Javier Cobo
Executive chef of Granduke, an Italian-and-Spanish restaurant in Madrid's Recoletos neighbourhood, after years at Santceloni and A'Barra.
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Javier Cobo is the executive chef of Granduke, a Recoletos restaurant he leads alongside corporate chef Emiliano Celli, after training at DSTAgE and Dos Cielos and then building most of his career at the two-Michelin-starred Santceloni and at A'Barra under chef Sergio Manzano. His cooking draws directly on his own family recipes rather than culinary trends, including a lamb dish that comes from his grandmother.
Biography
Early years
Cobo is a Madrid native, 32 at the time of Granduke's opening in January 2026.
Career
He trained at DSTAgE and Dos Cielos before building most of his career at Santceloni, the two-Michelin-starred Madrid restaurant that closed in 2020, and at A'Barra (one Michelin star) under chef Sergio Manzano, where he served as head chef for more than three years and still visits weekly. He's said he was looking for a new creative direction after the long hours and monotony of those kitchens, and took the executive chef role when Granduke opened in Madrid's Jorge Juan alley in January 2026, working alongside corporate chef Emiliano Celli.
Philosophy
Cobo has been explicit about rejecting food trends, telling one interviewer: "Soy joven, pero no soy un chef moderno, no hago kimchi" (I'm young, but I'm not a modern chef, I don't make kimchi): arguing that cooking cuisines outside your own cultural experience risks becoming, in his words, "a lack of respect." His cooking leans instead on family recipes: "Yo hago la cocina que he mamado en mi casa toda la vida" (I cook the food I grew up with at home), and dishes such as Granduke's lamb come directly from his grandmother's recipes. He has described wanting Granduke to serve people who want to eat well without spending three hours or 150 euros: four well-prepared dishes with clear flavours, for around 60 euros.
Restaurants
Frequently asked
Who is the executive chef at Granduke in Madrid?
Javier Cobo, a Madrid native who built his career at Santceloni and A'Barra under chef Sergio Manzano before becoming Granduke's executive chef when it opened in January 2026.
What is Javier Cobo's cooking philosophy?
He cooks food rooted in his own family's recipes rather than chasing trends: he's said outright that he doesn't cook cuisines outside his own culture, and dishes like Granduke's lamb come from his grandmother's recipes.
What cuisine does Granduke serve?
A Spanish-and-Italian menu in Madrid's Recoletos neighbourhood, built around product and technique rather than trends, cooked by Javier Cobo alongside corporate chef Emiliano Celli.
Where did Javier Cobo train before Granduke?
He trained at DSTAgE and Dos Cielos, then built most of his career at the two-Michelin-starred Santceloni and at A'Barra under chef Sergio Manzano, where he was head chef for more than three years.
Why did Javier Cobo leave fine dining for Granduke?
He's said he was looking for a new creative direction after the long hours and monotony of his previous kitchens, wanting to serve people well without the three-hour, high-priced tasting menu format.
Who else cooks at Granduke?
Emiliano Celli, a Roman chef who serves as corporate chef, works alongside Cobo, bringing central-Italian traditions of herding, hunting and old pastoral recipes to the same kitchen.