Coque and Zaranda obtain two stars
The eight restaurants allocated 3-star-restaurants last year have repeated their performance and maintained the outstanding standards of their menus: Akelaŕe, Arzak, Azurmendi, El Celler de Can Roca, DiverXO, Martín Berasategui, Quique Dacosta and Sant Pau.
23 restaurants were awarded two stars, including two newcomers. The Coque restaurant (Humanes de Madrid) serves contemporary dishes from Madrid, reflecting the creativity of Mario Sandoval with two gastronomic menus, offering incredibly colourful presentations with an exquisite touch. Fernando P. Arellano from the Zaranda (Castell Son Claret hotel, Es Capdellà, Mallorca) offers his own style of cooking, with excellent methods, working in harmony with quality local products, and coming up with some surprising combinations of flavours.
157 restaurants were allocated with one star, including 15 newcomers. Interest in good cooking is growing in the Iberian peninsula and this is reflected in the constant increase in gastronomic tourism.
Andalusia and Catalonia are home to the highest number of newcomers in this category, with four in each municipality.
The province of Malaya stands out in Andalusia with three newcomers: Kabuki Raw (Finca Cortesin hotel), in Casares, has inherited and shares the dishes of the famous Kabuki, with a complete menu of Japanese dishes merged with western dishes. At Fuengirola, the Sollo restaurant, with Diego Gallegos working the ovens, one single gastronomic menu stands out, focusing on freshwater fish dishes, with some surprising and delicate combinations. And, Mauricio Giovanini, in Messina (Marbella) serves modern Mediterranean dishes, with excellent texture and strong flavour.
In Huelva Xanty Elías, the chef of the Acanthum restaurant has created a menu based on ancient local recipes, updated in terms of method and mixed with other creations of the chef.
The town of Barcelona in Catalonia stands out with two new awards: Disfrutar whose gastronomic menus are creative, full of flavour and based on unrivalled cooking standards, and Hoja Santa serving quality Mexican meals with a modern touch.
Miquel Aldana, manager of Tresmacarrons (El Masnou, Barcelona), has opted for a modern menu based on seasonal products, delicate preparations and attention to detail.
The Jordà brothers behind the Emporium restaurant of Castelló d’Empúries (Girona) combine regional roots with modern methods to perfection, preparing meals based on top quality raw produce.
Two new 1-star restaurants have been added for Castilla y León in this new edition. El Ermitaño (Benavente, Zamora), is a traditional name in the region, preparing traditional Castilian dishes with top notch presentation. In Segovia, the Villena restaurant has its own culinary style, based on traditional dishes presented in style.
The other 1-star restaurants selected this year are spread throughout the peninsula. In El Rincón de Juan Carlos (Los Gigantes, Tenerife), Juan Carlos Padrón and his brother serve innovative, high-quality traditional dishes. Zarate, a restaurant in Bilbao managed by Sergio Ortiz de Zarate, offers a specialised high-quality fish menu, prepared by the chef with care and presented with style. At the Lúa restaurant (Madrid), the chef, Manuel Domínguez, serves modern dishes based on Galician traditions, comprising gastronomic meals revealing the full scope of his creativity.
The full range of Spanish gastronomy is available at the Casa Marcelo (Santiago de Compostela, A Coruña) food bar where Marcelo Tejedor prepares an original combination of Galician, Japanese and Peruvian dishes right in front of the customers.
One new 1-star restaurant has been included in this edition for Portugal. The unusual dishes served at the Bon Bon (Carvoeiro, Faro) are surprisingly elaborate. Modern dishes are prepared using topquality raw produce with clear flavours, presented with style.
