Four Catalan restaurants win their first Michelin star

Barcelona (CNA).- Four new Catalan restaurants won on Wednesday night their first Michelin star. Two of them, Mateu Casañas, Oriol Castro and Eduard Xatruch’s Disfrutar and Albert Adrià and Paco Méndez’s Hoja Santa are disciples of Ferran Adriá’s Bulli, which was five times awarded best restaurant in the world. Besides these two restaurants from Barcelona, the Hotel Restaurant Emporium located in Castelló d’Empúries, in the north of Catalonia, and Tresmacarrons, in the coastal village of Masnou, also received the prestigious award for the first time. Mallorca restaurant Zaranda, which is led by Fernando Pérez Arellano (who previously worked in the three-Michelin-star-holding Catalan restaurant Can Fabes and the Coque restaurant in Madrid), adds its second star to its record. The Michelin Guides are a series of annual guide books which awards Michelin stars for excellence to a few select establishments. 

Santiago de Compostela, in the north of Spain, hosted on Wednesday night the presentation of the Spain and Portugal Michelin Guide 2016, one of the most important events on the world’s gastronomic calendar. The series of annual guide books, published by French company Michelin for more than a century, awards Michelin stars for excellence to a few select establishments. The term normally refers to the Michelin Red Guide, the oldest European hotel and restaurant reference guide. Four Catalan restaurants were awarded their first Michelin star, which demonstrates that the Spain and Portugal Michelin Guide 2016 rewards innovative proposals and beds on new gastronomic sources.

The traces of Ferran Adrià’s El Bulli

Ferran Adrià’s innovative and five times awarded best restaurant in the world El Bulli restaurant seems to have set the trend, as two of the restaurants awarded are led by disciples of Adria. Both are located in Barcelona: Disfrutar, by Mateu Casañas, Oriol Castro and Eduard Xatruch and Hoja Santa by Albert Adrià and Paco Méndez.

It is the third time that Albert Adrià, Ferran Adrià’s youngest brother, has won a Michelin star soon after opening a new restaurant; it happened with Tickets, Pakta and now the story repeats itself with Hoja Santa. Together with Mexican chef Paco Méndez he set up a fusion cuisine project whose genuinely exciting offering has been noticed by the prestigious guide books. Albert Adrià has now equalled the historic milestone of his older brother and holds three Michelin starts, in his case distributed amongst three different projects.

In the same vein, El Bulli’s three leading chefs, Oriol Castro, Eduard Xatruch and Mateu Casañas have also been awarded and recognised with their first Michelin star. Their project Disfrutar has a 27-course degustation menu and follows El Bulli’s philosophy.

60 Michelin stars in Catalonia

There are currently 50 restaurants which have been awarded by Michelin Guides, 22 of which are located in Barcelona. In total, they hold 60 Michelin stars. El Celler de Can Roca, which has been considered the best restaurant in the world, and Carme Ruscalleda's Sant Pau both hold the maximum distinction: three Michelin stars. Six restaurants currently hold two Michelin stars and 42 have been distinguished with one.

The country with the highest number of Michelin-star-holding restaurants is currently France, with more than 600 awarded restaurants in total.

Second Michelin star holders

Two restaurants added a second Michelin star to their record. One is Zaranda, located in Mallorca and led by Fernando Pérez Arellano, a chef that was trained in the prestigious Catalan restaurant Can Fabes, by Santi Santamaría, which was recognised with three Michelin stars. The second one is the Coque restaurant in Madrid. Moments, Enoteca, Lasarte and Àbac, all of which are located in Barcelona, keep their second star.

None have entered the Olympus of the Michelin constellation: three Michelin stars. This select group hasn’t changed since 2014, when Madrid’s DiverXo won their third star and joined the list composed of Catalan Carme Ruscalleda’s Sant Pau and El Celler de Can Roca, Basques Akelarre, Arzak, Martín Berasategui, Azurmendi and Valencian Quique Dacosta Restaurante.

The other side of the coin

The Spain and Portugal Michelin Guide 2016 not only awards restaurants but also removes existing stars if the positive assets of the venues or their standards are considered have decreased. This is the case for Catalan restaurant Comerç 24, which initially closed for temporary works and which won’t reopen again, and Neichel, which lost its Michelin star after 40 years holding it. Ca l’Arpa, in the north of Catalonia and Manairó, in the Catalan capital, have also lost their prestigious award.