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Michelin Stars Spain 2015 – MARTIN BERASATEGUI restaurant

The Michelin Guide to Spain and Portugal 2015 is fast approaching and we’ll keep you updated with the results of the Michelin Starred Restaurants in Spain for 2015! In the meantime, over the next few days we’ll be showcasing some of the Best Michelin starred Chefs in Spain, if not the World, with our own Pre-Michelin Guide Restaurants 2015 SuperChef Series by Gourmand Breaks- An insight into the world of some of the current Michelin 3 star and Michelin 2 star chefs in Spain!

Previously, we showcased Michelin 3 star chefs Carme Ruscalleda,  Quique Dacosta and David Muñoz  as well as Michelin 2 star chefs Paco Pérez, Andoni Luis Aduritz  and Jordi Cruz.  In no particular order, today a Michelin 3 Starred Basque country chef with various national and international restaurants:

Martín Berasategui– Proudly heads Michelin 3 star restaurant that takes his name and a holds a total of 7 Michelin stars.  To be enjoyed on one of our Private Food, Wine and Cultural Tours :)

Martin Berasategui

Martín Berasategui was born in 1960 in San Sebastián. He studied in Navarra and was introduced to the culinary world, at just 13 years of age, through his mother and aunt.  Martín Berasategui trained at cookery school in France in 1977, working over the next few years in several prestigious kitchens, including those of Michel Guerard and Alain Ducasse in Monaco.

He began working in the family business, Bodegón Alejandro, where he subsequently took charge at age 21. He received his first Michelin star just 5 years later. In 1993, and along with his wife, Martín Berasategui opted for a solitary project and opened his first restaurant in Lasarte, which 6 months later received it’s first Michelin star, the star he recuperated from Bodegón Alejandro.  In 1996 the second Michelin star was awarded and in 2001 Martín Berasategui restaurant received it’s Michelin 3 star status where it proudly holds it’s place ever since.

In 2006 the Michelin 3 starred Martín Berasategui restaurant entered the World’s Best 50 restaurants, the prestigious list presented by Restaurant Magazine, in 37th place. Going up and down on the Top 50 restaurants list, Martín Berasategui restaurant reached it’s highest placing, 27th, in 2007.  Martín Berasategui is currently placed 35th in the acclaimed World’s Best 50 Restaurants List, for 2014.

Also, in the recent World’s Best Restaurants of 2014 – TripAdvisor Travelers’ Choice Awards, Martín Berasategui, in Lasarte – San Sebastián – was ranked at Nº10. Martín Berasategui restaurant was not the only Spanish entry in the World Top Ten TripAdvisor list –  El Club Allard (Madrid) was ranked 6th and the unstoppable El Celler de Can Roca (Girona) tops the charts at Nº 1.

Michelin 3 star restaurant Martín Berasategui works like clockwork with Oneka, Martín’s wife, as restaurant manager. In the kitchens some of the recent great names of Spanish cuisine have undertaken their formation, such as Dani García and Eneko Atxa.

Michelin 3 star restaurant in Spain Martín Berasategui restaurant is located in Lasarte and offers light, balanced and innovative cusine always true to traditional roots. Martín Berasategui dish

 Also by Martín Berasategui, Restaurants in Spain:

Lasarte, Barcelona  – Michelin 2 star restaurant in Spain

Opened in 2006 and by 2009 was already awarded the 2nd Michelin star. This elegant and intimate fine dining restaurant takes it’s name from the town where Martín Berasategui opened his first restaurant and is located in the Hotel Condes, Barcelona. The restaurant is currently undergoing renovations with plans to reopen next month, December 2014.

M.B, Tenerife – Michelin 2 star restaurant in Spain

M.B achieved it’s first Michelin star in 2010 and, for the Michelin Guide for Spain and Portugal 2014, received it’s second Michelin star. Tranquility and simplicity enlighten all the exquisite flavours that Martin’s creative dishes have to offer. M.B is located on the Canary Isles at Abama Golf and Spa resort, Guía de Isora, Tenerife.

Loidi, Barcelona

Loidi is a highly contemporary and affordable Gastro-bistro in which Martín Berasategui offers his traditional cuisine. It is also located in the Hotel Condes where his Michelin 2 star restaurant Lasarte is also housed.

Fonda España, Barcelona

Martín Berasategui offers, in the modernist building occupied by Hotel España, just off La Rambla, a traditional cuisine with a modern touch.

Doma, Bilbao

Martín Berasategui has put his stamp on the restaurant within the 5* Hotel Silken Gran Domine in Bilbao. Doma restaurant has a privileged location right opposite the Guggenheim Museum.

Eme Be Garrote, San Sebastián

Once an old cider house Martín Berasategui has kept with the spitit of the “house” with it’s decor and dishes reminding us that once upon a time it was fire that gave the dish it’s flavor.

Internationally, Martín Berasategui has branched out with 2 firther restaurants in Mexico and another 2 in the Dominican Republic, all within the Mélia Hotels International  chain Paradisus Resorts.

