A Tafona, Ramón Freixa, and Voro, three Repsol suns shining in three different ways

The voice of the countryside and the sea at a table with roots in Santiago de Compostela; an established figure who takes risks and wins in the capital's thriving gastronomic scene; and an Andalusian whirlwind that has turned Mallorcan cuisine upside down. Lucía Freitas at A Tafona, Ramón Freixa at his Atelier, and Álvaro Salazar at Voro have been awarded three Repsol Suns since Monday, but the three shine in different ways. The new edition of the guide has brought together the who's who of Spanish cuisine in Tarragona, and up to 83 restaurants have left the auditorium with reasons to celebrate. In addition to the three new entries in the top category, eleven have moved up a notch with a second Sun and up to 69 have achieved their first.

In Santiago, Lucía Freitas has culminated a project with A Tafona that has grown discreetly until reaching the elite. Her cuisine speaks Galician with a contemporary accent: Atlantic produce, nearby vegetable gardens, and a network of producers and artisans who form a structural part of the restaurant. The Amas da Terra project, which champions the role of women in the primary sector, is not just added rhetoric, but the basis on which the menus are built. Refined technique, recognizable flavors, and a coherent narrative have consolidated one of the most solid offerings in Galicia. The third Sun recognizes this consistency and well-defined identity, as well as increasing the female presence at the top, a goal that María Ritter, the director of the guide, has set for herself in recent years.

In Madrid, Ramón Freixa has undertaken one of the most risky operations in the capital in recent years: he closed his stage at the Único hotel to open an ambitious project on Calle Velázquez, where he has split his offering: Tradición, a large classic restaurant inspired by Spanish culinary memory, and Atelier, a space for ten diners where he offers two haute cuisine tasting menus. The move has paid off, and if a few months ago Michelin reinstated the two stars he had in his previous project, now Repsol is doing the same, returning him to the top. A sign of respect for an established figure who is taking a chance in the sometimes ruthless Madrid scene.

Álvaro Salazar confirms Voro as one of Mallorca's great restaurants: as of today, it is one of only two restaurants with three Suns on the island, along with Maca de Castro. The award confirms the professional maturity of the chef from Jaén, who has managed to integrate his Andalusian heritage into the Balearic pantry to create a contemporary, technical, and expressive Mediterranean discourse. Local produce is the starting point for a menu offering great creative freedom, which ranks among the 47 best restaurants in the country. Not on that list is Albert Adrià, who last year achieved his second sun and was expected to be included at the top of the guide. This is one of the few disappointments in a publication with a reputation for extravagance.

The weight of origins

The two-sun category, in which Enigma remains, adds eleven new addresses. These include Barahonda, in a century-old winery in Yecla; Dromo, in Badajoz, which combines family memories with modern techniques; Callizo, which clings to the mountain cuisine of Upper Aragon; and Mesón Sabor Andaluz, which reinterprets popular recipes from the Cadiz mountains without losing its accent. Also rising are La Bicicleta in Cantabria, which elevates products from nearby gardens with meticulous technique; Vandelvira, consolidating Jaén's strength as a gastronomic destination; Fierro in Valencia, with Valencian gardens and Argentine roots; and San Hô in Tenerife, a fusion that mixes elements from Japan and Peru without losing sight of the Canary Islands. In Madrid and Barcelona, the new additions are Bascoat, probably the best Basque restaurant in the capital; Smoked Room, a luxury bar and grill by Dani García; and Dos Palillos, a pioneer in the dialogue between the Mediterranean and Asia, led by Albert Raurich and Tamae Imachi, both trained by El Bulli.

In the One Sun category, 69 restaurants have been added to the guide, many of them led by young professionals with more dynamic and accessible offerings. Gastronomic bars, where diners can watch the process live, and shorter menus, adapted to customers looking for frequency and seasonality, are becoming more established. These include Trèsde, Los 33, and Bancal in Madrid; Tragatá in Malaga; and Moderna Tradición in La Rioja. Other winners include the Manzano family's restaurant at the Narbasu hotel in Asturias; Zuriñe García's restaurant at the Puente Colgante hotel in Portugalete; and Ibaya, at the Hermitage hotel in Soldeu, which is the first restaurant in Andorra to receive an award.

With the new additions, there are now a total of 808 distinguished restaurants—46 with three suns, 173 with two, and 589 with one—to which must be added a long list of Recommended and Soletes, which paint a fairly accurate picture of how gastronomy is enjoyed in Spain.

