Paco Pérez has emerged as a prominent figure in the avant-garde gastronomy of the 21st century. The chef works with the aim of daily winning the complicity of his customers, successfully carrying forward a culinary philosophy that draws inspiration from the freshness of the sea, the chef's muse, and the essence of ingredients. A star-studded gastronomic journey that starts in Llançà with the renowned "Miramar," but extends to Barcelona, Gdańsk, and beyond, solidifying Paco Pérez's name as a beacon of international gastronomy.
Paco Pérez was born in Huelva in 1962 into a family surrounded by good food. Paco's passion for food began at the age of 12 when he delved into traditional cuisine at his parents' tapas bar. He obtained his high school diploma while already working in various restaurants during his summer breaks as a student, and then fully immersed himself in the gastronomic world. He gained experience and knowledge in France with Michel Guérard, one of the patriarchs of Nouvelle Cuisine and a holder of Three MICHELIN Stars, and upon his return to his homeland, with Ferran Adrià at "El Bulli."
In 1984, Paco married Montse Serra, the daughter of the owners of the "Miramar" restaurant in Llançà, which at the time was a simple inn on the beach. Together, they transformed the place into a contemporary and cutting-edge restaurant, where the cuisine finds its soul and body in the sea, as Pérez himself says. In 1996, the restaurant earned its first MICHELIN Star, followed by a second in 2010.
The year 2008 marked another milestone in the career of the avant-garde chef. Paco launched the "Enoteca Paco Pérez" located in the "Hotel Arts" in Barcelona, which maintains the Andalusian gastronomic tradition while showcasing it on the Catalan coast. The restaurant achieved Two MICHELIN Stars just four years after its opening.
In 2012, Pérez inaugurated "5-Cinco by Paco Pérez" in Berlin, which has since closed permanently, but it earned him a MICHELIN Star, elevating him to the pinnacle as a holder of 5 Stars.
Paco Pérez has never stopped seeking new professional challenges, experimenting with an increasingly creative cuisine. In Barcelona, in 2011, he opened the gourmet hamburger restaurant "La Royale," and two years later, he inaugurated "Eggs by Paco Pérez." In 2014, he established the restaurant "Doble" and then "Bao Bar." In Gdańsk, Poland, there is the "Arco by Paco Pérez" restaurant, and in Manchester, United Kingdom, "Tast Català." Despite his reserved nature, Paco also started a series of online cooking lessons called "The Sea in the Kitchen."
A skillful chef-entrepreneur, Pérez's dedication and his innovative concept of cuisine, "the freshness of the sea and the essence of ingredients," have won the complicity of his customers year after year.
