A full year's work has demonstrated the quality of El Celler de Can Roca restaurant, run by the Roca brothers, who earned their third Michelin Star, the highest category. Madrid's San Miguel Market witnessed how the three brothers helped Catalonia regain Michelin hegemony, after being tied with the Basque Country two years prior.
The awarding of such an honour means a great team of haute cuisine professionals have been working extremely hard for a long time. More than 20 years of tradition have given the awarded restaurant extensive experience through which they've gained fame, prestige and above all, quality. A quality that has been recognised for yet another year, as El Celler de Can Roca already held two stars and has become the world's fifth best restaurant. Undoubtedly a remarkable achievement.
The event saw the attendance of top chefs who couldn't resist being part of such an important ceremony. The nerves and tension accumulated throughout the evening culminated in an outburst of emotions - very positive for these and other restaurants, 17 in total, that received their first Michelin Star.
With these numbers and now seven Spanish restaurants holding the French guide's highest rating, Spain strengthens its position, carving out space among other countries internationally, such as Germany, Italy or Tokyo. Yet there's still ground to cover, as our country has "only" 130 restaurants (2009 data) compared to France's 547.
From this moment, El Celler de Can Roca joins other triple-awarded restaurants which, in order of recognition, are: Juan Mari Arzak (Arzak restaurant, San Sebastián), Santi Santamaría (Can Fabes restaurant, San Celoni), Ferrán Adriá (El Bulli restaurant, Roses), Martín Berasategui (Martín Berasategui restaurant, Lasarte), Carme Ruscalleda (Sant Pau) and Pedro Subijana (San Sebastián).
Other restaurants like Casa Marcial in Arriondas (Asturias), Lasarte in Barcelona, La Terraza del Casino (Madrid), and Les Cols in Olot have earned their second star.
New recipients include El Etxebarri Axpe (Biscay), the Enoteca at Hotel Arts in Barcelona, A Estación in Cambre (A Coruña), M.B. in Guía de Isora (Tenerife), Bo.Tic in Corçà (Girona), Julio Fontanar dels Alforíns (Valencia), La Fonda Xesc in Gombrèn (Girona), Cocinandos in León, La Broche, Diverxo, Kabuki Wellington and Ramón Freixa (Madrid), As Garzas in Malpica (A Coruña), La Cabaña at Finca Buenavista (Murcia), Alejandro in Roquetas de Mar (Almería) and Torreó de L'India in Xerta (Tarragona), all receiving their first Michelin Star.
However, we observed that some previously starred restaurants lost their star: Tristán in Portals Nous (Mallorca), Kursaal in San Sebastián, El Gallery Arts & Food in Gijón, Lillas Pastia in Huesca, El Chaflán in Madrid, Solar in Puebla de Santa Cruz de Bezana, Reads in Santa María del Camí (Mallorca), Taberna de Rotilio in Sanxenxo (Pontevedra) and Alejandro del Toro in Valencia.
What's absolutely clear is that if many tourists already visited our lands for gastronomy and fine wine, it's even clearer that with the results from this edition of the Michelin Stars, we'll gain both visitors and prestige.
