
Javier Arroyo.The efforts of David and his
team earned him Spain’s 2009 National
Gastronomy Prize.
C/ Pensamiento, 8. Madrid
www.diverxo.com✍
drolmA
Top marks for this establishment:
the cooking by Fermín Puig, the
Spain currently has
more top-level gastronomic events than any
other country. They attract the celebrity chefs
who, along with other
Spanish masters, are
among the best cooks in
the world.
Buoyed up by the
international success of
Spanish cuisine, these
congresses are springing
up all over the country.
Between the last months
of 009 and the first
ones of 010, many such
events have been held with different aims, although with
one thing in common: good eating.
Some of the key events, starting in September 009:
Andalucía Sabor (Seville), Congreso de Gastronomía de
Castilla-La Mancha (Albacete), Club Millésime (Madrid),
Lo Mejor de la Gastronomía (Alicante), San Sebastián
Gastronomika (San Sebastián), Madrid Fusión (Madrid),
Fórum Santiago (Santiago de Compostela),Alimentaria and
Barcelona Vanguardia (Barcelona), Salón Internacional del
Club de Gourmets (Madrid) and España Original (Ciudad
Real), the latter gathering held in early May of this year.
Some of them have probably been left out of this long
list, but there is one that must be included —though its
aims are quite different— in part because it is very important for the Royal Spanish Academy of Gastronomy, which
helps organise the event along with the Secretary of State
for Tourism, headed
by Joan Mesquida:
the I European Congress of Tourism and
Gastronomy, which
was held in Madrid
from to 5 May,
and which attracted
some of the important international
experts.
So Spanish haute
cuisine will continue
to be popular in
010.
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Haute cuisine
wine cellar run by Josep Puigcorbé and the dining room headed
by Alfred Romagosa. More than 10
years ago the Soldevilla-Casals family
made a commitment to creating a
luxur y restaurant inside a hotel, in
spite of the risk of such an operation, but it’s been a complete success.
Drolma is now a culinary point of reference in Barcelona. Fermin’s neoclassic haute cuisine, without any modern
extravagance, has been defined by the
exper ts as cultivated cooking based
on seasonal products (white truffles,
game...) that are prepared with knowledge and care.
Hotel Majestic. Paseo de Gracia, 70.
Barcelona
www.drolmarestaurant.com✍
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el bohío
Located halfway between Madrid and
Toledo, this family business founded
in 190 is today run by the third
generation: José and Diego Rodríguez
Rey. They’ve made it into a Mecca for
food lovers. José’s cooking is a blend of
the traditional and the modern, based on
local products and flavours. This technical,
auteur approach has captured the essence
of Castilian cooking.The small classic dining
room is directed very professionally by Diego. His wine list includes
more than 600 offerings
from all over the world,
among them local offerings, thus making it one of
the finest restaurant wine
cellars in Spain.
Avda. Castilla-La Mancha, 81.
Illescas (Toledo)
www.elbohio.net✍
el bulli
Schilling until today, it has never ceased
to surprise.
Cala Montjoy,s/n. Roses (Girona)
www.elbulli.com✍
El Bulli is the sanctum sanctorum of
creative cuisine, run by chef Ferran Adrià, who has received world
recognition. This cooking has been
el Celler de CAn roCA
described as “the fruit of imagination,
creativity and wisdom.” Add to this the
natural setting at Cala Montjoy, the atmosphere in the dining rooms attentively run
by Juli Soler, and the teamwork between
them and the kitchen, and the result is
that El Bulli a unique gastronomic temple
that all food lovers should be familiar
with. It is more than a restaurant, and
from its beginnings in 1981 with Marketta
and views of a lovely garden lend a modern, luminous, elegant touch to the triangular dining room that harmonises with
the old Catalan farmhouse. This is the
setting for enjoying Joan’s cooking and
Jordi’s pastry, which together have been
defined as a cuisine of sensations, both
salty and sweet. Before sitting down at
table, make a visit to the wine cellar, a
real monument for both its design and
The Roca brothers have become
a culinary point of reference both
inside and outside Spain. Glass, wood
11
Haute cuisine
the variety of bottles. Josep is in charge
of the drink and the smooth functioning
of the dining room.
C/ Can Sunyer, 48 Girona
while Zigor Gutiérrez is responsible for
the always current wine list.
Avda. Abandoibarra, 4.
(Palacio Euskalduna). Bilbao
etxAnobe
etxebArri
www.elcellerdecanroca.com✍
Opened in 1999 in a beautiful location, the Euskalduna Palace, this
establishment has a luminous, spacious, modern dining room, while its
terrace offers fine views of Bilbao.
