Mario Sandoval **
Born in Madrid in 1977, Mario Sandoval is a proud Madrileño and one of Spain’s top culinary talents. He trained at the Escuela Superior de Hostelería de Madrid and quickly stood out for his skills. At just 36 years old, he received the Premio Nacional de Gastronomía for Best Head Chef in 2013. His restaurant Coque now holds 2 Michelin Stars, a Green Star for Sustainability, 3 Soles Repsol, and 3 M’s from the Guía Metrópoli.
Mario is also at the forefront of healthy cuisine initiatives, exploring innovative gastronomic techniques and technologies, including supercritical liquid extraction, hydrolysis, polyphenols from red wine, and Iberian bull meat. His commitment to culinary innovation places him at the cutting edge of Spanish gastronomy.
Among his many accolades are Chef of the Year 2017 by Gastro&Cía, Best Digital Chef 2019 by HIP, Global Gastronomy Ambassador at the 2019 New York Summit, the Premio Cervantes Gastronómico 2019, Academia Madrileña de Gastronomía 2021, and the ACYRE Madrid 2023 Best Chef award.
Mario’s cooking is a tribute to the finest ingredients, with a focus on honest and intense flavors, blending tradition with cutting-edge innovation that lingers in the memory.
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PACO MORALES ***
Paco Morales is a Spanish celebrity chef that worked at Ferran Adria’s five-time awarded best restaurant in the world, El Bulli, and most significantly headed the stoves at legendary Mugaritz under Andoni Aduriz for half a decade, before going solo.
Noor means light in Arabic and is the world’s first ‘astroarchaeology’ restaurant that commemorates a period of Moorish rule.Since its launch, the restaurant has operated in ‘seasons’, each reflecting a different historical period —starting with the 10th century Caliphate of Córdoba in 2016.
The restaurant’s multi-course tasting menus are the product of meticulous archival research.The chef imagines the cuisine of Al-Andalus, the Muslim-ruled region that covered most of the Iberian Peninsula from the eighth century to the end of the 15th.
Paco Morales does this by only using ingredients that would have been available in Spain during this period, presenting them in dishes that display all the fine-dining flair and techniques that have been vital to achieve his three Michelin stars.
MARIA MARTE **
Dominican Chef María Marte is the only female Latin American winner of two Michelin stars as well as the National Prize for Gastronomy in Spain. She developed her strong affection for cooking inspired by her mother who was a pastry cook.
She immigrated to Madrid, Spain, to become a chef and to study modern and contemporary cuisine. She started working at “El Club Allard” where she earned the respect and confidence of her peers and soon, she was leading the kitchen as Head Chef, getting two Michelin stars.
She is known for her creativity and for caring and respecting the products she uses.
Her inspiration is translated as ̈hours of continuous hard work ̈, where she implements avant-garde techniques to recreate the beauty, flavors, and aromas nature provides.
Her innovative and in-depth knowledge of the culinary techniques, mixing Dominican, Latin American and Mediterranean cuisine, are part of her rich gastronomic culture, gathering her multiple accolades and recognition.
