The Macarfi guide crowns the Fontané restaurant as the best new opening and now covers all of mainland Spain
In the battle to organize the subjective world of gastronomy, one name has been gaining strength in the last decade.
While other publications rely on the opinions of a more or less extensive body of experts who travel to evaluate restaurants, the Macarfi guide prioritizes local perspectives. It's a model that falls somewhere between professional criticism and popular vote, reducing elitism and mitigating the excesses of anonymous social media rating platforms. Inspectors don't make the decisions, but neither does just anyone vote; instead, a panel of some 2,000 guide 'ambassadors'—local foodies who regularly eat out in their respective communities and rate their favorite restaurants—decides. The result is a considerably more diverse selection than that produced by stricter guides like Michelin, and more closely aligned with the local context than the World's 50 Best Restaurants list, though the comparison isn't perfect.
After several years of sustained growth, during which individual regions and provinces were added, the Macarfi Awards now cover the entire Iberian Peninsula, necessitating the unification of its lists by autonomous community. New to the list are Castile and León, which recognizes Lera as its best restaurant; Castile-La Mancha, which awards Iván Cerdeño; Murcia, with Cabaña Buenavista as number one; and Navarre, which does the same with El Molino de Urdaniz. Also appearing for the first time are Extremadura, with Atrio as its champion; Aragon, with Asador Galino Pueyo in first place; and Galicia, which crowns El Culler de Pau.
In the other regions, there are few changes compared to previous years, with some shifts in the top spots of the ranking. In Madrid, the top prize goes to Desde 1911, the Pescaderías Coruñesas restaurant, which has triumphed in the last two editions. A similar situation exists in Catalonia with Cocina Hermanos Torres, which was number 1 in 2024, dropped one place last year, and now returns to the summit. In the Basque Country, Azurmendi, by Eneko Atxa, reigns supreme, having been second last year, after Elkano and Asador Etxebarri moved into the 'Top of the Tops' category for having held the top spot for three consecutive years. Ricard Camarena takes the lead in Valencia, ahead of Quique Dacosta, with whom he shared first place in 2025.
New untouchables
In Asturias, Casa Marcial triumphs once again, while in La Rioja, El Portal de Echaurren retains its top spot, and in Cantabria, El Cenador de Amós is number one again. Andalusia also repeats its winner, awarding Bardal for the third consecutive year. If the guide's established rules are followed, most of these restaurants will move into the untouchable category next year, and then we can expect more significant changes in the Macarfi guide. Currently, this elite group includes Diverso in Madrid, Disfrutar and El Celler de Can Roca in Catalonia, and Asador Etxebarri and Elkano in the Basque Country.
In contrast to this feeling of stagnation, the 'Rookies' awards, which recognize the best new restaurants of the year, provide some welcome news. The overall winners were the aforementioned Fontané in Girona, followed by Itzuli in the Basque Country and Ancestral in Madrid. The guide's launch gala, attended by nearly 200 top chefs from across the country, was held at the Círculo de Bellas Artes in Madrid and hosted by Jota Abril. During the event, its founder, Manuel Carreras Fisas, announced that next year, with the addition of the islands, the Macarfi guide will finally cover the entire country.