The versatile Fernando Canales is a television personality, a culinary advisor and,
of course, a chef. Seconded by Mikel
Población, his haute cuisine is based on
the best products and traditions. The attentive professional dining room service
is overseen by María Ángeles Elizondo,
1
www.etxanobe.com✍
Víctor Arginzoniz is the driving force
behind this establishment set in the
middle of the Valle de Axtondo, in the
Basque Country. It occupies a fine stone
farmhouse, with a bar and kitchen on the
lower floor and the dining room one flight
up. Víctor has invented different grills and
utensils for handling the excellent products
(oysters, baby eels, chops...), and uses different kinds of wood for fuel.
Plaza San Juan, 1. Atxondo (Vizcaya)
www.asadoretxebarri.com✍
Traditional cuisine and creative cuisine
GAiG
Carles Gaig traces his culinary roots
back to the Horta neighbourhood
in Barcelona, where the Gaig family
had earned fame and prestige from
their restaurant as early as the 19th
century. That explains his love of the
trade. In 2004, he moved things to a
two-storey locale on the city’s Eixample
thoroughfare. The dining room, on the
upper level, is elegant, classic, modern
and comfortable.
C/ Aragó, 14. Barcelona
Cooking in Spain is
currently undergoing
a simplification, with a
give-and-take between
supporters of invention
(creative cuisine) and
those conservatives
who preserve tradition
(popular cooking).
The great success
of Spanish cuisine in
the early 1st century
comes from the fact that
its chefs have opted for
dishes made from basic natural products of
great quality. But there’s
another reason: the attention to the country’s traditional
recipes. Precisely because the good things from the past
have been maintained and improved, today we have a wiser,
healthier and even more tasty cuisine.
Travellers in Spain can choose traditional or creative
cooking. The Paradores (www.parador.es) network promotes local food in its more than 90 establishments all over
the country. It recently presented its bocados de España
(‘Spanish titbits’): tapas that are representative of the food
in the different regional autonomous communities.
The best way to find out about all this is through the
culinary guides, starting with the most prestigious one, the
Repsol Guide to Spain and Portugal (www.guiarepsol.com)
with a complete listing of the best traditional and creative
restaurants, material also covered in the Gourmetour Guide
(www.gourmets.net) and the El País Aguilar Guide (www.
elpaisaguilar.es).Together, they reveal the great sanctuaries
of good Spanish food.
www.restaurantgaig.com✍
lA AlqueríA
A marvellous 10th-century farmhouse is the setting for the Hotel Hacienda Benazuza and La
1
Haute cuisine
Alquería restaurant. A somewhat
rustic dining room has become one of
the prettiest and most elegant in the
province of Seville. The cuisine bears
the stamp of the eminent Ferrán
Adriá, and has been executed by one
of his faithful disciples, Rafael Zafra.
Mediterranean haute cuisine with
clear Andalusian touches, colourful
presentation and excellent results, in
a set menu served only in the evening.
The excellent wine cellar, flawless
ser vice and magnificent breakfasts
are among the other attractions of
this hotel.
Hotel Hacienda Benazuza.
C/ Virgen de las Nieves, s/n.
Sanlúcar la Mayor (Sevilla)
www.elbullihotel.com✍
14
lAs rejAs
Any food fans passing through this
town in La Mancha, considered the
world garlic capital, shouldn’t miss Las
Rejas restaurant. One comfortable dining room has a magnificent fireplace, while
there is another less formal one, modern
and minimalist. Chef Manuel de la Osa is the
greatest exponent of vanguard CastilianManchego fare based on traditional recipes
and local ingredients, with some highly
satisfying results. The partridge, garlic and
saffron are never
far from his surprising creations. There
are excellent wines
from the cellar of
Victoriano to match
the service.
C/ General Borrero, 49.
Las Pedroñeras (Cuenca)
www.lasrejas.net✍
mArtín berAsAteGui
Martín Berasategui has extended his
culinary wisdom from his restaurant
in Lasarte to several establishments
that he directs or advises in the rest
of Spain. He is among the biggest of the
big. His work has been defined as studio
cooking: research and technique that have
made for highly creative results. He’s been
attracting attention since his beginnings at
the Bodegón Alejandro in the old part of
San Sebastián. As he himself puts it, the aim
should be for the customer to feel right
at home, a real achievement thanks to his
constant work.
C/ Loidi, 4. Lasarte (Guipúzcoa)
www.martinberasategui.com✍
muGAritz
Andoni Luis Aduriz has trained with
the great chefs and now joined them
with his restaurant, a reference point
inside and outside of Spain. It is located in a lovely Basque farmhouse surrounded by nature —including the herb
garden— and decorated with modern
touches.There is also an attractive terrace
for summer dining. His stated aim: to bring
out the flavours of the natural products
in a cuisine based on pure flavours. He
thus calls his restaurant “a place to feel,
not to eat.”
