Joaquín Serrano
Co-chef and co-founder, with Jorge Velasco, of Varra in Madrid, a Bib Gourmand-listed restaurant built around seasonal Spanish cooking.
- Bib Gourmand
1- Restaurants
- 2
- Born
- 1991 · Marbella
Joaquín Serrano is co-chef and co-founder, with Jorge Velasco, of Varra, a Bib Gourmand restaurant in Madrid's Barrio de Salamanca, and its tapas spin-off Varro. Born in Marbella in 1991, he trained at El Celler de Can Roca, Kabuki, and restaurants under Dani García before co-founding the hospitality consultancy Salvist with Velasco in 2022. In January 2026, the pair won the II Campeonato Nacional de Steak Tartar en Sala at Madrid Fusión for a tartar of aged picaña beef.
From @joaquinsjchef on Instagram
Este steak tartar nace de una idea muy clara: buscar el sabor profundo de una chuleta bien madurada, sin enmascararlo con acidez ni artificios 🥩 Carne trabajada para que hable por sí sola, brioche hojaldrado que equilibra con su punto láctico y yema curada para aportar sedosidad y salinidad al boca
🐟Los huevos rotos con atún rojo que hemos preparado en Vrro con Joaquín están de locos. —— Ingredientes para 1 ración 150 grs atún rojo 2 unidades huevos corral 15 ml soja 20 ml AOVE 10 ml aceite de sésamo 200 grs patata roja alavesa Aceite suficiente para pochar y freír 1 pizca de sal —— Elaborac
Nuestro steak tartar es un bocado que nos acompaña desde el primer día en Varra, y ayer, fue reconocido como mejor steak tartar de España en @madridfusion Es un honor muy grande no solo ser elegidos por el tremendo jurado que participó, si no también por el nivel que había entre el resto del concu
Biography
Early years
Joaquín Serrano was born in Marbella in 1991. He trained in hospitality in Toledo, where he met Jorge Velasco, and both later completed master's degrees in financial analysis and marketing alongside their kitchen training.
Career
Serrano trained at El Celler de Can Roca, Kabuki, and restaurants under Dani García. In 2022 he co-founded the hospitality consultancy Salvist with Jorge Velasco, who had just finished a decade as Gastronomy Director of Ramón Freixa's two-Michelin-star kitchen at Hotel Único in Madrid. Through Salvist, the pair took over the old Casa de Comidas Varra site on Calle Hermosilla in Madrid's Barrio de Salamanca in October 2023 and reopened it as Varra that November, followed by the tavern-style Varro on Calle de Serrano in 2024. By 2024, Salvist had advised roughly 50 restaurant projects and opened 24 in a single year, running from an office inside Varra with a team of about ten. In January 2026, Serrano and Velasco won the II Campeonato Nacional de Steak Tartar en Sala at Madrid Fusión, serving a tartar of aged picaña beef with toasted brioche, squab-liver pâté and cured Galician egg yolk.
Philosophy
Varra's cooking is built around seasonal ingredients and reinterpreted Spanish classics, under the restaurant's own tagline "cocinamos el tiempo" (we cook time). Velasco describes it as "una cocina muy tradicional, muy reconocible": recognisable dishes built on ingredient quality. Serrano and Velasco call the steak tartar, along with the pig's ear, the prawn cake and the Russian salad, Varra's signature bites.
Joaquín Serrano in our guides
Editorial guides featuring Joaquín Serrano’s restaurants.
Accolades
- ·Bib Gourmand, Michelin Guide (2025 edition, Varra)
- ·II Campeonato Nacional de Steak Tartar en Sala, Madrid Fusión (January 2026, with Jorge Velasco)
Frequently asked
Does Joaquín Serrano have a Michelin star?
No. Varra, which he co-runs with Jorge Velasco, holds a Bib Gourmand in the Michelin Guide, not a star.
Where does Joaquín Serrano cook?
He is co-chef and co-founder, with Jorge Velasco, of Varra in Madrid's Barrio de Salamanca, and its sister tavern Varro, both run through their consultancy Salvist.
What is Joaquín Serrano known for?
Before Varra, he trained at El Celler de Can Roca, Kabuki, and restaurants under Dani García. With Jorge Velasco he founded Salvist, a restaurant consultancy, in 2022, and Varra was their first project under it.
Has Joaquín Serrano won any awards?
Yes. He and Jorge Velasco won the II Campeonato Nacional de Steak Tartar en Sala at Madrid Fusión in January 2026, and Varra holds a Bib Gourmand in the Michelin Guide's 2025 edition.
Where did Joaquín Serrano train before opening Varra?
He trained at El Celler de Can Roca, at Kabuki, and at restaurants under Dani García, and studied hospitality in Toledo, where he met his future business partner Jorge Velasco.
What other restaurants does Joaquín Serrano run?
Alongside Varra, he and Jorge Velasco run the tavern-style Varro on Calle de Serrano, and their consultancy Salvist has advised dozens of other restaurant projects across Spain.