Quique Dacosta
Chef-owner of the three-Michelin-star Quique Dacosta Restaurante in Dénia, and creative and gastronomic director of Deessa (two Michelin stars) at Madrid's Mandarin Oriental Ritz.
- Michelin stars
7- Repsol Soles
5- Restaurants
- 9
- Born
- 1972 · Jarandilla de la Vera
Quique Dacosta is a self-taught Spanish chef, born in 1972 in Jarandilla de la Vera and raised in Dénia, who built El Poblet into the three-Michelin-star, three-Repsol-Sun Quique Dacosta Restaurante. He has led his own restaurant group in Valencia (Vuelve Carolina, Llisa Negra, and Flores Raras, the 2026 successor to El Poblet) and since 2020 has been creative and gastronomic director of Madrid's Mandarin Oriental Ritz, home to the two-Michelin-star Deessa. In 2026 the Michelin Guide named him its Mentor Chef.
From @qiqedacosta on Instagram
Por ese momento en el que la paella llega al centro y, de repente, todos tenemos claro dónde queremos estar. Hoy celebramos la paella como más nos gusta: compartiéndola. Feliz World Paella Day 🥘 Y hoy también termina nuestro sorteo. Gracias a todos los que habéis venido a Llisa Negra estos días y h
La protagonista de muchos servicios es la berenjena llistada de la huerta valenciana con sus vetas moradas y blancas que la hacen inconfundible 🍆 Acompañada de lomo de atún melva, es una clásica ya en @llisanegra_qd. Aquí la tienes. Inmejorable. Sólo hay que verlo. Nos vemos de domingo a jueves e
Ferran Adrià reflexiona sobre la trascendencia de los libros y sus porqués, ofreciendo un adelanto de las ideas que desarrollará en @dnafestivaldenia @elbullifoundation_ferranadria @deniacreativecity #FerranAdria #dnafestival #denia #quiquedacosta
Biography
Early years
Dacosta was born Enrique Dacosta Gimeno in 1972 in Jarandilla de la Vera, Cáceres. He moved to Dénia at age 14 with his mother and began working as a dishwasher at a local restaurant; he is largely self-taught, having learned technique on the job rather than through formal culinary school.
Career
Dacosta joined the kitchen of El Poblet in Dénia in the late 1980s and eventually took it over, renaming it Quique Dacosta Restaurante; the restaurant now holds three Michelin stars and three Repsol Soles. His group has since expanded to include Vuelve Carolina and Llisa Negra in Valencia, and Flores Raras in Valencia (opened January 2026 as the successor to El Poblet, still holding two Michelin stars under head chef Carolina Álvarez). He also mentors kitchens outside Spain: Arros QD in London, and Le Méditerranée and Pool & Beach at the Royal Mansour Tamuda Bay resort in Morocco. In 2020 Dacosta became creative and gastronomic director of Madrid's Mandarin Oriental Ritz hotel, which houses the two-Michelin-star Deessa and the non-starred Palm Court. On 27 November 2025 the Michelin Guide named him its Mentor Chef 2026, at a ceremony in Málaga, crediting his work training kitchen teams across his restaurant group, several of whom now lead their own Michelin-starred restaurants.
Philosophy
Dacosta describes his approach as using "the language of cuisine to create unique gastronomic experiences," built on quality, excellence, innovation and tradition. His cuisine centers on absolute respect for the product, technical precision and a strong connection to territory.
Restaurants
On Guidavera
2Elsewhere
7Quique Dacosta in our guides
Editorial guides featuring Quique Dacosta’s restaurants.
Accolades
- ·Mentor Chef Award, Michelin Guide (announced 27 November 2025, for the 2026 guide)
- ·Three Michelin stars, Quique Dacosta Restaurante (Dénia): the only three-star restaurant in the Valencian Community
- ·Three Repsol Soles, Quique Dacosta Restaurante (Dénia), Guía Repsol 2026
- ·Premio Nacional de Gastronomía (National Gastronomy Prize), 2005 and 2009
- ·Medalla de Oro al Mérito en las Bellas Artes (Gold Medal for Merit in the Fine Arts), 2020
- ·Doctor Honoris Causa in Fine Arts, Miguel Hernández University of Elche
Frequently asked
How many Michelin stars does Quique Dacosta hold?
Across his restaurants, Dacosta currently holds seven Michelin stars: three at his flagship Quique Dacosta Restaurante in Dénia, two at Deessa in Madrid's Mandarin Oriental Ritz, and two at Flores Raras in Valencia (formerly El Poblet).
Where can I try Quique Dacosta's cooking in Madrid?
At Deessa, inside the Mandarin Oriental Ritz Madrid, where Dacosta has served as creative and gastronomic director since 2020; the restaurant holds two Michelin stars. He also directs the hotel's non-starred Palm Court.
What is Quique Dacosta's flagship restaurant?
Quique Dacosta Restaurante in Dénia (Alicante), which holds three Michelin stars and three Repsol Soles: the only three-star restaurant in the Valencian Community.
Did Quique Dacosta win any award at the 2026 Michelin Guide gala?
Yes. On 27 November 2025 the Michelin Guide named him its Mentor Chef 2026, recognizing his work training kitchen teams across his restaurant group, several of whom now run their own Michelin-starred restaurants.
Does Quique Dacosta mentor any restaurants outside Spain?
Yes. He's credited as gastronomic director or mentor at Arros QD in London, and at Le Méditerranée and Pool & Beach, both at the Royal Mansour Tamuda Bay resort in Morocco.
Where is Quique Dacosta from?
He was born in Jarandilla de la Vera, Cáceres, in 1972, and moved to Dénia at age 14, where he began working as a dishwasher before teaching himself to cook.