Aldura Aldea, 0. Rentería (Guipúzcoa)
www.mugaritz.com✍
15
Haute cuisine
quique dACostA
sAntCeloni
roots in the land. He is dedicated to adopting new techniques, to doing research
and to local products: rice, the red shrimp
of Dénia, and the orchards and flora of
south-east Spain. The modern building is
comfortable, surrounded by nature and
close to the beach. There is an excellent
dining room staff that makes a visit a real
pleasure.
Ctra. Las Marinas, km .5. Dénia (Alicante)
a highly qualified team that has in turn won
its own prizes: Oscar Velasco in the kitchen,
Abel Valverde in the dining room, and David
Robledo in charge of the wines.The elegant
minimalist design by Pascua Ortega is enhanced by the ample space between the
tables, a real luxury nowadays, which lends
intimacy. The modern, controlled cuisine
by Oscar —prepared with the advice of
Santi— always makes the best use of market-fresh products.
Hotel Hesperia. Paseo de la Castellana,
57. Madrid
The former Poblet de Dénia restaurant has adopted the name of
its current owner and head chef,
Quique Dacosta, who has made it
into the top representative of haute
cuisine in the Valencia autonomous
community. This vanguard cooking has its
www.elpoblet.com✍
16
This is the ‘Madrid branch’ of the gastronomic temple of award-winning
Santi Santamaría (Can Fabes - Sant
Celoni - Barcelona), and is directed by
www.restaurantesantceloni.com✍
The world’s first gastronomic I+D+I
programme: the Basque Culinary Center
serGi ArolA GAstro
Sergi Arola’s years as a faithful disciple
of Ferran Adrià, along with his own
culinary technique, have won him
fame ever since he opened La Broche
in Madrid. Today his establishment is a
point of reference, with a modern design
in its two different levels. His wife, Sara Fort,
runs the dining rooms, backed up by a fine
team that includes the excellent sommelier,
Daniel Poveda. Sergi offers his specialities in
different set menus that vary each day.
C/ Zurbano, 1. Madrid
www.sergiarola.es✍
zortziko
The zortziko is a typical five-day
Basque dance by army recruits in
their village square. Since its establish-
The Royal Spanish Academy of Gastronomy is going to
work actively with the University of Mondragón and the
Ministry of Science and Innovation, headed by Cristina
Garmendia, to launch the Basque Culinary Center, which
in 011 will become the first university Faculty of Gastronomic Sciences in Spain and the second in Europe. The
project has received the support of eminent Basque chefs
—including Juan Mari Arzak, Martín Berasategui, Pedro
Subijana, Karlos Arguiñano, Andoni Luis Aduriz, Hilario
Arbelaitz and Eneko Atxa— along with that of important
local and regional institutions in the Basque Country and
associations such as Euro-toques.
The Basque Culinary Center (www.mondragon.
edu/bcc) will become the world’s first institution for
gastronomic I+D+I (Investigation + Development +
Innovation). It will satisfy the need in Spain for an official
university-level culinary training programme, one that will
provide the market with qualified and highly competent
professionals, as is the case in other areas of knowledge.
The future Faculty of Gastronomic Sciences of the
University of Mondragón, based in San Sebastián, will
award the Diploma of Culinary Arts, a degree adapted to
the European Higher Education Area, and will have four
main areas of knowledge: Techniques of Kitchen-Dining
Room-Sommelier, Business Management, Science and
Technology, and Culture and Art. In addition, it will offer
post-graduate courses for both culinary professionals
and people from other fields who want to specialise
in the gastronomic area. There will also be a dynamic
I+D+I centre that will become an international point
of reference.
17
Haute cuisine
ment in 1989, the García family has wanted
guests to enjoy their culinary experience
from start to finish. This house has thus
become one of the best and most emblematic restaurants in Bilbao. Daniel’s auteur
creations are full of flavour, technique and
his personal touches. Located near the
Guggenheim Museum, it’s elegant dining
room boasts excellent service directed by
Oscar. An ample wine list with more than
600 offerings, both Spanish and international, is overseen by Mikel.
C/ Alameda Mazarredo, 17. Bilbao
www.zortziko.es✍
zuberoA
Hilario Arbelaitz in the kitchen
and brother Eusebio in the dining
room have brought Zuberoa some
18
much-deserved success. This pretty
Basque farmhouse, perhaps the oldest
in the area, has been turned into a lovely
restaurant, rustic but elegant, with walls
painted blue or of stone: a comfortable,
enchanting place. There is an excellent
terrace covered with wood beams that
is a window on the surrounding nature.
Hilario’s cuisine is based on tradition and
seasonal ingredients, and demonstrates
good sense and technique, eschewing
passing fancies or sophistication. Examples:
roast sardines with tomato and basil, or
the poached eggs with purée of foie-gras
and truffle. The dining room and wine list
are overseen by Eusebio, ably backed up
by Arantxa Urretavizkaia.
