Julián Mármol
Self-taught chef of Yugo The Bunker, the 1-star Michelin Japanese restaurant in Madrid's Barrio de las Letras.
- Michelin stars
1- Restaurants
- 4
Julián Mármol spent 14 years in the automotive industry before teaching himself Japanese cuisine, opening a takeaway on Calle Alcalá in 2013 and moving to Madrid's Barrio de las Letras in 2015 to open Yugo The Bunker. The restaurant has held a Michelin star since 2019 and splits into an upstairs izakaya room and a private tasting-menu space below. His cooking strips dishes back (removing soy sauce, then rice) to foreground the raw ingredient. He has since opened Godai in Menorca and, in Madrid's Galería Canalejas food hall, Monchis and The Eight.
Biography
Early years
Mármol spent 14 years working in the automotive industry before he first came across Japanese gastronomy at a tasting at Casa Asia while completing a master's degree in foreign trade, specializing in Asian markets. He's described the encounter as immediate and instinctive. He's self-taught, with no formal culinary training: he learned sushi-making on his own, using specialized literature, the internet, visits to Japanese restaurants, and trips to Asian product warehouses.
Career
He opened his first venture, Yugo Sushi&Kobe, a takeaway on Calle Alcalá, in 2013; it grew from a takeaway into a private club, serving members downstairs. In 2015 he moved to Madrid's Barrio de las Letras to open Yugo The Bunker, which runs two spaces: an upstairs izakaya-style room open to the public, and a private tasting room below serving the Roots and Naked menus. The restaurant has held a Michelin star since 2019 and a Repsol Guide recommendation since 2022. Mármol has since opened Godai in Menorca, and, in Madrid's Galería Canalejas food hall, Monchis (a Japanese-Mexican fusion concept) and The Eight (a casual burger concept).
Philosophy
His cooking is built on progressive simplification (first removing soy sauce, then rice) to let the raw product carry the dish. He's said he never cooks toward awards or recognition, only toward the ingredient itself.
Restaurants
Elsewhere
3Julián Mármol in our guides
Editorial guides featuring Julián Mármol’s restaurants.
Accolades
- ·Michelin star, Yugo The Bunker (held since 2019)
- ·Repsol Guide recommendation, Yugo The Bunker (revalidated since 2022)
Frequently asked
Does Julián Mármol have a Michelin star?
Yes. Yugo The Bunker in Madrid has held a Michelin star since 2019.
Is Julián Mármol formally trained?
No. He's self-taught: he spent 14 years in the automotive industry before teaching himself Japanese cuisine.
What did Julián Mármol do before becoming a chef?
He worked in the automotive industry for 14 years, then came across Japanese gastronomy at a tasting at Casa Asia while completing a foreign-trade master's degree, and taught himself sushi-making from there.
What is Yugo The Bunker's concept?
Two spaces in Madrid's Barrio de las Letras: an upstairs izakaya-style room open to the public, and a private downstairs tasting room serving the Roots and Naked menus.
What other restaurants has Julián Mármol opened?
Beyond Yugo The Bunker, he's opened Godai in Menorca and, in Madrid's Galería Canalejas food hall, Monchis (Japanese-Mexican fusion) and The Eight (a casual burger concept).
When did Julián Mármol open his first restaurant?
In 2013, with Yugo Sushi&Kobe, a takeaway on Calle Alcalá in Madrid. He moved to the Barrio de las Letras in 2015 to open Yugo The Bunker.