The 3 Michelin star chef Quique Dacosta received this week from Their Majesties the King and Queen of Spain the Gold Medal for Merit in Fine Arts 2020. An award that recognizes the "avant-garde, Mediterranean, Extremaduran and universal tradition" that the chef represents, in the words of the Minister of Culture and Sport, Miguel Iceta.
In the ceremony held on Wednesday at the Palacio de Congresos y Auditorio de Navarra, BALUARTE in Pamplona, which was attended in addition to the aforementioned Minister of Culture and Sports, Miquel Iceta, the president of Navarra, María Chivite, and the mayor of Pamplona, Enrique Maya, actors such as Antonio Resines, Emma Suárez, Carlos Hipólito or Adriana Ozores, the singers Rosario Flores, Manolo García or Pau Donés (posthumously), the film directors Álex de la Iglesia or Montxo Armendáriz, the bailaores Antonio Canales or Sara Baras, the soprano María Bayo, the designer Andrés Sardá, the philosopher Emilio Lledó or the international composer Hans Zimmer.
After collecting the Medal, Dacosta was happy for the work that he and his team have been doing for more than thirty years: "It is an honor for me to have my profession recognized along with so many other talents and artists that I admire , and who are an example and inspiration for my team and for me”, he assured. The chef felt proud to "represent gastronomy, cooking and hospitality in this award, which is undoubtedly an encouragement to continue on the path with enthusiasm". “My team is a fundamental part of my life, without all of them this award would not be possible. I now want to remember the suppliers, producers, farmers, ranchers and fishermen who strive day after day so that we have the best tools to tell our story”, he concluded.
Dacosta has received this recognition just a few days after Cooking Beauty 2022 began, the new season at Quique Dacosta Restaurant (Dénia) in which he appeals to the search for himself trying to move diners on a journey that goes from physical to emotional. In this way, it continues to explore a path of fantasy, avant-garde and illusion under an expression that seeks to move the feelings and emotions of its guests.
The chef, Best Entrepreneur of the Spanish Restoration by the Royal Academy of Gastronomy, has placed his restaurant with three Michelin stars at the top of the most important lists in the world, such as Opinionated About Dining, which has positioned it in the last five years as one of the top ten in Europe, having held the number one ranking for two consecutive seasons.
Also distinguished as Doctor Honoris Causa in Fine Arts in 2013, he has become a reference in gastronomy at an international level, highlighting the creativity and avant-garde of his language in the kitchen, in addition to constantly working on a search of the territory in which it is located with an innovative look, and always maintaining its informative condition.
The chef is the creator and gastronomic director of the Mandarin Oriental Ritz Madrid, in addition to being the owner and creator of El Poblet (2 Michelin stars), Vuelve Carolina, Llisa Negra, Mercatabar, and ArrosQD, his most international bet in the heart of London.
Dacosta has crossed the frontiers of cooking with his creativity, becoming the presenter and co-producer of One Life One Dinner, a successful series on Amazon, in which Dacosta cooks up the life and feelings of different international cultural and sports personalities. In addition, the beauty and artistic inspiration of his cooking has been the subject of research and analysis by one of the most prestigious publicists, Toni Segarra, and The Mediapro Studio, who created Cooking Beauty, a documentary inspired by his work .
Dacosta also stands out for his work as an ambassador for Action Against Hunger, and collaborates with other charitable causes such as the Restaurants Against Hunger campaign with the aim of raising funds against child malnutrition.
In his informative work, the chef has published several books. "Contemporary rice", "3", "Tapas with Quique Dacosta" and "Transformed landscapes", make up his bibliography throughout his career.
Amazing, I greatly respect the King of Spain, but someone who charges a fortune for outrageously expensive food to receive an award like this is an insult to intelligence!
How? Fine Arts award? How can it be if your "art" goes down the drain...
Art remains over time... that's not art... it's cooking, period... art? hahahaha
“Also distinguished as Doctor Honoris Causa in Fine Arts in 2013,”….In the Fine Arts career, Hospitality is not included.
«Dacosta also stands out for his work as an ambassador for Action Against Hunger, and collaborates with other charitable causes such as the Restaurants Against Hunger campaign with the aim of raising funds against child malnutrition»……… Are you in Ukraine with José Andrés cooking and feeding people?
Look, he can be a very creative cook, but he's a title and the creation of a mythological God is superfluous.
Very well said!
Totally agree! There is no color in this acknowledgment, I'm sorry, it's my humble opinion