Pza. Bekosoro, 1. Oiartzun (Guipúzcoa)
www.zuberoa.com✍
The 25 best gastrobars
Along with the 25 Best Restaurants,
it is logical to include the 25 Best
Gastrobars.
Spain has always highly valued its bars,
taverns, tapas places and informal restaurants
serving traditional native cooking —places
that are attractive not least for their company and conversation. In addition, they
had a bar at which to stand up and have
an aperitif, eat lunch or have a dinner of
tapas and wine.
Some of the country’s best restaurateurs,
who already run haute cuisine operations,
have decided to reproduce this old snacks
formula in an updated and more attractive
setting: what have been called gastrobars.
Some of them are in old locales that have
been modernised, and others are in newly
created settings.
A gastrobar is more comfortable, more
tastefully decorated and makes it possible
to eat at the bar while seated on stools,
or dine at more or less informal tables. The
basic thing is to offer simple cooking in the
shape of tapas, small servings of food or
miniaturised cuisine. In this style of eating
the accent is on quality and basic ingredients, which are presented in traditional or
creative recipes.
Curiously, one of the pioneers in this
new gastrobar formula was Joël Robuchon, a
French chef, who created his famous L’Atelier
some years ago in Paris, from where the
idea spread to different cities and countries
around the world.
In Spain, most of them are located in the
regions of Andalusia, Madrid, Asturias, Catalonia, the Basque Country, Castile-La Mancha,
Castile & León, the Rioja and Valencia.
19
Tapas
A fuego negro
Adolfo colección
with original and creative miniatures.
The menu is as original as the decoration, with salads, rations and tapas, some
of them sweet at desser t time, and
wine and liqueurs. As dedicated wine
lovers, they offer a number of wines of
different grape varieties and appellation
contrôlée.
31 de Agosto, 31. San Sebastián
It has a modern, vanguard design by Adolfo
Muñoz, who has a well-deserved reputation
in the sector. It is managed by his daughter
Verónica, who is always on top of the smallest details. There are
two levels. On the
lower one is a shop
selling culinary products and a wine cellar.
The upper floor has
high tables with stools and a kitchen in view
of the public.
Nuncio Viejo, 1. Toledo
Amaia García, Edorta Lamo and
Iñigo Cojo are the three founders
of this locale that features music,
design and modern decor. It’s the
‘in’ place in San Sebastián to eat
meals and tapas, seated or standing, in a youthful, informal, relaxed
atmosphere. The cooking is Basque,
www.afuegonegro.com✍
20
This uninhibited and informal establishment is located in the centre of
Toledo, in an early 20th-century building just 50 metres from the Cathedral.
www.grupoadolfo.com✍
The world’s best virgin extra olive oils
Aris bAr
Juan Pablo Felipe has created a
relaxed, informal space at the entrance to El Chaflán, an opportunity
to sample his Mediterranean cooking less expensively by means of a
new concept in tapas or miniature
cuisine. The bread with Torta del Casar
cheese and truffles are a good example.
The tapas are more traditional —bread
crumbs (migas) with fried eggs, for example— while the mini-creations are
another alternative. All this accompanied
by a good selection of wines and an
attractive list of cocktails, currently so
popular in Madrid.
Hotel Aristos. Avda. Pio XII, 34
Madrid
www.elchaflan.com✍
Spain has the
best virgin
e x t r a o l i ve
oils in the
world, for
both quality
and variety.
There is one
for every dish,
and assuming
one knows
their comparative qualities, choosing
the right one
for each occasion becomes an exercise in culinary
creativity. To learn more about oils, the book Los
aceites de oliva en la gastronomía del siglo XXI (Everest)
analyses them from all perspectives: experts in cuisine,
scientists and nutritionists reveal why this is one of
Spain’s greatest culinary treasures.
If there is a single essential ingredient in 21stcentury cuisine, it is doubtless olive oil. It is the most
noble of the fats, unsurpassed for its gastronomic,
nutritional and dietetic qualities. And it has always
meant much more than other foods, because in reality
it is more than simple nourishment.
In addition to the basic Spanish oils made from
the Picual, Hojiblanca, Empeltre or Cornicabra olive
varieties, the Arbequina can be found throughout the
country. Also notable: the recovery of the Arbosana
(the best is from La Boella. www.laboella.com) and
even the introduction of foreign varieties such as
Koroneiki. And then there are offerings based on
local varieties such as Manzanilla from Seville, the
Verdial from the Extremadura region, and Arróniz
from Navarra.
In total, Spain has more than 660 varieties that
are more or less fruity, sweet, bitter, strong, smooth,
spicy, etc., although the liquid always tastes like fresh
olives. And then there is a whole secondary range
of enriching subtleties that evoke apple, lemon, pear,
almond, hazelnut, fresh grass... The Aceites de Pago
(www.aceitesdepago.com) have contributed greatly to
the resurgence of this sector and to a greater offer in
quality. And there’s also LA Organic (www.laorganic.
es), from designer Philippe Starck and oenologist
Michel Rolland.