Martin Berasategui entrance

With Spanish Chefs taking the World by storm, now is the time to visit Spain, home to 10% of the World’s Best Restaurants and numerous Michelin starred Restaurants!  On one of our Private Food, Wine and Cultural Tours you can indulge in the Best Michelin Starred Restaurants in Spain.  Contact us for your personalized quote.

 

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Michelin Stars Spain 2015- SANT PAU by Carme Ruscalleda

The Michelin Guide to Spain and Portugal 2015 is fast approaching and we’ll keep you updated with the results of the Michelin Starred Restaurants in Spain for 2015! In the meantime, over the next few days we’ll be showcasing some of the Best Michelin starred Chefs in Spain, if not the World, with our own Pre-Michelin Guide Restaurants 2015 SuperChef Series by Gourmand Breaks- An insight into the world of some of the current Michelin 3 star and Michelin 2 star chefs in Spain!

Previously, we showcased Michelin 3 star chefs Quique Dacosta – Quique Dacosta Restaurant and  David Muñoz – DiverXO as well as Michelin 2 star chefs Paco Pérez – Miramar and Enoteca, Andoni Luis Aduritz – Mugaritz and Jordi Cruz – ABaC.  In no particular order, today a Michelin 3 Starred chef who holds a total of 7 Michelin stars:

Carme Ruscalleda– Proudly heads Michelin 3 star restaurant Sant Pau in Sant Pol de Mar in the province of Barcelona. She is A Michelin star herself as with a total of 7 Michelin stars all her 3 restaurants have been awarded the coveted Michelin stars.  To be enjoyed on one of our Private Food, Wine and Cultural Tours :)

 Carme Ruscalleda

Carme Ruscalleda was born in 1952 in Sant Pol de Mar on the Maresme coast of Barcelona. Born into a family of farmers and merchants, she began working when she was 16 years old in the family grocery store, which with time evolved into a fine delicatessen. She studied charcuterie and commerce and in 1975 married a grocer, Toni Balam.

Within the family business, in 1976, Carme Ruscalleda and  Toni Balam started to offer a selection of ready-made dishes to take-away which ripened their idea of opening their own restaurant.

That opportunity arose when Ruscalleda bought the premises in front of the family store, a stately building from the 1880’s with a garden and sea views. It was here that she founded Sant Pau, her first restaurant, in 1988, with her husband Toni Balam.

Carme Ruscalleda earned her first Michelin star in 1991, the second in 1996 and for the Michelin Guide to Spain 2006 Sant Pau was awarded its current Michelin 3 star restaurant status.

Her avant-guard cuisine is strongly based on Catalan tradition but also open to world influences thus providing the originality that she looks for with her focus on quality and seasonal products.  In each dish Carme Ruscalleda looks to achieve a harmonious balance of healthy values, beautiful presentations and clean flavors.

 Carme Ruscalleda dish

Also by Carme Ruscalleda:

Sant Pau – Tokyo
Sant Pau, Tokyo, is a true replica of the Sant Pau Michelin 3 star restaurant in Sant Pol de Mar. The atmosphere, philosophy and gastronomy of Carme Ruscalleda is applied to offer catalan cuisine inspired by her style, made with fresh products from Japan.  Opened in 2004 in the area of Nihonbashi, Sant Pau – Tokyo is today a Michelin 2 star restaurant.

Moments – Barcelona
A family venture with Carme Ruscalleda’s son, Raül, who heads the kitchen of this Michelin 2 star restaurant located in the luxury Mandarin Oriental Hotel, Barcelona.

Apart from her hands-on culinary work in the kitchen Carme Ruscalleda has also branched out into the literary world.  Dedicating her time to spreading her culinary passion she has published various books.

 

With Spanish Chefs taking the World by storm, now is the time to visit Spain, home to 10% of the World’s Best Restaurants and numerous Michelin starred Restaurants!  On one of our Private Food, Wine and Cultural Tours you can indulge in the Best Michelin Starred Restaurants in Spain.  Contact us for your personalized quote.

 

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Michelin Stars Spain 2015 – QUIQUE DACOSTA Restaurant

The Michelin Guide to Spain and Portugal 2015 is fast approaching and we’ll keep you updated with the results of the Michelin Starred Restaurants in Spain for 2015! In the meantime, over the next few days we’ll be showcasing some of the Best Michelin starred Chefs in Spain, if not the World, with our own Pre-Michelin Guide Restaurants 2015 SuperChef Series by Gourmand Breaks- An insight into the world of some of the current Michelin 3 star and Michelin 2 star chefs in Spain!

Previously, we showcased Michelin 3 star chef David Muñoz – DiverXO and Michelin 2 star chefs Paco Pérez – Miramar and Enoteca, Andoni Luis Aduritz – Mugaritz and Jordi Cruz – ABaC.  In no particular order, today a Michelin 3 Starred chef whose roots and creative work are based on the Costa Blanca coast:

Quique Dacosta– Proudly heads Michelin 3 star restaurant Quique Dacosta in Denia, which is also placed 41st in the Top 50 restaurants of the World list for 2014 by Restaurant magazine.  To be enjoyed on one of our Private Food, Wine and Cultural Tours :)

Quique Dacosta was born in 1972 in Cáceres and at age 14 moved to Denia, Alicante where he still lives today.

