Pepe Roch
Executive chef and gastronomic partner at Café Comercial, the 1887 Madrid institution reopened by Grupo El Escondite in 2017.
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Pepe Roch is the executive chef and gastronomic partner at Café Comercial, the Madrid institution on Glorieta de Bilbao that opened in 1887, closed in 2015 after 128 years, and reopened in 2017 under Grupo El Escondite on its 130th anniversary. He started cooking at 15, training at the María de Zayas hospitality school in Majadahonda, and went on to work as a head chef in Miami, Costa Rica, Punta del Este and Colombia under Carlos Galán of Grupo La Misión, before spending years as a gastronomic consultant on Madrid restaurant openings. He's called reopening Café Comercial the most complex project of his career, built around dishes like mollejas, callos, seafood salpicón, monkfish and oxtail stew.
Biography
Early years
Pepe Roch started cooking at 15, training at the María de Zayas hospitality school in Majadahonda.
Career
He went on to work as a head chef in Miami, Costa Rica, Punta del Este and Colombia, under Carlos Galán of Grupo La Misión. Between 2009 and 2017 he worked as a gastronomic consultant on new Madrid restaurant openings, including Maricastaña, Dray Martina, El Imparcial, Los Gallos, Babelia and Punto Básico, and co-founded Casa Macareno with Sergio Ochoa and Julián Lara. Café Comercial, the historic café on Glorieta de Bilbao that opened in 1887, closed in 2015 after 128 years; Grupo El Escondite, led by Álex Pérez and Caleb Soler, reopened it in 2017 on its 130th anniversary, with Roch as executive chef and gastronomic partner. He's called it the most complex project he's done, saying the renovation took about two years to balance the venue's historic character with the demands of running a full restaurant rather than just a café.
Philosophy
Champions a return to authentic Madrid flavors, with dishes such as mollejas (sweetbreads), callos (tripe), seafood salpicón, monkfish and oxtail stew, keeping the menu short but well executed.
Restaurants
Pepe Roch in our guides
Editorial guides featuring Pepe Roch’s restaurants.
Frequently asked
Who is the chef at Café Comercial?
Pepe Roch is the executive chef and gastronomic partner at Café Comercial in Madrid.
When did Café Comercial open?
It opened in 1887 on Glorieta de Bilbao, closed in 2015 after 128 years, and reopened in 2017 under Grupo El Escondite on its 130th anniversary.
What did Pepe Roch do before Café Comercial?
He started cooking at 15 at the María de Zayas hospitality school in Majadahonda, then worked as a head chef in Miami, Costa Rica, Punta del Este and Colombia under Carlos Galán of Grupo La Misión.
What does Café Comercial serve?
Traditional Madrid dishes such as mollejas, callos, seafood salpicón, monkfish and oxtail stew, on a short menu.
Who reopened Café Comercial in 2017?
Grupo El Escondite, led by Álex Pérez and Caleb Soler, reopened it with Pepe Roch as executive chef.
Has Pepe Roch worked on other Madrid restaurants?
Yes. Between 2009 and 2017 he was a gastronomic consultant on openings including Maricastaña, Dray Martina, El Imparcial, Los Gallos, Babelia and Punto Básico, and he co-founded Casa Macareno with Sergio Ochoa and Julián Lara.