21
Tapas
AsiAnA nextdoor
The very special Asian-Peruvian
cuisine prepared by Jaime Renedo
comes in the form of snacks served
in a relaxed, modern, slightly rustic
setting. There are such attractive dishes
as the sea bass with yellow pepper and
wasabi, the different ceviches (citrus-marinated seafood), the jasmine rice and —why
not?— a certain Mediterranean touch with
the Ibérico ham or the Greek-style solterito
with grilled octopus and black olives. The
desserts are European in style. A whole
range of aromas and flavours.
Travesía de San Mateo, 4. Madrid
AvAnt gArden
This place has been going for less
than a year but is already receiving
22
a lot of attention both in Gijón and
outside the northern city. Located in
the Hotel NH Gijón, it has brought the
gastrobar concept to a very traditional
area that has not developed much in the
culinary sense. Javier Loya, from a restaurant
family in the neighbouring Asturias region,
offers vanguard cooking with clear Asturian
roots, excellent basic materials and careful
preparation. All this is reflected in a menu
with tapas large and small or in the different
set menus.The offer is rounded out with a
select wine list, some fine cheeses, excellent
cocktails and a magnificent terrace.
Hotel NH Gijón. Paseo Doctor
Fleming, 71. Gijón
bAby grill rubAiyAt
Belarmino Fernández, who has res-
taurants in different countries in
South America, came to Spain and is
now very successful with Baby Beef
Rubaiyat. After his success here, and in
line with current fashions, he added this
small locale behind the main restaurant
and separated by a large inner glass wall
that makes it possible to watch activity in
the kitchen. Simple decor features wood
in the bar, tables and stools. When the
weather is good the terrace is used. The
menu —including hot and cold breadbased tapas, full servings, salads and some
meats— makes it possible to have an
informal lunch or dinner with the quality
of the original Rubaiyat.
C/ Juan Hurtado de Mendoza, 11.
Madrid
www.rubaiyat.es✍
bArrA siete
On Victoria Beach in Cadiz, this
relaxed establishment has minimalist decor and views of the
sea. It’s a small, bright place with
a pretty semicircular bar and high
tables for sampling a new and different offer based on tapas and
servings, with the culinary quality of
José Manuel Córdoba (of the Ventorrillo el Chato establishment).
Shrimp salads, rices served as tapas,
fried fish, Iberico cured ham prepared
in different ways, payoyo cheese... There
are good desserts and an appropriate
wine list, short but well selected. Special
mention should be made of the good
service, directed by Julián.
Amilcar Barca, 17. Cadiz
23
Tapas
becerritA
The surname Becerra is synonymous in Seville with good food
served in pleasant surroundings.
Jesús María Becerra, the son of Enrique, is a good example of this. Any
gourmet walking in the Ronda de
Capuchinos area should visit one of
the city’s most typical bars. Some typical local tiles provide the decor for some
traditional Andalusian tapas and servings, accompanied by a wide selection
of local wines. Potatoes garnished with
virgin extra olive oil, bull tail croquettes.
It can be argued whether this is really a
gastrobar, but it doesn’t matter: its success
is guaranteed.
Recaredo, 9. Seville
www.becerrita.com✍
24
burlAdero, el
Located next to the hall of the
Hotel Colón, this modern gastrobar has become a meeting point
for informal lunches and dinners.
It bears the stamp of Dani García (Calima – Marbella) in its offer of tapas and
cheeses served at the bar and at tables.
Potato salad with tuna fish, Iberico ham
products...
Hotel Gran Meliá Colón. Canalejas, 1
Seville
www.granmeliacolon.com✍
comerç 24
Carles Abellá was an outstanding
student at the Barcelona Hostelry
School, and after training at several
restaurants, including El Bulli, he’s
Acorn-fed Iberico cured ham, the king
of Spanish food
opened his own place
in Barcelona. He says it’s a
gastrobar that’s “like a tapas
bar, with a bar and tables
that offers the comfort of
a classic restaurant with an
elegant, cosmopolitan air.”
This is creative cuisine in
miniature, very original and
carefully prepared and presented in servings that can be shared. He uses advanced
techniques and the highest quality ingredients. He has another locale, more
informal, called Tapas 24 (Diputación, 269.
Tel. 934 880 977. Web: www.tapas24.net),
which is considered one of the best tapas
bars in Barcelona.
Comerç, 24. Barcelona
www.comerc24.com✍
Pure acorn-fed Iberico cured ham is something magical, whose quality is dependant on careful, traditional
production methods. To learn everything about this
wondrous world, the key reference book, for both its
photos and text, is El jamón ibérico en la gastronomía del
siglo XXI (Everest).
