Carme Ruscalleda
Catalan chef whose seven Michelin stars made her the most-decorated female chef in the world.
- Michelin stars
1- Repsol Soles
2- Restaurants
- 2
- Born
- 1952 · Sant Pol de Mar
Carme Ruscalleda is the most-decorated female chef in history, with seven Michelin stars across her career. Her three-star flagship Sant Pau in Sant Pol de Mar closed in 2018; her Tokyo restaurant closed in September 2023. She remains gastronomic director at Mandarin Oriental, Barcelona, where she leads Moments (1 star, with her son Raül Balam as head chef) and the more casual Blanc.
From @carme.ruscalleda on Instagram
Demà, dimecres, arriba una de les grans cites de la gastronomia catalana: el lliurament dels Premis Nacionals de Gastronomia 2025. Compte enrere! Fem territori! #ACGN #PremisACGN2026
#avuidimarts 2/6/26 al @totesmoutv3 @som3cat amb la @hgmelero #hemparlat de #cuinadestiu #carbassons i #alberginies @toni.balam @raul_balam_ruscalleda @momentsrestaurantbarcelona @eljardidelsantpau @muriralves @cuinasantpau @cuinaburger @mercabarna.bcn @empresas_mercabarna_assocome @agem_fruitahorta
Dos días. Muchas historias. Un mismo objetivo ✨ Los MGA Gastronomic Awards 2026 han vuelto a demostrar que la gastronomía es mucho más que cocina y sala: es formación, inclusión, esfuerzo, talento y oportunidades. Durante las finales celebradas en Málaga hemos vivido momentos de emoción, aprendiza
Biography
Early years
Born in 1952 in Sant Pol de Mar, a small town on the Maresme coast north of Barcelona, Ruscalleda grew up in a farming and shopkeeping family. She studied charcuterie and commerce, and in 1975 married Toni Balam, the son of a local grocer. The couple ran a delicatessen in the town before opening their first restaurant.
Career
In 1988 she and Toni opened Sant Pau in Sant Pol de Mar. The first Michelin star arrived in 1991, the second in 1996, and the third in 2006, making her the first Spanish woman to earn three stars and only the third woman in the world at that point. In 2004 she opened Sant Pau Tokyo, which entered the guide with two stars at once in 2007, lost one after the 2011 tsunami year, regained it in 2013, and closed on 2 September 2023 after nineteen years. In 2009 she joined Mandarin Oriental, Barcelona as gastronomic director of the new restaurant Moments, with her son Raül Balam at the stoves; its stars came in 2010 and 2012, and the 2025 Guide returned the restaurant to a single star, its current level. Sant Pau in Sant Pol de Mar closed in October 2018 after thirty years.
Philosophy
Ruscalleda is associated with vegetable-led, hyper-seasonal Catalan cuisine rooted in the produce of the Maresme. Her menus avoid unnecessary fat and additives and lean on the kitchen-garden tradition of the Catalan coast, what she calls 'a healthy way of eating built around the Mediterranean.' Public recognition has followed the kitchen: the Creu de Sant Jordi in 2004, the Medalla d'Honor of the Catalan Parliament in 2013, Catalonia's Premi Nacional de Cultura in 2019 — the first time it went to gastronomy — and an honorary doctorate from the University of Barcelona in July 2023.
Carme Ruscalleda in our guides
Editorial guides featuring Carme Ruscalleda’s restaurants.
Accolades
- ·Seven Michelin stars across her career, the most ever earned by a female chef worldwide
- ·Three Michelin stars at Sant Pau (Sant Pol de Mar) from 2006 until its closure in 2018
- ·Two Michelin stars at Sant Pau Tokyo (opened 2004; closed 2 September 2023 after 19 years)
- ·Two Michelin stars at Moments (Mandarin Oriental, Barcelona) — earned 2010 and 2012, held until the 2025 Guide returned it to one star
- ·First Spanish woman to earn three Michelin stars (2006)
- ·Gastronomic director of Mandarin Oriental, Barcelona since 2009
- ·Creu de Sant Jordi (2004) and Premi Nacional de Cultura (2019) — the first gastronomy recipient
- ·Doctor honoris causa, University of Barcelona (July 2023)
Frequently asked
How many Michelin stars does Carme Ruscalleda have?
Seven across her career, the most ever earned by a female chef in the world. Three came at her flagship Sant Pau in Sant Pol de Mar (2006–2018), two at Sant Pau Tokyo (closed September 2023), and two at Moments at Mandarin Oriental, Barcelona (earned 2010 and 2012). In 2026 her active count is one star, at Moments, where Michelin returned the restaurant to a single star in November 2024.
Where can I eat Carme Ruscalleda's cuisine in Barcelona?
Two restaurants at Mandarin Oriental, both on Passeig de Gràcia. Moments is the formal tasting-menu space, with her son Raül Balam as head chef and Ruscalleda as gastronomic director (currently one Michelin star, two Repsol Soles). Blanc is the more casual concept under her culinary direction, re-launched in her name after a previous chapter under Ángel León.
Is Sant Pau still open?
No. Sant Pau in Sant Pol de Mar closed in October 2018 after thirty years of service. Sant Pau Tokyo, which she ran from 2004, closed in 2025.