The Macarfi Guide is still growing. If until a year ago it included in its pages the ranking of the best restaurants in Barcelona, Girona, Madrid, Bizkaia, Gipuzkoa, Álaba and La Rioja, in 2024 it has incorporated two new provinces: Valencia and Malaga. The capital of the latter was the great host of the gala presentation of the new guide, which was held on Monday night at the NH Málaga hotel with comedian Carlos Latre as master of ceremonies and renowned chefs (Oriol Castro, Nandu Jubany, Joan Roca, the brothers Sergio and Javier Torres, Paco Pérez, Benito Gómez, Ricard Camarena or Begoña Rodrigo) among the audience.
For Barcelona, the big winner of the night was the restaurant Cocina Hermanos Torres, which was proclaimed number 1 in the Top 10 of this province and usurped the place from Alkimia (now number 2), followed by Estimar in third position
"That this guide moves and stays alive shows the good health of Barcelona's gastronomy", explained the twins Sergio and Javier Torres when they collected the award.
In Girona El Celler de Can Roca once again crowns the Top 10, waiting to move next year to Macarfi's Top of the Tops, a recognition currently held by Barcelona's Disfrutar and Madrid's DiverXO, which, after leading the ranking three times in a row, they left the voting (remember that the first editions of the guide only referred to Barcelona, then they included Madrid and, later, Girona).
After the Celler de Can Roca, the work of Ca l'Enric (La Vall de Bianya) and Les Cols (Olot) has also been recognized, respectively in second and third position.
In addition, the restaurants Desde 1911 in Madrid, Asador Etxebarri in Bizkaia, Elkano in Gipuzkoa, Arrea! in Álava, El Portal de Echaurren in Ezcaray, Bardal in Malaga and Ricard Camarena in Valencia, leaders in each autonomous community.
The last chef recalled on stage at the NH Málaga hotel that it was a good sign that, in the Top 10 in Valencia, with La Salita at number 2 and Fierro at number 3, there was no rice restaurant: “ It means that Valencia is much more than paella and that there is excellent gastronomy".
The Rookies, a distinction that Macarfi gives annually to the best opening of the last twelve months, have been in 2024 for the Azul Rooftop Barceloneta restaurants, the establishment that French chef Romain Fornell opened in May on what is possibly the terrace with best views of Barcelona, competing for the award with Bravo or Colmado Múrria; for the Madrilenian OSA of the tandem formed by Sara Peral and Jorge Muñoz, which a few days ago also received the Cocinero Revelación de Madrid Fusión award, and for Bakea, the new restaurant of the former head chef of Mugaritz, Alanz Bilbao , in Mungia (Bizkaia).
All award-winning restaurants are chosen annually through the votes of the gastronomes who cooperate with Macarfi, among whom there are chefs and specialized journalists. As the founder and general director, Manuel Carreras, assured on Monday night, the 2025 guide aims to continue growing until it spreads throughout the Spanish territory.
At the moment, the ninth edition of the Macarfi Guide already has more than 550 restaurants on its pages.
