Alicante province expanded its Michelin repertoire with two new stars earned by local dining ventures. Orobianco in Calpe and Bernardi House in Benissa earned recognition in the 2024 Michelin Guide, unveiled this week during a Barcelona gala hosted by Andreu Buenafuente who called it among the best restaurants in Spain.
The two new stars sit in the Marina Alta region, where dishes blend Italian influences with regional ingredients. The Calpe establishment Orobianco, which had lost a star two years earlier, regained its star under executive chef Andrea Drago, with leadership from the Bernardi family at the Benissa site. Ferdinando Bernardi, formerly chef at Orobianco where he had earned a prior star, now leads Bernardi House and has earned a new star in his current role.
Michelin Guide 2024 highlights point to Bernardi House as a place where Italian preparation emphasizes local produce, with Marina Alta serving as a canvas for transalpine flavors that celebrate Italian cuisine. At Orobianco, the menu is described as elegant, with the kitchen directed by Paolo Casagrande, a three star chef renowned for his work at Lasarte in Barcelona, and with Andrea Drago guiding the kitchen after the star’s loss.
Casagrande, who leads Lasarte in Barcelona as a three star chef, oversaw Orobianco’s redirection while Drago took charge of the kitchen following the star’s departure.
Beyond Alicante, Quique Dacosta continues to hold three stars, maintaining his Dénia outpost, while two new additions were noted in the province as part of Alicante’s entries in the 2024 edition. The tally for the region reached a total of 17 stars distributed across 13 establishments. The Costa marina areas are prominent in the calculation.
The final 2024 province results show Quique Dacosta Restaurant in Dénia with three stars; L’Escaleta by Kiko Moya in Cocentaina and BonAmb by Alberto Ferruz in Xàbia with two stars; and a cluster of single-star restaurants including Baeza, Rufete in Alicante; Farm in Elche; Pepa House in Ondara; Xato in La Nucia; and several others in Jávea and Dénia. The list also includes Orobianco and Bernardi House among the one star selections.
A countrywide expansion also includes Valenica credentials with Fraula by Roseta Felix and Daniel Malavía attaining stars in the Valencia region.
List of Spain’s new Michelin-starred restaurants
rest of spain
In Barcelona, the Entertainment restaurant led by Oriol Castro, Eduard Xatruch and Mateu Casañas, together with Paco Morales at Light in Córdoba, earned three stars in the Spain 2024 guide. The only new two-star entry in this section is Sales Moncalvillo in Daroca, La Rioja.
Spain continues to grow with 31 new one-star entrants, highlighted by Madrid openings Cebo, Desde 1911, El Club Allard, Osa, Santerra and Toki, while new collaborations in Madrid and Jaén’s rise draw attention. The merger of Malak and Radis in Madrid and Vandelvira in Baeza has placed Jaén in the spotlight for gastronomy.
Others awards
The Mentor Chef award went to a veteran, with Juan Mari Arzak honored in his name by his daughter Elena who emphasized the three guiding words of Spanish haute cuisine: perfection, passion, and illusion.
The Best Young Chef award went to Martina Puigvert of Les Cols de Olot, Girona, a chef who grew up with her mother, Fina Puigdevall, and who valued freedom to create as a core drive.
The special Room Service award recognized Joan Carles Ibáñez of Lasarte in Barcelona, while the Best Sommelier award went to Josep Roca of El Celler de Can Roca in Girona.
These recognitions appear among 49 references with Michelin Green Stars. The 12 new green stars include Andreu Genestra in Llucmajor, Béns d’Avall in Sóller, Ca na Toneta in Caimari, Barro in Ávila, Casa Marcial in Arriondas, El Molino de Alcuneza in Sigüenza, El Molino de Urdániz in Urdaitz, Emporium in Castelló d’Empúries, Es Tragón in Sant Antoni de Portmany, Black Stork Habitat in Valverde del Fresno, L’Algadir del Delta in Amposta, and Monte in San Feliz.