Jorge Velasco
Co-chef, with Joaquín Serrano, of Varra and Varro in Madrid, and former head of Ramón Freixa's two-Michelin-star kitchen for a decade.
- Bib Gourmand
1- Restaurants
- 2
- Born
- 1993 · Ciudad Real
Jorge Velasco Ruiz is co-chef and co-founder, with Joaquín Serrano, of Varra and Varro in Madrid's Barrio de Salamanca. Born in Ciudad Real in 1993, he trained at Bohío under Pepe Rodríguez and spent a decade (2013-2022) running Ramón Freixa's two-Michelin-star kitchen before co-founding the consultancy Salvist with Serrano in 2022. Varra holds a Michelin Bib Gourmand, and in January 2026 the pair won the II Campeonato Nacional de Steak Tartar en Sala at Madrid Fusión.
Biography
Early years
Jorge Velasco Ruiz was born in Ciudad Real in 1993. He began a Business Administration degree at the Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha before switching to hospitality, completing a two-year degree at the Escuela de Hostelería de Toledo, where he met Joaquín Serrano. Both later completed master's degrees in financial analysis and marketing alongside their kitchen training.
Career
He trained under Pepe Rodríguez at Bohío in Illescas (Toledo), then with Ramón Freixa at Hotel Único in Madrid and briefly under Dabiz Muñoz at DiverXO and RavioXO, before spending a decade (2013-2022) as head of Ramón Freixa's kitchen. In 2022 he co-founded the hospitality consultancy Salvist with Joaquín Serrano; by 2024 Salvist had advised roughly 50 restaurant projects and opened 24 in a single year, working from an office inside Varra with a team of about ten. Velasco and Serrano took over the old Casa de Comidas Varra site on Calle Hermosilla in October 2023 and reopened it as Varra that November, followed by the tapas bar Varro on Calle de Serrano in 2024. In January 2026, the pair 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
Velasco describes Varra and Varro's cooking as "una cocina muy tradicional, muy reconocible": traditional and recognizable Spanish cuisine, built on quality ingredients at accessible prices and served in a sharing format. He and Serrano call the steak tartar, along with the pig's ear, the prawn cake and the Russian salad, Varra's signature bites.
Jorge Velasco in our guides
Editorial guides featuring Jorge Velasco’s restaurants.
Accolades
- ·Michelin Guide: Bib Gourmand, Varra (2025 edition)
- ·Premios Metrópoli: Mejor Bar de Tapas (Best Tapas Bar), Varro (2024)
- ·Guía Macarfi: Best Openings (Rookies) 2025, #11, Varra
- ·II Campeonato Nacional de Steak Tartar en Sala, Madrid Fusión (January 2026, with Joaquín Serrano)
Frequently asked
Does Jorge Velasco have a Michelin star?
No. Varra, one of his two Madrid restaurants, holds a Michelin Bib Gourmand in the 2025 guide; Velasco does not run a Michelin-starred restaurant of his own.
Where does Jorge Velasco cook?
He co-runs Varra (Calle Hermosilla 7) and Varro (Calle de Serrano 93) in Madrid together with chef Joaquín Serrano.
What did Jorge Velasco do before Varra?
He spent a decade (2013-2022) as head of Ramón Freixa's kitchen at his two-Michelin-star restaurant in Madrid, after training at Bohío under Pepe Rodríguez and briefly under Dabiz Muñoz, before co-founding Varra and Varro with Joaquín Serrano.
Is Jorge Velasco the sole chef at Varra?
No. He co-chefs Varra and Varro alongside Joaquín Serrano; the two run both restaurants together through their consultancy Salvist.
Has Jorge Velasco won any awards?
Yes. He and Joaquín Serrano won the II Campeonato Nacional de Steak Tartar en Sala at Madrid Fusión in January 2026, and Varra holds a Michelin Bib Gourmand and was named Guía Macarfi's #11 best opening of 2025.
Where did Jorge Velasco train?
He trained under Pepe Rodríguez at Bohío in Illescas, then spent a decade at Ramón Freixa's two-Michelin-star kitchen at Hotel Único in Madrid, with a brief stint under Dabiz Muñoz at DiverXO and RavioXO.
Where is Jorge Velasco from?
He was born in Ciudad Real in 1993 and studied hospitality at the Escuela de Hostelería de Toledo before training in Madrid kitchens.