Four regulatory councils control the process in the
four production areas.There are three Denomination of
Origin (DO) controls: Dehesa de Extremadura (www.
dehesa-extremadura.com), Guijuelo (www.i-guijuelo.
com) and Jamón de Huelva (www.jamondehuelva.com),
and one Specific Denomination, called Jamón de Los
Pedroches (www.jamondelospedroches.com).All of them
guarantee the quality of the process.
There are some recommendations to guarantee the
most enjoyment of this special ham experience. If you
buy a complete piece, it should be consumed within three
months; if not, it can become too dry and lose a large
part of its aroma.As for the best way to cut it, this can be
done either by hand or by a machine. Cutting by hand is
always to be preferred, especially if this is done by a good
professional with the right kind of knife so as to bring out
the ham’s true essence. And once it has been cut, the
meat should be consumed quickly so as to maintain that
magic moment, and always at room temperature. Pure
acorn-fed Iberico cured ham is a real delicacy; to bring
out its enormous potential, it should be accompanied by
a good dry sherry from Jerez.
The best offer comes from Real Jamón (www.realjamoniberico.com). It presents the best quality from
each DO, hand-cut by Florencio Sanchidrián (a ham
ambassador to the world) and packed under optimum
conditions in packets of 100, 50 or 25 grams.
25
Tapas
el Atelier d’enrich
el plAtó
ing, there are two different parts of the
restaurant: Enrich –a traditional, now
smaller culinar y operation— and its
new gastrobar, El Atelier, with a more
carefree ambience and a pleasant terrace. It has a bar offering food prepared
by Víctor, and served at a small number
of tables. At both the bar and the tables
there are servings to share along with
Víctor’s more traditional dishes, making
it possible to eat at more affordable
prices all day long.
Estafeta, 2. Plaza de la Fuente.
La Moraleja (Madrid)
a terrace for dining in fair weather, with
views of the studio of the Intereconomía
television channel. The cooking of Andrés
Armero, who is advised by Pedro Larumbe, is traditional, and is offered in full
and half servings; the Iberico pork is special
(meatballs, hamburger, jaw). By night, the
cocktail bar is full.
Paseo de la Castellana, 36. Madrid
Víctor Enrich, a young and wellestablished chef, is backed up in
the dining room by his wife, María
Vega de Seoane. Following a refurbish-
26
This bright, modern functional and
informal establishment is in the
heart of Madrid, near the Open-air
Museum of Modern Art. There is
www.elplato.es✍
el sAlón de lA chimeneA
The Echaurren is the fullest expression of cuisine in the Rioja region
of northern Spain, both in the traditional cooking by Marisa and in the
more modern version by her son
Francis Paniego. This is also a fine hotel.
The town of Ezcaray is an important
centre for rural tourism and for skiers.
This has led the Paniegos, in their efforts
to perfect their food and advance with
the times, to create a new, less formal
dining space: El Salón de la Chimenea,
a gastrobar that Francis defines as “the
union between the traditional and the
modern, in the tapas version.” In other
words, all kinds of tapas and rations from
both ways of cooking in a free-and-easy
setting, but it’s only open at night.
Hotel Echaurren. Padre José García, 19.
Ezcaray (La Rioja)
www.echaurren.com✍
estAdo puro
Facing Madrid’s Plaza de Neptuno on the ground floor of the
Hotel NH Paseo del Prado is an
establishment with three areas: a
bar, a ground floor terrace, and a
dining room with a ceiling full of
ladies’ ornamental combs. At this
gastrobar Paco Roncero is responsible for the cold tapas (for example,
potato salad with regañá bread) and
the hot ones (brochette of pickled
pork), in addition to the salads (eel
and pineapple with orange sauce),
hot and cold bread-based tapas, and
sandwiches.
Hotel NH Paseo del Prado.
Plaza Cánovas del Castillo, 4. Madrid
www.tapasenestadopuro.com✍
27
Tapas
inopiA clAsic bAr
Modern decor and a relaxed and
cosmopolitan ambience in a small
Barcelona locale where customers
must wait their turn so as to avoid
crowding. It’s a good approach, and makes
it possible to enjoy the place and the food.
Proprietors Joan Martínez and Albert
Adriá define it as “a classic Spanish bar”.
Everything revolves around the large bar,
with the exception of a single table that
must be reserved.Traditional rations, tapas
and brochettes with the Adriá stamp. Potato salad, anchovies in vinegar, homemade
cured ham croquettes... An army of friendly
waiters circulate along the bar taking customers’ orders.
