Mario Sandoval
Chef of Coque, the two-Michelin-star, three-Repsol-Sun family restaurant he runs with his brothers Juan Diego and Rafael in Madrid.
- Michelin stars
2- Repsol Soles
3- Restaurants
- 3
- Born
- 1977 · Humanes de Madrid
Mario Sandoval is the head chef of Coque, the two-Michelin-star, three-Repsol-Sun restaurant he runs in Madrid with his brothers Juan Diego and Rafael, the third generation of the Sandoval family in the business. Born on 30 January 1977 in Humanes de Madrid, he trained at the Escuela Superior de Hostelería de Madrid and at Ferran Adrià's elBulli before taking over Coque's kitchen from his father in 1999. He won the restaurant's first Michelin star in 2004 and a second in 2015, took Spain's National Gastronomy Prize in 2013, and serves as president of FACYRE, Spain's federation of chefs and pastry chefs.
From @msandovalcoque on Instagram
Pistacho, en diferentes texturas y matices. Un plato que nace del juego entre lo dulce, lo especiado y lo salino: sopa de curry, helado de pistacho y caviar Osetra, unidos por el protagonismo de un ingrediente que llevamos a diferentes expresiones. Una combinación pensada para sorprender en cada boc
Hay recetas que se heredan. Y formas de entender la vida que también. El cochinillo es uno de los grandes emblemas de nuestra familia. Un plato que habla de tradición, de oficio y de una sabiduría que se ha transmitido de generación en generación. Hoy continúo ese legado con el mismo respeto por el
🏎️ COQUE, A TODA VELOCIDAD La gastronomía también se vive fuera de nuestra casa. Hoy, el equipo de Coque lleva su cocina hasta el universo de la Fórmula 1, compartiendo nuestra esencia en uno de los escenarios más emocionantes del mundo. Precisión, técnica, pasión y excelencia. Valores que se viv
Biography
Early years
Mario Sandoval was born on 30 January 1977 in Humanes de Madrid and began cooking in his family's restaurant there at age 10, the third generation of the Sandoval family in the business.
Career
He studied at the Escuela Superior de Hostelería de Madrid and trained further in Madrid, Catalonia and France, including a stage at Ferran Adrià's elBulli in 1999. That same year he took over Coque's gastronomic direction from his father, running the kitchen alongside his brothers Juan Diego, who leads the dining room, and Rafael, who runs the wine cellar; each brother has since won Spain's Premio Nacional de Gastronomía in his own discipline. Coque won its first Michelin star in 2004 and a second in 2015, while the restaurant was still in Humanes de Madrid. In 2017 the brothers moved Coque out of Humanes, where the family had cooked for more than 40 years, into a 1,100 m2 space in Madrid's Almagro neighbourhood on Calle del Marqués del Riscal. Sandoval is also president of FACYRE, the Federación de Cocineros y Reposteros de España.
Philosophy
Coque's cooking is evolved, research-driven cuisine that stays rooted in the family's Castilian origins, built around what Sandoval calls "the perfect bite." Since 2011 Coque has worked with Spain's national research council, the CSIC, on gastrogenomics, wine polyphenols, supercritical fluids, fibres and living foods, and Sandoval splits his time between the kitchen and that laboratory.
Mario Sandoval in our guides
Editorial guides featuring Mario Sandoval’s restaurants.
Accolades
- ·Best Chef of Spain, VI Concurso Nacional de Gastronomía (2003)
- ·First Michelin star, Coque (2004)
- ·Chef of the Future, International Academy of Gastronomy (2010)
- ·National Gastronomy Prize (Premio Nacional de Gastronomía), 2013
- ·Second Michelin star, Coque (2015)
- ·Culture Prize, Comunidad de Madrid (2017)
- ·Chef of the Year, La Razón (2018)
- ·Michelin Green Star, Coque
- ·3 Repsol Suns, Coque
- ·Repsol Sustainable Sun, Coque
- ·3 "M", Guía Metrópoli, Coque
- ·President, Federación de Cocineros y Reposteros de España (FACYRE)
Frequently asked
Does Mario Sandoval have a Michelin star?
Yes. His restaurant Coque in Madrid holds 2 Michelin stars, the first won in 2004 and the second in 2015, plus a Michelin Green Star.
Where does Mario Sandoval cook?
At Coque, in Madrid's Almagro neighbourhood on Calle del Marqués del Riscal, and at Coquetto Bar, also in Madrid.
Does Mario Sandoval run Coque alone?
No. He leads the kitchen alongside his brothers Juan Diego, who runs the dining room, and Rafael, who runs the wine cellar; the Sandoval family has run the restaurant across three generations.
What is Mario Sandoval's culinary background?
He trained at the Escuela Superior de Hostelería de Madrid and at Ferran Adrià's elBulli in 1999, the same year he took over Coque's gastronomic direction from his father.
What awards has Mario Sandoval won?
He won Spain's National Gastronomy Prize in 2013, was named Chef of the Future by the International Academy of Gastronomy in 2010, and is president of FACYRE, Spain's federation of chefs and pastry chefs.
Where did Coque start out?
As a family rotisserie the Sandovals opened in Humanes de Madrid in 1976. Mario Sandoval and his brothers moved it into a 1,100 m2 space in Madrid's Almagro neighbourhood in 2017.