Michelin has announced the new 2021 selection of the Michelin Guide Spain & Portugal, in which a further three restaurants have been awarded Two MICHELIN Stars. These are Bo.TiC in Corçà, run by Chef Albert Sastregener, Cinc Sentits in Barcelona, headed by Chef Jordi Artal, and Culler de Pau in O Grove, where Chef Javier Olleros orchestrates the kitchen with finesse.
In addition, 21 establishments received their first Star, 53 restaurants were added to the Bib Gourmand category, and 21 were awarded the new MICHELIN Green Star.
The latest selection was unveiled at a virtual gala broadcast live and free to air from the iconic Real Casa de Correos building on Puerta del Sol Square in Madrid. The gala was a thrilling event, acting as a coda to “A Journey to the Stars”, a five-episode mini-series created to ring in the unveiling of the new edition of the MICHELIN Guide Spain & Portugal, that began on November 16 on an exclusive content-rich platform.
Over the five episodes, Michelin paid special homage to the restaurant sector. In addition, gourmets and lovers of fine food had a chance to delve into the origins of the MICHELIN Guide and attend the discussion forum where 11 chefs from the Spanish Three Star restaurants talked about their vision for the sector and the role of the MICHELIN Guide.
“During a particularly tough year for the hospitality and restaurant industries, our teams of MICHELIN Guide inspectors were impressed by the commitment and tenacity displayed by those working in the sector. This latest edition also puts into words the delight of these teams in discovering new young talent who, as well as giving pride of place to local produce and preparing innovative dishes, craft truly gourmet dining experiences”, said Gwendal Poullennec, International Director of the MICHELIN Guides. “This perfect fusion of up-and-comers and renowned chefs bodes well for lovers of fine food, who will see how the young chefs, often incredibly well prepared after time spent training in well-established restaurants, are advocating for an intriguing return to the basics. Our teams also saw that the restaurants they visited had stepped up their commitment to upholding more sustainable cuisine, a trend that we want to promote with our new distinction, the MICHELIN Green Star’”.
This year, a further three establishments particularly wowed inspectors with their exceptional cuisine, opening the door for them to win their second MICHELIN Star.
At Bo.TiC (Corçà, Girona), based in an old coach factory, Chef Albert Sastregener crafts highly technical creations that, while respecting tradition, strive for precision in every bite.
At Cinc Sentits (Barcelona), Jordi Artal takes diners on an exceptional journey through his family's history, extolling the flavors of modern Catalan cooking with the help of trusted small-scale producers.
At Culler de Pau (O Grove, Pontevedra), chef Javier Olleros is all about locally grown food that is prepared with environmental responsibility in mind. He aims not only to cook using local produce but also, through ongoing dialogue with local producers, promote it.
The number of establishments earning one MICHELIN Star has also risen higher in the 2021 selection, featuring a strong group of restaurants of which 19 are located in Spain and 2 in Portugal. Each one impressed the inspectors with the creativity and passion they infused into each dish.
The restaurants with this distinction in Spain are as follows : Ambivium (Peñafiel, Valladolid), Amelia (Donostia/San Sebastián), Atempo (Sant Julià de Ramis, Girona), Baeza & Rufete (Alicante), Béns d’Avall (Sóller/Mallorca), Callizo (Aínsa, Huesca), DINS Santi Taura (Palma/Mallorca), Eirado (Pontevedra), En la Parra (Salamanca), Espacio N (Esquedas, Huesca), L'Aliança 1919 d'Anglès (Anglès, Girona), La Salita (Valencia), Miguel González (Pereiro de Aguiar, Ourense), Mu•na (Ponferrada, León), Odiseo (Murcia), Quatre Molins (Cornudella de Montsant, Tarragona), Raíces-Carlos Maldonado (Talavera de la Reina, Toledo), Saddle (Madrid) and Silabario (Vigo, Pontevedra).
In Portugal, the two new restaurants awarded one MICHELIN Star are 100 Maneiras and Eneko Lisboa, both in Lisbon.
In addition to restaurants earning one or more MICHELIN Stars, the Bib Gourmand distinction was awarded to many restaurants in the 2021 selection, with the addition of 53 new establishments (47 in Spain, five in Portugal and one in Andorra). Since 1997, this distinction has recognized establishments that offer very good value for money.
Lastly, underpinning global efforts to shape a more sustainable world, the MICHELIN Guide is now recognizing restaurants and chefs who are strongly committed to advocating for a more sustainable approach to cuisine with its new distinction, the MICHELIN Green Star, which looks to reward the efforts of those inspiring establishments and reflect best gastronomic practices in the realm of sustainable development. In the MICHELIN Guide Spain and & Portugal 2021 edition, 21 restaurants were the first to earn a MICHELIN Green Star.
The MICHELIN Guide Spain & Portugal 2021 in figures:
• 11 Three Star restaurants
• 38 Two Star restaurants (of which 3 new)
• 203 One Star restaurants (of which 21 new)
• 300 Bib Gourmand restaurants (of which 53 new)
• 880 Michelin Plate restaurants (of which 105 new)
• 21 MICHELIN Green Star restaurants (new distinction)
Discover the full selection Spain here and the full selection Portugal here.
Photos : Hero Image, Bo.TiC/Michelin ; Photo 1 : Ivan Raga/Cinc Sentits ; Photo 2 : Silivia Martinez/Eneko Lisboa.