Tamarit, 104. Barcelona
www.barinopia.com✍
28
l’AleznA tApAs
Pedro Martino, along with the
Villabrille brothers (of the Valles
del Oso cheese operation), created this locale in the Barrio de
Montecerrao in Oviedo for a wide
public. The luminosity and decor are
the perfect complement for the creative
furniture. Even though Pedro Martino
has left, this is still a high-quality operation based on simple dishes very
carefully prepared from the best local
products. The result is a succulent selection of tapas and miniaturised cuisine,
along with a good selection of wine
and cheeses. Raúl Villabrille directs operations in the dining room and advises
about wines.
Celestino Álvarez, 5. Oviedo
The rise of Spanish wines
lA morAgA
In the centre of Malaga. Modernity
in the decor by José Luis Galán
and the cooking designed by Dani
García (Calima–Marbella) and skilfully and precisely executed by Jesús
Barrera. Cosmopolitan ambience in a
designer locale, with high stools and a
few tables, a wide bar-refrigerator display
with cold tapas (almost as if this were a
pastry shop), and walls with glass cases
full of wines. Also hot dishes, croquettes,
fried items, stews...They’re all original and
nicely presented. In the same city there’s
another Moraga, at the Corte Inglés department store, with similar characteristics and commercial hours.
Fresca, 12. Malaga
www.lamoraga.es✍
Spanish wines are at
the top of their form.
Until recently, to speak
of Spanish wines was to
speak only of the Rioja
region (www.riojawine.
com), such as the Amaren from Luis Cañas, or
of the Ribera de Duero
(www.riberadelduero.
es), such as the Loess
Collection. But today
there are Denominations of Origin all over
the country such as
Toro (www.dotoro.es),
Priorat (www.doqpriorat.org), Somontano (www.somontano.es), Bierzo
(www.crdobierzo.es) and Valdeorras (www.dovaldeorras.com) among many others: they’re terroir or estate
wines of unquestionable quality. And it’s not just the
reds that are great: there are exceptional whites such
as those from the Rias Baixas (www.doriasbaixas.
com), with the notable Pazo de Señorans Selección
from Añada, the Penedés area (www.dopenedes.es) or
the Rueda region (www.dorueda.com). Also Castile-La
Mancha with its Hipperia de Vallegarcía wines.
Today there are extraordinary wines from regions
that had traditionally been of little interest: when
looking for quality it’s time to go beyond the obvious
and seek out other parts, on both the peninsula and in
the islands. As for grapes, in addition to the permanent
success of Tempranillo or Verdejo there has been a renaissance in Mencía and Garnacha, and among outsiders
such as Syrah or Cabernet Sauvignon: they now seem
almost Spanish for the way they have adopted to our
climate and soil.
To learn about wines, one must sample a great variety of different offerings to discover new sensations,
and talk with other people who share our interest.
It’s also necessary to read about wines, because
this makes us want to sample them. The best way is
through the guidebooks, outstanding among which are
the Guía Repsol de los Mejores Vinos de España (www.
guiarepsol.com), the Guía Peñín de los Vinos de España
(www.grupopenin.com) and La Guía Todovino (www.
todovino.com), edited by Custodio López Zamarra.
29
Tapas
lA morAgA ibéricA
le cAbrerA
is after in his establishments: that the visit
be a party for the customer in a modern
and relaxed setting. A low bar and comfortable seats allow for an informal meal
without any uncomfortable barstools.
There are also some tables. Behind the
bar, José Antonio Carmona successfully
executes Dani’s creations with precision.
Half-servings and individual tapas where
Ibérico pork is the star: little hamburgers, jaw in sauce, flamenquín... La Moraga
Sweet was recently opened on the same
street (Tel. 952 815 652).
Ramón Areces, 1. Marbella (Malaga)
design for two different areas: on the lower
floor, cocktails by bartender Diego Cabrera,
a faithful follower of Arola in Barcelona and
Madrid. On the street level, a tapas bar with
stools that is run by Benjamín Benssousan,
the right-hand man of Sergi Arola, where
diners enjoy Benjamín’s culinary offerings
as uniquely designed by Sergi..
Bárbara de Braganza, 2. Madrid
The moraga is a summer festival in
Malaga province that’s held on the
beach, where families roast sardines
on a spit. And that’s what Dani García
30
This recently opened establishment
has quickly become one of the popular Madrid spots, a place to see and be
seen. Luis Galliussi has produced a modern
lizArrán
A different concept of informal
food based on tapas and brochettes, combining tradition and
imagination to make snacking a
surprising experience. This large
franchise chain is not only in Spain but
in the rest of Europe and on other
continents. Tapas and rations, both cold
and hot, of miniaturised Spanish cuisine:
it’s based on quality raw materials, many
of them products with an appellation
contrôlée. Spanish omelette, codfish,
Andalusian squid... and all washed down
with beers and wines. Rustic decor: bar,
tables, stools and wooden chairs from
which to sip an aperitif or enjoy a traditional meal in a casual setting.