In the summer of 1986 Quique Dacosta started working in the kitchens as a plate washer which extended to include weekend work while he finished his studies in Denia. At age 16 Quique Dacosta started working in the family owned restaurant El Poblet, which he never left and it now takes his name as Michelin 3 star restaurant Quique Dacosta.

El Poblet started life in 1981 as a Spanish restaurant offering Castilliano cuisine. At the end of the ’80’s, and in the 90’s under the rein of Quique Dacosta from 1999,  El Poblet was transforming and mixing styles to offer a new Valencian cuisine.  In 2002 the first Michelin star was awarded and in 2006 the second.  In 2009 El Poblet changed its name and became what it is world-renowned as today, Quique Dacosta Restaurant. The Michelin Guide for Spain and Portugal for 2013 awarded Quique Dacosta Restaurant with its current Michelin 3 star status.

Quique Dacosta is self-taught through hard work, and by reading books, in his home-land and today flies the flag of the culture and cuisine of the area by only using locally sourced produce from within 75 km of his restaurant. Michelin 3 star restaurant Quique Dacosta cuisine today is classed as creative, traditional and modernist.

Quique Dacosta dish

 

In 2012 Quique Dacosta Restaurant entered the prestigious Restaurant Magazine Best 50 restaurants of the world list at Number 40.  For 2013 Quique Dacosta rose to 26th place but for 2014 dropped to Number 41.

A businessman as well as a chef Quique Dacosta formed the company Daco & Co in 2010 which expands new gastronomic concepts and at the moment includes:

Mercatbar, Valencia, his first project outside Dénia,  that opened in 2010 – serves classic and historic tapas.

Vuelve Carolina, Valencia- a modern and contemporary Gastrobar

El Poblet Restaurant, Valencia – a homenage to his roots,  located above Vuelve Carolina

 

With Spanish Chefs taking the World by storm, now is the time to visit Spain, home to 10% of the World’s Best Restaurants and numerous Michelin starred Restaurants!  On one of our Private Food, Wine and Cultural Tours you can indulge in the Best Michelin Starred Restaurants in Spain.  Contact us for your personalized quote.

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Michelin Stars Spain 2015 – DiverXO by David Muñoz

The Michelin Guide to Spain and Portugal 2015 is fast approaching and we’ll keep you updated with the results of the Michelin Starred Restaurants in Spain for 2015! In the meantime, over the next few days we’ll be showcasing some of the Best Michelin starred Chefs in Spain, if not the World, with our own Pre-Michelin Guide Restaurants 2015 SuperChef Series by Gourmand Breaks- An insight into the world of some of the current Michelin 3 star and Michelin 2 star chefs in Spain!

Previously, we showcased Michelin 2 star chefs Paco Pérez – Miramar and Enoteca, Andoni Luis Aduritz – Mugaritz and Jordi Cruz – ABaC, and in no particular order, today a Michelin 3 Starred chef who last year gave Madrid its first Michelin 3 star restaurant:

David Muñoz– Proudly heads Michelin 3 star restaurant DiverXO in Madrid, which is also placed in the Top 100 restaurants of the World list by Restaurant magazine.  To be enjoyed on one of our Private Food, Wine and Cultural Tours :)

David Muñoz

David Muñoz was born in Madrid in 1980.  He got his taste for the culinary world as a child by eating at his favorite restaurant Viridiana by Abraham García in Madrid. Years later he went to work at Viridiana before heading to London to work in restaurants such as Nobu and Hakkasan.  David Muñoz returned to Madrid in 2007 and opened DiverXO, creating a radical fusion of diverse cuisines.  DiverXO gained its first Michelin star in 2010 and 2 years later the second Michelin star arrived.

Groundbreaking chef David Muñoz is on the rise and in 2013,when the NEW Michelin Guide for Spain and Portugal 2014 was presented, DiverXO received the illustrious 3rd Michelin Star that had been missing from the capital city since 1995.

Back in 1987 Zalacaín (today a Michelin 1 star restaurant in Madrid) was the first Spanish restaurant to achieve the Michelin 3 star restaurant status, but this status was lost in 1995. Since then the Spanish capital of Madrid failed to produce a Michelin 3 star restaurant until the 2014 Michelin Guide for Spain was presented and DiverXO put Madrid back on the Michelin 3 star restaurant map of the World.

DiverXo dish

DiverXO has also been awarded a place in the Top 100 restaurants of the world list.  Madrid’s only Michelin 3 star restaurant DiverXO was awarded 94th place in the the Restaurant Magazine’s acclaimed World’s 50 (well 100) Best Restaurants Awards List of 2014.

Michelin 3 star restaurant DiverXO in Madrid, was also awarded 15th place in the recent presentation of the TripAdvisor Travelers’ Choice Awards – World’s Best Restaurants of 2014.

