Promises of the New Gastronomy

Madrid Fusion lasts only three days at the end of January, but its team spends the year touring the country's kitchens in search of talent. This scouting work has served as a springboard for chefs now established like Dabiz Muñoz, Ricard Camarena, Javi Estévez, or Camila Ferraro. For the 2026 edition - from January 26 to 28 - 17 professionals from nine restaurants will compete for the Revelation Chef title. Some are also in the running for the next edition of the Michelin guide, which will be presented tomorrow in Malaga.

A clear example of the direction of the new Basque cuisine: less technical artifice, more stew and roots. A tavern format, with checkered tablecloths and recipes that appear simple but are born from refined ideas: wild boar meatballs, mushrooms with hazelnut praline, squid with Beasain black pudding... and a wine cellar that competes with the great tables of the region.

Atrio, Mugaritz, and Lera have little in common except that Rocher and Sambal have passed through all three. With that background, they have taken the reins of Casa Rocher, his family's paella place, to transform it without betraying its memory. Proximity cooking - and pastry - executed with precision and elegance, in constant dialogue with the landscape of the Albufera.

They say the best sunset on the island can be seen here, but its true strength lies in its serenity, in contrast to a Balearic scene dominated by ostentation. The small dining room of the Cala Saona hotel - just 12 or 14 seats - allows for a leisurely service and an 18-course menu that has marked a significant leap. The team, young but experienced, combines roots: Mauro's Salvadoran heritage, Armand's Mediterranean perspective, and Clara's botanical desserts, based on local herbs and flowers. The Michelin star seems within reach.

A winery restaurant that transcends its condition to become a showcase of Murcia's richness. Under Alejandro Ibáñez's direction, recognition has continued to grow - Repsol has already awarded it a sun - and Michelin could confirm the momentum. In a dining room surrounded by vineyards, it displays a technical repertoire full of nods to the wine world, always attentive to regional products.

A couple finding refuge in a small village, cultivating their own garden, and pouring that slow rhythm into their cooking. It is an increasingly common phenomenon among young chefs who flee - or are expelled - from big cities. Alenda, which in Asturian means 'taking time to breathe', embodies this philosophy: circular economy, technical delicacy without excesses, and a close-knit dining room, also with checkered tablecloths, reinforcing the sense of home.

Lado was born in Lugo, but this year Borja and Elia decided to start from scratch in Porqueirós, a remote village of about 20 inhabitants. The new venue, with only 14 diners per service around a fireplace, offers two tasting menus inspired by the surroundings: the Xurés natural park and the Galician Atlantic. In their previous stage, they garnered praise from critics and now hope that recognition will accompany them to this border enclave with Portugal.

They met under the orders of Susi Díaz at La Finca and started by offering private meals until they gathered the strength to open one of the most talked-about venues in Alicante. In a room with seven tables, they propose a personal cuisine that interprets the pantry and landscape of the Vega Baja from an intimate and determined approach.

The young Borrás's determination to make a name for himself is beginning to bear fruit. His restaurant, within the Morvedra Nou agrotourism, pays homage to the Menorcan pantry. The menu includes the names of the producers, not to replicate traditional recipes, but to create new combinations that dialogue with the island's character.

The only proposal located in a major capital is this hidden gem in Barcelona's Gothic Quarter. Marc and Tània serve a nine-course daily menu for 35 euros, a figure that borders on the miraculous. Their cuisine is inspired by medieval recipes and is built on deep sofritos, dense sauces, and humble ingredients. The result, far from nostalgia, is a surprising and intentional menu.