José Fuentes
Chef and co-founder of Kulto, the Mediterranean-fusion restaurant on Calle Ibiza in Madrid he runs with partner and co-chef Laura López.
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José Fuentes is chef and co-founder of Kulto, a Mediterranean-fusion restaurant on Calle de Ibiza in Madrid he runs with co-chef and partner Laura López. He trained under Andrés Madrigal at Balzac in Madrid, then ran AlbedriO and Trasteo Taberna with López and Jaime Mato, before returning to his hometown to open Kulto, which holds 1 Sol from Guía Repsol. Since 2025 he's also partnered with chef Javier Goya on Clandestino and Casa Candela in Zahara de los Atunes, plus Tabanco la Santa and Tabanco Amores in Madrid and Burdell de Foc in Menorca.
From @José Fuentes on Instagram
Vaya temporada de arroces nos hemos marcado en Zahara, y lo mejor es que aún queda tiempo para disfrutarlos 🌾 @trasteo_zahara !!
Cocinar es estar en todo. En el fuego, en el corte, en el punto, en el pase. En lo que se ve y en lo que nadie ve. En que cada plato salga como si fuera el único. Eso es cocinar. Lo demás es decorar. #gastronomiamadrid #gastronomiamadrileña #restauranteretiro #madridrestaurantes #madridfoodie
Le dijimos a Jose: “monta tu mesa perfecta de TrasteO” Y claro… ahora entendemos muchas cosas. Porque esto no va solo de comer, va de como empieza y como termina 👌🏽 . 🔗RESERVAS en el link de nuestro perfil. 📍 C. María Luisa, 24, Zahara de los Atunes #zaharadelosatunes #trasteozahara #comerenzaha
Biography
Early years
Fuentes began cooking at age 20 under chef Andrés Madrigal at Balzac in Madrid, where he learned traditional technique and first developed his interest in mixing and fusing flavors.
Career
After two years at Balzac he managed Profundo, a small bistro also owned by Madrigal, and worked at restaurants including Sissi. In 2008 he co-founded AlbedriO in Zahara de los Atunes, Cádiz, with Laura López and Jaime Mato, and four years later the same team opened Trasteo Taberna in the same town. Fuentes then returned to his hometown Madrid and opened Kulto on Calle Ibiza 4 with López, where he continues as chef. In 2025, working from his Zahara de los Atunes base, he partnered with chef Javier Goya of Grupo Triciclo to open Clandestino (10 April 2025) and Casa Candela (30 April 2025) in the town, and the pair also jointly run Tabanco la Santa and Tabanco Amores in Madrid and Burdell de Foc in Menorca.
Philosophy
His cooking developed through travel to Bali, Peru, Mexico, China, and Thailand, producing an eclectic style that folds Mediterranean and Cádiz tradition together with Asian and Latin American technique.
Restaurants
On Guidavera
1Elsewhere
5José Fuentes in our guides
Editorial guides featuring José Fuentes’s restaurants.
Accolades
- ·Kulto holds 1 Sol, Guía Repsol
Frequently asked
Does José Fuentes have a Michelin star?
No. Kulto, his Madrid restaurant, holds 1 Sol from Guía Repsol.
Who is Kulto's co-chef?
Laura López, José Fuentes's longtime partner since their first restaurant, AlbedriO, in Zahara de los Atunes in 2008.
Where does José Fuentes cook?
At Kulto, on Calle de Ibiza 4 in Madrid, near El Retiro.
What did José Fuentes run before Kulto?
AlbedriO and Trasteo Taberna, both in Zahara de los Atunes, Cádiz, with Laura López and Jaime Mato in Zahara de los Atunes before he returned to Madrid.
Does José Fuentes still run restaurants in Cádiz?
Yes. Since 2025 he's partnered with chef Javier Goya on Clandestino and Casa Candela in Zahara de los Atunes, on top of his Madrid restaurant Kulto.
What restaurants does José Fuentes run with Javier Goya?
Clandestino and Casa Candela in Zahara de los Atunes (both opened in 2025), plus Tabanco la Santa and Tabanco Amores in Madrid and Burdell de Foc in Menorca.