DiverXO moved this year to larger premises,  to the NH Eurobuilding hotel in Madrid, to enable David Muñoz to exploit his flagship restaurant to its fullest, flying pig decoration and all!

DiverXO

Also by David Muñoz – StreetXO – a casual concept of street food with an open kitchen and diner interaction.  StreetXo opened in 2012 in Madrid  on the top floor of El Corte Inglés, Callao.

But not one to rest on his laurels David Muñoz is spreading the “XO” world with advanced plans to open StreetXO in the prestigious area of Mayfair in London.   And in the future? New York, Singapore  ……

With Spanish Chefs taking the World by storm, now is the time to visit Spain, home to 10% of the World’s Best Restaurants and numerous Michelin starred Restaurants!  On one of our Private Food, Wine and Cultural Tours you can indulge in the Best Michelin Starred Restaurants in Spain.  Contact us for your personalized quote.

 

 

 

 

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Michelin Stars Spain 2015 – ABaC Restaurant by Jordi Cruz

The Michelin Guide to Spain and Portugal 2015 is fast approaching and we’ll keep you updated with the results of the Michelin Starred Restaurants in Spain for 2015! In the meantime, over the next few days we’ll be showcasing some of the Best Michelin starred Chefs in Spain, if not the World, with our own Pre-Michelin Guide Spain 2015 SuperChef Series by Gourmand Breaks- An insight into the world of some of the current Michelin 3 star and Michelin 2 star chefs in Spain!

Previously  we showcased Paco Pérez of Michelin 2 star restaurants Miramar and Enoteca, and Andoni Luis Aduriz of Michelin 2 star restaurant Mugaritz. Today, and in no particular order, a Michelin Starred chef shooting for Barcelona’s first 3 Michelin star restaurant:

Jordi Cruz – Received his first Michelin star at just 24 years old and is chef at Michelin 2 star restaurant  ABaC, Michelin 1 star restaurant  L’Angle and Ten’s Tapas Restaurant-  all in Barcelona.  Jordi Cruz is also a TV personality, being one of the judges on Masterchef -Spain. To be enjoyed on one of our Private Food, Wine and Cultural Tours :)

Jordi Cruz was born in Manresa – Barcelona, in 1978. He developed his culinary skills by studying at the “Escola Superior de Hostelería Joviat” in Manresa and at age 14 began working in the restaurant Cercs Estany Clar, Barcelona. Here, he received his first Michelin star in 2002, becoming, at just 24 years of age, the youngest chef in Spain to receive such an honor.

In December 2007, Jordi Cruz left Estany Clar and became the manager and head chef at the restaurant L’Angle in Sant Fruitós de Bages (Barcelona). In November 2008 the restaurant was awarded with one Michelin star.

In May 2010, Jordi Cruz took the helm of ABaC, which is now the gastronomic reference of the city and awarded with the Best Restaurant of Catalonia 2011 by the Catalan Academy of Gastronomy.

In 2012, Jordi Cruz opened Ten’s Tapas Restaurant in the Born district of Barcelona and with 2 kitchens already in the city, in 2013, L’Angle was relocated to Barcelona city, hence giving Jordi Cruz easy access to his 3 kitchens.

ABaC dish

Local, seasonal produce is a must in all of Jordi Cruz’s kitchens and Michelin 2* restaurant ABaC provides a creative yet traditional take on high quality produce.

ABaC restaurant first opened it’s doors in 2000 in the premises of the now Ten’s Tapas Restaurant by Jordi Cruz. It was relocated in 2008.  ABaC is currently a Michelin 2 Star Restaurant (since the 2012 Michelin Guide) but as the city of Barcelona is still shooting for that 3rd Michelin star, will the talented Jordi Cruz, with ABaC, produce the goods to give the city its first Michelin 3 star restaurant ?

ABaC entrance

With Spanish Chefs taking the World by storm, now is the time to visit Spain, home to 10% of the World’s Best Restaurants and numerous Michelin starred Restaurants!  On one of our Private Food, Wine and Cultural Tours you can indulge in the Best Michelin Starred Restaurants in Spain.  Contact us for your personalized quote.

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Michelin Stars Spain 2015 – MUGARITZ by Andoni Luis Aduriz

The Michelin Guide to Spain and Portugal 2015 is fast approaching and we’ll keep you updated with the results of the Michelin Starred Restaurants in Spain for 2015! In the meantime, over the next few days we’ll be showcasing some of the Best Michelin starred Chefs in Spain, if not the World, with our own Pre-Michelin Guide Spain 2015 SuperChef Series by Gourmand Breaks- An insight into the world of some of the current Michelin 3 star and Michelin 2 star chefs in Spain!

