Enric Buendia
Catalan chef whose Kamikaze earned a Michelin star in the 2026 guide — one of only two new Catalan starred chefs that year.
- Michelin stars
1- Restaurants
- 1
- Born
- 1994 · Molins de Rei
Enric Buendia is a Catalan chef born in 1994 in Molins de Rei who trained at Mugaritz and Disfrutar before opening Kamikaze in Barcelona in July 2022. Michelin awarded the restaurant a first star in the 2026 guide — making him one of only two Catalan chefs to receive a first star at that ceremony.
Biography
Early years
Born in 1994 in Molins de Rei, just outside Barcelona, Buendia trained in the kitchens of Mugaritz and Disfrutar — at the latter alongside Aritz Ribalta, with whom he later co-founded Kamikaze.
Career
Buendia and Ribalta opened Kamikaze on Carrer Rosselló in Barcelona on 8 July 2022, originally as a vermutería. The format evolved first into a tavern and then into the creative cuisine restaurant it is now — a small space (six staff, capacity for twenty-eight diners) blending Mediterranean and Asian flavours. Kamikaze was awarded a Michelin star in the 2026 guide announced in November 2025; Buendia was one of only two Catalan chefs to earn a first star at that gala. Camila Delani leads the dining room. Ribalta is no longer part of the team.
Philosophy
Buendia's cuisine is rooted in the elBulli-influenced lineage of his training — small-format, technically intense — but explicitly playful and unconventional. The restaurant's name (kamikaze) reflects the willingness to take risks; signature dishes like the Catalan natto reflect a willingness to bridge cultural traditions that don't typically meet.
Restaurants
On Guidavera
1Accolades
- ·1 active Michelin star at Kamikaze (since the 2026 guide, November 2025)
- ·One of only two Catalan chefs to earn a first Michelin star in the 2026 guide gala
Frequently asked
How many Michelin stars does Enric Buendia have?
One — at Kamikaze in Barcelona, earned in the 2026 Michelin Guide announced in November 2025. He was one of only two Catalan chefs to receive a first star at that ceremony.
Where can I eat Enric Buendia's cuisine in Barcelona?
Kamikaze on Carrer Rosselló — a small twenty-eight-cover restaurant in the Eixample, which Buendia opened in July 2022. Camila Delani leads the dining room.
What is the restaurant's cuisine?
Kamikaze fuses Mediterranean and Asian products and flavours. The name signals an explicit willingness to take risks; signature dishes have included a 'Catalan natto' — pairing the Japanese fermented soybean tradition with local Catalan technique.