Three Suns

• ‘A TAFONA’ (Santiago de Compostela, A Coruña)
  
• ‘RAMÓN FREIXA ATELIER’ (Madrid)
  
• ‘VORO’ (Capdepera, Mallorca)
  

Two Suns

• ‘BARAHONDA’ (Yecla, Murcia)
  
• ‘BASCOAT’ (Madrid)
  
• ‘CALLIZO’ (Aínsa-Sobrarbe, Huesca)
  
• ‘DOS PALILLOS’ (Barcelona)
  
• ‘DROMO’ (Badajoz)
  
• ‘FIERRO’ (Valencia)
  
• ‘LA BICICLETA’ (Entrambasaguas, Cantabria)
  
• ‘MESÓN SABOR ANDALUZ’ (Alcalá del Valle, Cádiz)
  
• ‘SAN HÔ’ (Adeje, Tenerife)
  
• ‘SMOKED ROOM’ (Madrid)
  
• ‘VANDELVIRA’ (Baeza, Jaén)
  

One Sun

• ‘2 ESTACIONES’ (Valencia)
  
• ‘539, PLATS FORTS’ (Puigcerdá, Girona)
  
• ‘ALBERTE’ (Vigo, Pontevedra)
  
• ‘AMAR BARCELONA’ (Barcelona)
  
• ‘AQUIARA’ (Ciutadella de Menorca, Menorca)
  
• ‘ARROPE’ (Rueda, Valladolid)
  
• ‘ASADOR NICOLÁS’ (Tolosa, Gipuzkoa)
  
• ‘AUSIÀS’ (Pedreguer, Alicante)
  
• ‘BACK’ (Marbella, Málaga)
  
• ‘BANCAL’ (Madrid)
  
• ‘BAUDILIO’ (Valderrobres, Teruel)
  
• ‘BESTA’ (Barcelona)
  
• ‘BLOSSOM’ (Malaga)
  
• ‘CERVUS’ (Reus, Tarragona)
  
• ‘COCINA CABAL’ (Oviedo, Asturias)
  
• ‘CRÁTER IDENTIDAD CANARIA’ (Adeje, Tenerife)
  
• ‘DESBORRE’ (Madrid)
  
• ‘DVISI’ (Palamós, Girona)
  
• ‘EL BAR OLD SCHOOL FOOD’ (Mérida, Badajoz)
  
• ‘EL BAR VALLADOLID’ (Valladolid)
  
• ‘EL BARET WINE BAR’ (Murcia)
  
• ‘EL DE ALBERTO’ (A Coruña)
  
• ‘EL PALADAR BY ZURIÑE GARCÍA’ (Portugalete, Bizkaia)
  
• ‘EL PORTAL DE ALBARRACÍN’ (Albarracín, Teruel)
  
• ‘ELDELMAR’ (Barcelona)
  
• ‘EMi’ (Madrid)
  
• ‘ERRE QUE ERRE’ (Ibi, Alicante)
  
• ‘FARIGOLA & MENTA’ (Torrent, Valencia)
  
• ‘FONTANÉ’ (Sant Julià de Ramis, Girona)
  
• ‘GALINO PUEYO’ (Tardienta, Huesca)
  
• ‘GUNNEN’ (A Coruña)
  
• ‘HALCONERAS DE SANCHO IV’ (Funes, Navarra)
  
• ‘HAYDÉE BY VÍCTOR SUÁREZ’ (La Orotava, Tenerife)
  
• ‘HISPANO 1926’ (Murcia)
  
• ‘ITZULI’ (Donostia, Gipuzkoa)
  
• ‘KINU SEVILLA’ (Seville)
  
• ‘LA CARBONÁ’ (Jerez de la Frontera, Cádiz)
  
• ‘LA CASA DE LOS ABUELOS’ (Jumilla, Murcia)
  
• ‘LILIUM’ (Arrecife, Lanzarote)
  
• ‘LOS 33’ (Madrid)
  
• ‘MARANGELS’ (Sant Gregori, Girona)
  
• ‘MARE’ (Cadiz)
  
• ‘MARNA’ (Pontevedra)
  
• ‘MIGUEL GONZÁLEZ’ (Ourense)
  
• ‘MODERNA TRADICIÓN’ (Logroño, La Rioja)
  
• ‘MORAL’ (Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Tenerife)
  
• ‘NARBASU’ (Piloña, Asturias)
  
• ‘NARDI’ (Hervás, Cáceres)
  
• ‘O SECADEIRO’ (Outes, A Coruña)
  
• ‘OTORO JUKUSEI’ (Madrid)
  
• ‘PASCUA’ (Salamanca)
  
• ‘PRODIGI’ (Barcelona)
  
• ‘PROMESA’ (Málaga)
  
• ‘QUINTAFORCA’ (Nulles, Tarragona)
  
• ‘RAMÓN FREIXA TRADICIÓN’ (Madrid)
  
• ‘REINA XIV’ (La Granja de San Ildefonso, Segovia)
  
• ‘REVÉS BISTRO’ (Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Gran Canaria)
  
• ‘SIMPOSIO’ (San Antonio de Benagéber, Valencia)
  
• ‘SISÈ’ (Lleida)
  
• ‘SNOB COCKTAIL&FOOD’ (Pamplona-Iruña, Navarre)
  
• ‘SUKALDEAN AITOR SANTAMARIA’ (Donostia, Gipuzkoa)
  
• ‘SUTAN’ (Hondarribia, Gipuzkoa)
  
• ‘TIERRA Y VINO’ (Samaniego, Araba)
  
• ‘TRAGATÁ MÁLAGA’ (Málaga)
  
• ‘TRÈSDE’ (Madrid)
  
• ‘TROQUÉ’ (Adeje, Tenerife)
  
• ‘VERATUS’ (Jarandilla de la Vera, Cáceres)
  
• ‘VÉRTIGO’ (Sober, Lugo)