Yesterday we showcased Paco Pérez of Michelin 2 star restaurants Miramar and Enoteca, and in no particular order, today a Michelin Starred chef shooting for that much desired 3rd Michelin star in 2015 is:

Andoni Luis Aduriz – Proudly heads Michelin 2 star restaurant Mugaritz in the Basque Country, currently ranked the sixth best restaurant in the World.  Still failing to gain that 3rd Michelin star though, will 2015 be Mugaritz’s year? To be enjoyed on one of our Private Food, Wine and Cultural Tours :)

Andoni Luis Aduriz was born in San Sebastián in 1971 and took his first steps in the culinary world by studying at the Donostia School of Cuisine in San Sebastian, Spain. Expressing himself through flavours and textures came easier to Andoni Luis Aduriz than academia and this is when he started to cultivate his love of the New Basque Cuisine and the land.

Andoni Luis Aduriz  worked under great chefs such as Pedro Subijana, Juan Mari Arzak and Ramón Roteta, and in 1993, he went to Catalonia to join the team at El Bulli under Ferran Adrià. This opportunity set him on the Superchef culinary path but not before returning to his homeland where he worked under Martín Berasategui at the chef’s restaurant outside San Sebastian. Finally in 1998 Andoni Luis Aduriz hedged his bets and started his solitary project – his own restaurant – Mugaritz in Errenteria, Gipuzkoa, Spain.

Mugaritz closes for four months a year, a time for reflection and experimentation which is devoted almost exclusively to creativity. Mugaritz means “oak border” in the Euskara language in reference to the location, with the oak on the border. The surroundings offer the chef a canvas on which to unleash his creativity, as well as being a place surrounded by tradition and local products.

 

Andoni Luis Aduriz strives to shock and surprise his diners as well as delight them and achieves the perfect combination between avant-garde and traditional Basque cuisine which has resulted in Mugaritz first being classed as a Michelin 2 star restaurant and then as being a World Top Ten Restaurant.

Mugaritz Dish

Mugaritz earned the first Michelin star in 2000 and, five years later, in 2005, the prestigious Michelin Guide awarded the second one.

Mugaritz has been considered one of the World’s best 50 restaurants since 2006 by the prestigious Restaurant Magazine where it entered in 10th place!  Since then it has always appeared in the Top 10 with it’s highest placing being in 3rd place in 2011 and 2012, behind El Celler de Can Roca in 2nd. In the hands of Andoni Luis Aduriz, Mugaritz is currently ranked the sixth best restaurant in the World behind Dinner (London) in 5th place, Eleven Madison Park (New York) in 4th , Osteria Francescana (Modena) in 3rd ,  El Celler de Can Roca (Girona) in 2nd and  Noma (Copenhagen) in the Number 1 spot.

Mugaritz

Apart from his work at Mugaritz,  Andoni Luis Aduriz gives classes at the University of the Basque Country, corroborates in various methods of communication  and assesses other restaurants. Since 2012 he has been the gastronomic director and culinary consultant at 5* Hotel Abadia Retuerta LeDomaine Restaurant in Valladolid. A restaurant in a 12th century monastery may well be a challenge in itself, however  the creative vision of tradition and using local ingredients is respectfully followed to offer an irresistible culinary experience.

 

With Spanish Chefs taking the World by storm, now is the time to visit Spain, home to 10% of the World’s Best Restaurants and numerous Michelin starred Restaurants!  On one of our Private Food, Wine and Cultural Tours you can indulge in the Best Michelin Starred Restaurants in Spain.  Contact us for your personalized quote.

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Michelin Stars Spain 2015 – MIRAMAR & ENOTECA Restaurants by Paco Pérez

The Michelin Guide to Spain and Portugal 2015 is fast approaching and we’ll keep you updated with the results of the Michelin Starred Restaurants in Spain for 2015! In the meantime, over the next few days we’ll be showcasing some of the Best Michelin starred Chefs in Spain, if not the World, with our own Pre-Michelin Guide Spain 2015 SuperChef Series by Gourmand Breaks – An insight into the world of some of the current Michelin 3 star and Michelin 2 star chefs in Spain! First off, and in no particular order, a chef shooting for that 3rd Michelin star in 2015 with 2 contenders:

Paco Pérez – Recognized with five Michelin stars (two at Enoteca restaurant in Barcelona, two at Miramar in Llançà and one at restaurant “5”  in Berlin), his innovative cuisine reflects the essence of the Mediterranean Sea with cooking based on tradition and high quality local Spanish produce.  To be enjoyed on one of our Private Food, Wine and Cultural Tours :)

Paco Pèrez - Miramar

Paco Pérez was born in Huelva but at just 6 months old his family moved to Llançà in Girona, a small fishing village on the Spanish North Costa Brava coast, where he subsequently grew up.

At age 12, Paco Pérez discovered his passion for cooking when he started helping out, at weekends and in the holidays, at the tapas bar owned by his family in Llançà. He then combined his studies with summer jobs in various local restaurants.

After finishing his studies Paco Pérez worked in diverse local restaurants and even went to France to train alongside one of the founders of “nouvelle cuisine” Michel Guèrard. But what most probably set Paco Pérez on the culinary Superchef path was when he returned to Catalonia and joined Ferran Adrià at El Bulli in 1993.  Here, and over 5 years, he took various courses and placements and acquired much of his philosophy of pioneering techno-emotional cuisine.

