Angelo Marino
Sicilian chef-owner of Mercato Ballaró, bringing Palermo's market cooking to Madrid's Almagro neighbourhood.
- Restaurants
- 2
Angelo Marino, a chef born in Palermo, Sicily, opened Mercato Ballaró in Madrid in 2011, naming it after Palermo's Ballarò market, after eleven years running La Taverna Siciliana in the city. The restaurant splits into an informal ground-floor bar serving tapas and portions built on traditional Palermo recipes, and a more formal upstairs dining room where a seasonal menu leans on seafood. Marino later partnered with Rafa Vega to open Premiata Forneria Ballarò, a wood-fired pinsa and pasta restaurant also in Madrid.
Biography
Early years
Angelo Marino was born in Palermo, Sicily.
Career
Marino ran La Taverna Siciliana in Madrid for eleven years before closing it to open Mercato Ballaró nearby in 2011, naming the new restaurant after Palermo's Ballarò market. He later partnered with Rafa Vega, a former marketing executive and co-founder of Più di Prima, to open Premiata Forneria Ballarò, a wood-fired restaurant serving pinsa and artisanal pasta; Marino oversees that restaurant while Abruzzo-born chef Sandro Pattara, who trained under Martín Berasategui at Lasarte, runs its kitchen.
Philosophy
Marino's cooking draws on Sicilian and southern Italian tradition, built around seasonal and often organic ingredients sourced from Italy: seafood, fresh herbs and spices, offal, poultry and mushrooms. His best-known dishes at Mercato Ballaró include octopus stew and pasta with game.
Restaurants
Elsewhere
1Angelo Marino in our guides
Editorial guides featuring Angelo Marino’s restaurants.
Frequently asked
Who owns Mercato Ballaró?
Angelo Marino, a chef born in Palermo, Sicily, who opened Mercato Ballaró in Madrid in 2011 after eleven years running La Taverna Siciliana.
What does the name Mercato Ballaró refer to?
Palermo's Ballarò market, a nod to chef Angelo Marino's home city in Sicily, where he was born and grew up before moving to Madrid.
Where is Mercato Ballaró located?
On Calle Santa Engracia in Madrid's Almagro neighbourhood, in the Chamberí district.
What did Angelo Marino run before Mercato Ballaró?
He owned and cooked at La Taverna Siciliana in Madrid for eleven years before opening Mercato Ballaró in 2011.
Does Angelo Marino run any other restaurants?
Yes, he co-founded Premiata Forneria Ballarò with Rafa Vega, a wood-fired Madrid restaurant serving pinsa and artisanal pasta.
What kind of food does Mercato Ballaró serve?
Sicilian and southern Italian cooking: tapas built on Palermo recipes downstairs, and a seasonal, seafood-led menu upstairs.