Marcos Granda – Five Michelin Stars

MARCOS GRANDA

FIVE MICHELIN STARS AND COUNTING

We first featured Marcos Granda in magazine in 2004. Skina, the restaurant that earned him his first Michelin star, had just opened its doors in Marbella’s Old Town. The venue offered something unique: fine dining served in a small cornerside venue that soon came to be the talk of the town. Marcos, a sommelier by trade, launched this project alongside his wife, María Isabel Salamanca. At the time, he said, “Nobody trusted my ideas. No-one would have bet on my vision. But in my mind, the secret was clear… however, I wanted to put it to the test

first.” WORDS MARISA CUTILLAS PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF GRUPO MARCOS GRANDA

EARLY BEGINNINGS

Back then, Marcos struck me as being a young man with incredible vision and drive. I was intrigued by how small Skina was; it served only 12 diners per evening. Yet this exclusivity and intimacy was part of the plan to offer a unique experience in which excellent food was married to flawless service. Almost 20 years later, I was not surprised to discover that Marcos had achieved five Michelin stars, divided among four restaurants – Skina (two stars), Clos (in Madrid, with one star), Ayalga (in Ribadesella, Asturias, with one star), and Nintai (launched in Marbella in 2021 and already the holder of a star).

THE POWER OF TEAMWORK

This level of achievement is impressive, considering the fact that Marcos is not a Chef. His team’s success is testimony to his ability to select and manage talent. Marcos is a restaurateur who “looks for colleagues that multiply his own virtues.” Since launching Skina, he hasn’t stopped his entrepreneurial activities yet he always takes the time he needs to find the right team for each establishment.

A FAMILY AFFAIR

Marcos may be a bit of an anomaly in the world of haute cuisine but in many ways, he was destined to become a culinary visionary. Born in Sotrondio, Oviedo in 1976, he learned the art of hospitality from his father. The latter taught his son the importance of good produce and of ensuring that diners have a positive experience. His family provided him with many fine examples of strong work ethics. His uncles owned a sidrería (cider bar) in which his father worked every evening for eight hours – this after a gruelling eight-hour shift at an Asturian mine.

THE START OF EVERYTHING

During Marcos’ youth, his father opened his own business, Casa Jamín. Marcos did his share at the family restaurant before honing his craft at La Gran Taberna de Oviedo and studying at the prestigious Escuela de Hostelería de Gijón (where he received a Diploma in Restaurant and Bar Services). He then moved to Madrid to obtain his title of sommelier in the Chamber of Commerce. After that he honed his craft at Las Rejas, the Michelin-starred restaurant of iconic Chef, Manolo de la Osa.

Marcos tried his luck at Zaldia (in Sotogrande) for three years, before completing a stage at El Bulli. This experience opened the doors to a gig at Lord of the Manor – an Oxford Hotel with its own Michelinstarred restaurant. During his three-year stay in London, he achieved the dream of any sommelier (forming part of The Greenhouse in Mayfair, which has two Michelin stars and over 3,000 wines on its list). ›

SKINA LIGHTS UP THE OLD TOWN

Keen to return to Spain and continue his culinary journey, he landed in Marbella to complete a sommelier course at the Bellamar school. Ironically, the school told him he was overqualified for the course. Luckily, this move would change his life for the better, and he decided to launch his Old Town restaurant. Years after its opening he discovered that ‘Skina’ meant ‘to shine or illuminate’ in Swedish. Skina received its first star in 2008 and its second in 2019. In December, 2021, its Head Chef, Mario Cachinero, was recognised by the Michelin (Spain and Portugal) Guide 2022 as the winner of the Young Chef Award.

EXPANSION CALLS

In December 2017, a regular client of Skina from Madrid suggested that Marcos should expand his portfolio and Clos Madrid was born. In less than a year, Clos had obtained its first Michelin star. In early 2019, Ayalga was born in Marcos’ birthplace, Asturias. Ensconced in an historic palace by the sea, it achieved its star in 2021.

Just before the pandemic hit in 2020, Marcos travelled to Japan and became enthralled by the silence, liturgy, and delicacy that surrounds this country’s culinary tradition. The period of lockdown was a perfect pause during which to find the team that would give life to Nintai, whose ‘soul’ is a wooden bar where a sushi master cuts fish with great delicacy in front of 12 diners. Less than a year after its launch, Nintai had also obtained a Michelin star.

FOUR PILLARS

Marcos shares that his work ethic is based on four key pillars: hospitality, training, authenticity, and perseverance. Everything revolves around his clients and the goal is to serve them in an unobtrusive manner, prioritising the dining experience. For the restaurateur, it is vital to know each client and their needs. “That is the intangible factor of restaurants – the emotional nuances that mark the difference between one restaurant and another.” i www.restauranteskina.com www.restauranteclosmadrid.com www.ayalgavillarosario.com www.restaurantenintai.com