In 1997 Paco Pérez married Montse Serra, daughter of the owners of the Miramar Hotel-Restaurant on the seafront promenade of Llançà, Girona, Spain and together, keeping it in the family, they embraced the development of the Miramar. After three years of producing modern Catalan cuisine, during just the summer season, they decided to up the stakes and open all year round in the hope of turning this place into a landmark restaurant in the world of pioneering cuisine.

Chipirones - Miramar

 

Paco Pérez, together with his wife, managed to gradually convert the Miramar from the past traditional restaurant of a hostal, first opened in 1939, into the avant-garde cuisine restaurant that it is today. Betting on traditional and local cooking using high quality products from an ideal environment Paco Pérez’s talent, technique and innovative twists on traditional seafood dishes have earned the Miramar its current two Michelin stars (2006 and 2010).

Also for Paco Pérez in the Michelin 2* Restaurants List for Spain 2014 is:

Enoteca Restaurant in Barcelona

Paco Pérez spreads the heart and soul of contemporary Mediterranean cuisine by bringing the essence of the Miramar and its culinary philosophy, with an emphasis on fish and seafood, to the luxurious 5* Hotel Arts in Barcelona. His guidance at Enoteca, for contemporary cuisine with a traditional base, top quality ingredients and excellent attention to detail,  has led to it receiving two Michelin stars since the 2013 Michelin Guide.

Michelin 2 star restaurant Enoteca offers a contemporary classic Mediterranean cuisine with outstanding quality and imagination and a wine cellar that features more than 500 types of wine.

Paco Pérez is not the only Superchef with a restaurant at the Hotel Arts in Barcelona. Sergi Arola, of Michelin 2* Restaurant Sergi Arola Gastro (Madrid) fame, showcases innovative tapas style traditional Mediterranean cuisine at “Arola”.  Sergi is a disciple of Ferran Adrià and Pierre Gagnaire.

Also by PACO PÉREZ:

Restaurant 5 – Das Stue 5* Hotel (Berlin)

This Michelin 1 star restaurant is the extension of the Miramar Restaurant into Germany. It is named after Paco Pérez’s focus on the five senses, and also a reference to the five fingers of the hand, because the kitchen produces pioneering works of culinary art.

Mirror Restaurant – The Mirror Hotel (Barcelona)

One of the best restaurants in Spain for luxury rice and seafood dishes,  in the heart of Barcelona.

L’EGGS Restaurant by Paco Pérez – Passeig de Gràcia (Barcelona)

The first gastronomic themed restaurant in Barcelona featuring eggs as the star dish. A fun and casual restaurant offering eggs in all their formats.

La Royale Restaurant – Uptown Barcelona

Upscale hamburgers in uptown Barcelona.  La Royale presents a revolution of the concept of a hamburger in the city, with signature ideas and the best refreshing gin and tonics.

Black Restaurant – Uptown Barcelona

The cosmopolitan Manhattan-esque cocktail lounge at La Royale. Offering the signature Burgers of La Royale as well as the best vodka & tonics and a great champagne collection.

 

With Spanish Chefs taking the World by storm, now is the time to visit Spain, home to 10% of the World’s Best Restaurants and numerous Michelin starred Restaurants!  On one of our Private Food, Wine and Cultural Tours you can indulge in the Best Michelin Starred Restaurants in Spain.  Contact us for your personalized quote.

 

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Spain – Home to 10% of the World’s Best Restaurants

Spain is a big country enjoying diverse cuisine, culture and scenery. From North to South, with a fantastic climate, fresh local produce is grown on the land and great wine is lovingly made from the vines. It’s no surprise, therefore, that with Good Food and Fine Wine Superchefs abound here! Love Food? Love Wine? Love Spain!

With the recent publication of the World’s Best 100 Restaurants for 2014, Spain is home to 10% of the acclaimed list.  But, that’s not all!  When the Michelin Stars Awards for 2014 were announced, Spain was left sparkling with 8 Michelin 3* Restaurants, 17 Michelin 2* Restaurants and well over a hundred Michelin 1*Restaurants.

If you love Good Food and Fine Wine, what are you waiting for? Spain is the Foodie place to be!

So, with 10% of the World’s Best Restaurants being in Spain, who’s placed where on the prestigious World’s Best 100 Restaurants List?

Nº 2. El Celler de Can Roca. Girona, Spain  Last year’s Nº1 and home to the Best Pastry Chef in the World 2014 – Jordi Roca

Nº 6. Mugaritz. Errenteria, Spain

Nº 8. Arzak. San Sebastián, Spain

Nº 26. Azurmendi. Larrabetzu, Spain Winner of the Sustainable Restaurant Award for 2014

Nº 34. Asador Etxebarri. Atxondo, Spain

Nº 35. Martín Berasategui. Lasarte, Spain

Nº 41. Quique Dacosta. Denia, Spain.