Comess Group de Restauración S.L.
C/ Enrique Granados 6. Edificio B.
Complejo Empresarial Imce.
Pozuelo de Alarcón (Madrid)
www.lizarran.es✍
nArru
In its three years of existence, this
establishment has become a point
of reference in San Sebastián. Located
in the heart of the Gros neighbourhood
close to Zurriola beach and the Kursaal
auditorium, it has modern, minimalist decor.
There are two distinct areas: the restaurant
itself, with a more extensive menu, and the
bar area.The latter, luminous and warm, has
high tables. Its tapas are the big attraction,
miniaturised cuisine based on the day’s
fresh products and presented on demand
in front of customers by the creative Iñigo
Peña. To accompany them, there’s a good
selection of wines, which can be enjoyed by
the glass. Efficient and attentive service.
Miguel Imaz, 10. San Sebastián
www.narru.es✍
31
Tapas
óleo
Vicente Patiño has opened this
place in front of the Museo de
las Atarazanas and next to the
headquarters of the America’s
Cup in the port. There are two
separate areas. On the lower level,
a restaurant for more formal dining.
At the entrance, a gastrobar, the first
to open in Valencia. It has an elegant
bar and high stools for the informal
consumption of some modern tapas
(which he calls ‘oleotapas’) made in
Vicente’s inimitable style, along with a
few more formal dishes and his deserts. All this washed down with some
wine by the glass.
Juan Antonio Benlliure, 9. Valencia
www.restauranteoleo.com✍
32
simún
In the Cerro del Águila, facing
the entrance to the Polígono
Hytasa, is this Seville neighbourhood spot that has been run
for 15 years by Paco Simún, offering coffee and toast in the
morning and a daily set menu
for lunch. But now there’s a new
proposal for the evening: the gastrobar, where tapas are the star. Pablo
Jiménez, Paco’s son-in-law, prepares
some vanguard offerings with a personal touch, based on his extensive
culinar y experience in Andalusian
kitchens. The basic ingredients are of
the highest quality, purchased in the
wonderful local market.
Avda. Hytasa, 71. Seville
The importance of DOP and IGP
villA pArAmesA tApAs
If you want something different from
the traditional Castilian roast baby
pig, this is a good informal alternative
in Valladolid. It’s en establishment with
unique touches: fine crockery to present the
different taps, and wines by the glass served
from magnums. José Ignacio Castrodeza,
who has a restaurant of the same name
in Villanubla, is the man behind this charming locale, with its pleasing ambience and
friendly attention.There is a fine selection of
succulent servings, and designer tapas and
other traditional ones, all well prepared and
with his personal touch.They’re on view in
a covered display case like jewels.
Calixto Fernández de la Torre, 5.
Valladolid
www.villaparamesa.es✍
The Denominations of Protected Origins (DOP
in Spanish) and Protected Geographic Indications
(IGP) now represent almost 300 quality brands
throughout Spain. They recognise high quality, a
result of special characteristics that stem from the
special geography of the places they are produced
and the raw materials that go into the products.
These certifiers of approval are of many sizes, from
the wines of Rioja (www.riojawine.com), the Ribera
del Duero (www.riberadelduero.es) or the Jerez
areas (www.sherry.org), to Manchego cheese (www.
quesomanchego.es) or other tiny production areas
that seek to survive. But each one has its place in
the sun, although some, for their small size, would
do better if they went hand-in-hand with other
neighbouring products through different initiatives
that have been set in motion.
This system to defend the quality of food and
produce is important, and is currently regulated
by rules approved in 2006. So accustomed have we
become to the system that we often assume it has
been in place forever, when in fact this is a relatively
new legal guarantee aimed at protecting the production of some of Spain’s unique assets. In fact, the most
internationally accepted definition was not established until 1985. The DOP and IGP (there are also
Specific Denominations and Guaranteed Traditional
Specialities certifications) are meant to individualise
merchandise based on its origin. In this way they help
preserve the personality and legacy of each region, in
addition to bringing cultural benefits.
33
Tapas
yebrA
Yebra has achieved something of a
cult status for tapas in Seville. In a
carefree and informal setting, its offers
spectacular tapas and servings, based on
the often unconventional preparation
of haute cuisine. Placed in the centre
of the table, they can be shared among
several diners. While the restaurant is
off the usual tapas route in Seville, it’s
worth the trip to get here. It is located
in the Triana neighbourhood, just a few
steps from the church containing one
of the city’s most venerated religious
images, La Macarena. There’s a notable
wine cellar with a large selection.
Medalla Milagrosa, 3. Seville
34
Rafael Ansón
This guide was compiled by
Rafael Ansón, founder and
president of the Royal Spanish
Academy of Gastronomy.
With the assistance of Javier
Carretero.