The 2026 edition of the Michelin Guide was celebrated yesterday with a certain Madrid flavor. Ether, in Legazpi; Emi, in Gaztambide; and Ancestral, in Pozuelo de Alarcón, are the new names that as of today boast a star. Beyond the culinary merit, their incorporation marks a change in the gastronomic landscape of the capital: haute cuisine is decentralized, mixing with the neighborhood and transforming neighborhoods that did not used to appear on the gourmet routes.
The award gala, held yesterday afternoon in Malaga and hosted by Jesus Vazquez in Antonio Banderas’ Sohrlin space, left 25 new stars for Spain and Andorra. Three of them landed in Madrid, but not in their usual areas. Neither Salamanca, nor Chamberí, nor Chueca. This time, the look is widened.
Legazpi, Gaztambide and Pozuelo on the radar.
Ether, the project of brothers Sergio and Mario Tofe, has brought a star to a place of just five tables in Legazpi, a stone’s throw from the Matadero. They opened just before the confinement and, against all odds, they resisted. In an intimate room, with low lighting and careful attention, their signature proposal has seduced both neighborhood residents and international tourists eager to get away from the center.
Emi, in Gaztambide, is another story we told you about in this article. More than a restaurant, it is a bar where chef Rubén Hernández Mosquero -with experience in Noma, Minibar and Atomix- cooks, explains and serves live. The place has broken new ground. Today, Gaztambide has a Michelin star that has arrived like a small earthquake.
On the outskirts, in Pozuelo de Alarcón, Ancestral confirms an already evident phenomenon: Madrid haute cuisine crosses the M-30, even the M-40. In a quiet street of the municipality, this restaurant has celebrated the star in networks with the same naturalness with which they integrate into their residential environment. Until recently, the culinary offerings in the area were limited to steakhouses and chains. Now, there is signature cuisine.
Ramón Freixa and the return to the firmament
The night also left room for the consecrated. Ramón Freixa Atelier, the chef’s new project in the Salamanca district, recovers the two stars lost after his move. In an intimate format, with just ten diners per pass, and a more personal proposal than ever, the chef reaffirms his place among the great names of Spanish gastronomy.
Madrid now has 49 restaurants with a star (one with three, five with two and 43 with one), consolidating its position as the second community with the most awards, after Catalonia. But beyond the numbers, the big news is how excellence is decentralized. The new protagonists not only cook memorable dishes, they also reconfigure the map: today, going to Legazpi, Gaztambide or Pozuelo is no longer simply moving around Madrid. It is or can be going to eat (very well).