Nº 57. Tickets – Barcelona, Spain 

Nº 74. 41 Grados – Barcelona, Spain 

Nº 94. Diverxo – Madrid, Spain 

Celler de Can Roca

And, as for Michelin Star Restaurants in Spain? Take your pick:

The Eight Michelin 3 Star Restaurant Wonders in Spain for 2014 (in alphabetical order) are:

Akelarre. Pedro Subijana (Guipúzcoa)

Arzak. Juan Mari Arzak (Guipúzcoa)

Azurmendi. Eneko Atxa (Vizcaya)

DiverXo. David Muñoz (Madrid)

El Celler de Can Roca. Joan Roca (Girona)

Martín Berasategui (Guipúzcoa)

Quique Dacosta (Alicante)

Sant Pau. Carme Ruscalleda (Barcelona)

Michelin 2 Star Restaurants in Spain for 2014 (in alphabetical order):

Abac. Jordi Cruz (Barcelona)

Atrio. Toño Pérez (Cáceres)

Calima. Dani García (Marbella)

Casa Marcial. Nacho Manzano (Asturias)

El Club Allard. Diego Guerrero (Madrid)

El Portal. Francis Paniego (La Rioja)

Enoteca. Paco Pérez (Barcelona)

La terraza del Casino. Paco Roncero (Madrid)

Lasarte. Martín Berasategui. (Barcelona)

Les Cols. Fina Puigdevall (Girona)

M.B. Martín Berasategui (Santa Cruz de Tenerife)

Miramar. Paco Pérez (Girona)

Moments. Raül Balam (Barcelona)

Mugaritz. Andoni Luis Aduriz (Guipuzcoa)

Ramón Freixa (Madrid)

Santceloni. Óscar Velasco (Madrid)

Sergi Arola Gastro (Madrid)

 

There are so many Michelin 1* Restaurants in Spain, here is the Complete List

 

With Spanish Chefs taking the World by storm, now is the time to visit Spain with 10% of the World’s Best Restaurants and numerous Michelin starred Restaurants!  On one of our Private Food, Wine and Cultural Tours you can indulge in the Best Michelin Starred Restaurants in Catalonia, Madrid and The Basque Country.  Contact us for your personalized quote.

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La Sagrada Familia – Barcelona’s Unfinished Symphony

The incredible Sagrada Família Church, if you haven’t heard of it, is a giant Basilica in the center of Barcelona, Spain  It is a work on a grand scale and is not expected to be completed for another 30 to 80 years!  Barcelona’s skyline is accustomed to the somewhat weird mix of old spires and modern cranes that envelope the Sagrada Família.  It will seem strange if one day the invasive, yet accepted, cranes disappear from Antoni Gaudí’s unfinished Barcelona symphony!

Construction on La Sagrada Família,  Barcelona, began in 1882 and at the end of 1883 Antoni Gaudí was commissioned to carry on the works, which subsequently occupied his whole life right up until his death in 1926.   He played an active role in directing the construction of the Sagrada Família and often requested that work be modified and adjusted until it was exactly the way he wanted it, according to the vision he had in his mind.

In 1892 Gaudí began work on the foundations of the East facing Nativity Façade of La Sagrada Família.  After 1914, Gaudí submitted his work exclusively to the Sagrada Família and on November 30th, 1925, the construction of the first bell tower of the Nativity Façade, dedicated to St Barnaby, was finished, rising a 100 meters high.   This is the only one that Gaudí lived to see built.  Antoni Gaudí died on the 10th of June 1926 as a result of a tragic accident in Barcelona, that had occurred three days earlier, when he was run over by a tram.  On the 12th of June Antoni Gaudí was buried in the Carmen Chapel of the crypt of La Sagrada Família, where his remains still lie today.

Sagrada Familia, Barcelona

 The Nativity Façade of La Sagrada Família celebrates the birth of Jesus the Messiah, the Son of God.  It is also referred to as the Façade of Life, Joy or Christmas and is elaborately adorned with references to the joy of life, such as flowers and animals, on and around its three entrances:

–  The Portal of Faith is devoted to the theological virtue of faith and to Mary.

– The Portal of Hope is devoted to the theological virtue of hope and to Joseph.

– The Portal of Charity is devoted to the theological virtue of Christian charity or love and to Jesus.

In 1911 Gaudí planned the West facing Passion Façade and in 1923 the definitive solution to the naves and roofs.  The works advanced slowly, though, and Gaudí was recorded as saying:

“There is no reason to regret that I cannot finish the church. I will grow old but others will come after me. What must always be conserved is the spirit of the work, but its life has to depend on the generations it is handed down to and with whom it lives and is incarnated”.

The Passion Façade of La Sagrada Família, representing the Passion of Jesus, depicts the pain, sacrifice and death suffered by Jesus, and is expressed in highly dramatic and emotionally intense groups of sculptures.  As the façade faces west it receives the last rays of the day’s sun hence heightening the symbolic effect of the darkness and shadows that haunted Antoni Gaudí.  Like the other façades, it has three entrances, dedicated to charity, hope and faith, and four bell towers.  This façades’ towers are dedicated (from left to right) to the apostles St James the Less, St Bartholomew, St Thomas and St Philip.  The sculptures on the Passion Façade stand out as they contrast against their background being ornament free and composed of simple forms.  In this way Gaudí wanted to symbolize the desolation, the pain and the death of Jesus Christ with a dramatic doorway illustrating the sacrifice made by Jesus for mankind.

