Quique Dacosta is one of the leading personalities in Spanish cuisine. From humble beginnings as a dishwasher, he has solidified his status as the owner and executive chef of the restaurant in Dénia that bears his name. Over the years, he has not rested on his laurels and has opened numerous establishments, maintaining a balance between his professional and family life.
Enrique, known as Quique, Dacosta, was born in Jarandilla de la Vera in 1972. He took his first steps in the gastronomic industry in 1986, working as a dishwasher in an Italian restaurant in Dénia, in the province of Alicante.
Quique embarked on a challenging journey filled with opportunities, from tapas bars, breweries, and wine shops to intense study sessions, eventually reaching the restaurant "El Poblet" in 1992. With the support of Tomas Arribas, Quique quickly rose through the ranks, progressing from commis to chef in just three years, ultimately renaming the restaurant "Quique Dacosta Restaurant."
In 2002, the chef's innovative touch in reinventing tradition earned his restaurant its first MICHELIN Star, followed by two more in 2006 and 2013.
Quique is a pillar of global avant-garde cuisine and has distinguished himself as a promoter of revolutionary culinary ideas and techniques, publishing several books as well. Among the first ones are "Arroces Contemporáneos" and "Quique Dacosta," published in 2008.
His culinary philosophy is heavily influenced by French cuisine and is based on the meticulous selection of local ingredients and the perfection of unique cooking techniques. This allowed "Quique Dacosta Restaurant" to enter the list of the world's top 50 restaurants in 2012. Dacosta assumed the presidency of the Advisory Board of GASMA (University Center for Gastronomy and Management in Spain) in 2015, publishing "De Tapas Con Quique Dacosta" and "Grijalbo Ilustrados" in the same year.
In 2017, he served as a judge on the television program "MasterChef Italia."
In addition to managing the Three MICHELIN-starred "Quique Dacosta" in Dénia, the chef has opened "El Poblet," a Two MICHELIN Stars restaurant that pays tribute to his own history, followed by the tapas bar "Vuelve Carolina," the grill restaurant "Llisa Negra," and the tapas bar "Mercatbar" in Valencia.
In 2019, he opened "Arros QD" in London. In an interview prior to the opening, when asked about his future projects, Quique said, "I have four restaurants. I have published six cookbooks. I have two wonderful children and a wife. I could retire, but I still have a project to accomplish: opening a venue in London. It will revolve around rice. Rice is an ancient and cross-cultural food. I want to bring that Valencian aspect, with its marvelous paella. I will open near Oxford Street, but the project closest to my heart is the one with Action Against Hunger."
As a philanthropist, in addition to being a chef and entrepreneur, Quique is an ambassador for Action Against Hunger, an organization that provides life-saving assistance and ensures self-sufficiency for millions of people in around 50 countries.
The numerous accolades he has received, including the Gold Medal for Merit in the Fine Arts in 2020, and his appointment as the director of the prestigious "Mandarin Oriental Ritz" in Madrid starting in spring 2021, further demonstrate Dacosta's unquestionable status as a leading figure in the world of gastronomy.
