Emiliano Celli
Roman-born corporate chef at Granduke in Madrid, after opening Rafael Nadal's restaurant Totó and cooking at Sa Punta.
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Emiliano Celli is the Rome-born corporate chef of Granduke, a Spanish-Italian restaurant in Madrid's Salamanca district that he runs alongside chef Javier Cobo. Rafael Nadal, a regular at Celli's Taverna Trilussa in Rome, brought him to Madrid to open Totó, the now-closed restaurant where Nadal was a partner, and Celli also cooked for a stretch at Sa Punta. At Granduke, which opened in January 2026, he brings rural central-Italian cooking built on game, herding and old pastoral recipes, while splitting his time with a planned new restaurant in Rome.
Biography
Early years
Celli is from Rome, Italy, where he ran Taverna Trilussa in the Trastevere neighbourhood.
Career
Rafael Nadal, a regular at Taverna Trilussa, brought Celli to Madrid to open Totó, the restaurant where Nadal was a partner, and Celli became its corporate chef while also cooking for a stretch at Sa Punta, building ties with the Nadal family. Totó closed in March 2025. When Granduke opened in Madrid's Jorge Juan alley in January 2026, Celli joined as corporate chef alongside Javier Cobo, splitting his time with a planned new restaurant of his own in Rome.
Philosophy
Celli's cooking at Granduke draws on rural, ancestral central-Italian traditions: herding, hunting and old pastoral recipes. He's said he prefers small, relaxed rooms to large-scale operations: "No soy para la gran distribución" (I'm not built for big, large-scale operations).
Restaurants
Frequently asked
Who cooks at Granduke in Madrid?
Emiliano Celli, a Roman chef who serves as corporate chef, works alongside executive chef Javier Cobo, blending central-Italian tradition with Cobo's Spanish, family-rooted cooking.
What did Emiliano Celli do before Granduke?
He ran Taverna Trilussa in Rome's Trastevere neighbourhood, then came to Madrid to open Totó, Rafael Nadal's restaurant, where he was corporate chef, and cooked for a stretch at Sa Punta.
Is Totó, Rafael Nadal's restaurant, still open?
No. Totó, the Madrid restaurant where Rafael Nadal was a partner and Celli was corporate chef, closed in March 2025, before Celli joined Granduke when it opened in January 2026.
What kind of food does Emiliano Celli cook at Granduke?
Rural, central-Italian cooking rooted in herding, hunting and old pastoral recipes, served alongside Javier Cobo's Spanish, family-recipe-driven dishes in the same kitchen.
Does Emiliano Celli work at Granduke full time?
Not exactly. He's said he's planning a new restaurant of his own in Rome, and splits his time between that project and Granduke rather than working there daily.
Who else cooks at Granduke?
Javier Cobo, the executive chef, runs the kitchen alongside Celli, drawing on his own years at the two-Michelin-starred Santceloni and at A'Barra under chef Sergio Manzano.