Passion Façade, Sagrada Familia

The South facing Glory Façade is still under construction and, when finished, will be the main entrance to the church.  Gaudí included the construction of a great exterior flight of steps, in the project, to provide a solemn access to the Sagrada Família.

Since Gaudí’s death, different architects have continued the work of the Sagrada Família based on Gaudí’s original ideas.  However today, because of the nature of the existing designs, his work is partly open to interpretation and leads to much controversy – be it the new construction materials which, some feel, Gaudí himself would not have used, or the present day architects’ interpretation of the original designs, unacceptable for many Gaudí fans.  Regardless of all the controversy surrounding the Sagrada Família it is a truly magnificent building and an absolute must-see when you visit Barcelona.

Sagrada Familia

With all that is featured on the outside, of this magnificent masterpiece, it is hardly surprising that the inside is as spectacular as you would imagine.  But, we’re not going to give too much away, you need to experience this wonder for yourself while in Barcelona, but the interior looks like a forest of beautifully designed trees.  The ornate trunks, branches and clusters of leaves are all visible in this forest of columns where, as the light seeps through the windows, a sensation of woodland and vegetation appears within the Sagrada Família.

Antoni Gaudí is Barcelona’s most internationally renowned and emblematic architect and throughout his work, you will see much of his architectural inspiration came from his experiences in nature.   His work has become one of the main cultural attractions of Barcelona, and is a legacy that has been declared UNESCO World Heritage.  La Sagrada Família, over the years, has become one of the most universal signs of identity of Barcelona, and indeed Spain. It is visited by millions of people every year and many more study its architectural and religious content.

Special mention should also be made to other famous works of Gaudí in Barcelona, like his famous Casa Batlló and La Pedrera.  Gaudí’s famous La Pedrera was built between 1906 and 1910 for the Milà family and is one of the main Gaudí residential buildings in Barcelona. It is one of the most imaginative houses in the history of architecture and is more a sculpture than a building.  And not forgetting, one of the most beautiful icons of the city of Barcelona, ​​Park Güell,  a work by Antoni Gaudi carried our between 1900 and 1914, with wonderful views of the city where you can enjoy a peaceful stroll surrounded by nature and modernist works.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Many of our Food, Wine and Cultural Tours include a visit to Antoni Gaudí’s amazing unfinished La Sagrada Família in Barcelona (as well as to other masterpieces).  This means that, you not only get to beat the queues into the Church but, one of our Officially Licensed Bi-Lingual Guides will give you your own private tour and show you so much more.

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Lisbon, Portugal – If San Francisco had a sister ……

If San Francisco had a sister, it would be Lisbon. Both cities have twin bridges and famously foggy weather. Both are situated on the best natural harbors on the west coast of their respective continents. Both have trolleys rattling up and down their steep hills past characteristic buildings. And both have survived horrific earthquakes. In 1755, an estimated 9.0 earthquake leveled two-thirds of Lisbon. Within a month, a new city was designed, and downtown Lisbon was rebuilt on a progressive grid plan, with broad boulevards, including the cosmopolitan Avenida da Liberdade, and square squares.

Today, Lisbon is a charming mix of old and new. Bird-stained statues mark grand plazas, taxis screech around cobbled corners and the hip and trendy hang out in Art Nouveau cafes. Just like it did during the days of Magellan and Vasco da Gama, the city continues to welcome ships into its large port. Even today, Lisbon still feels like Europe’s gateway to the world.

Get ready to excite your taste buds in Lisbon with Mediterranean tradition and exotic influences from all over the World. Enjoy Lisbon’s great Cafés and experience delicious and exotic products, from dried, salted Bacalhau to sausages, hams and cheeses. Learn the history of Portugal’s famous fortified wine, Port, and then try some with delicious Azeitao cheese. Taste the very special famous ports from the Douro valley and Portuguese wines, such as Vinho Verde de Minho (the famous green wine of Minho).

Visit the Moorish St George’s Castle and take in the impressive views over the sea. Venture on down from the castle to the river, crossing the Alfama, Lisbon’s salty sailors’ quarter. Its tangled street plan is one of the few aspects of Lisbon to survive the big quake, making the Alfama a cobbled playground of Old World color. Urban-jungle roads are squeezed into a maze of confusing alleys, designed to frustrate invaders on their quest to get to the castle. What was defensive then, is atmospheric now. Gnarled houses snuggle together in their romantic shabbiness; the air drips with laundry and the smell of clams and raw fish.

Take the chance to listen to some Fado, Portugal’s national music. In the picturesque Bairro Alto you will be able to dine at an authentic Portuguese Fado restaurant.

More about Portuguese Food 

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Food, Wine & Cultural Tours of Spain, Portugal & S.W France

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