Rafa Zafra
Sevillan chef-owner of Estimar and head of Amar at Hotel El Palace, former elBulli cook turned product-led seafood specialist.
- Repsol Soles
3- Restaurants
- 4
- Born
- 1981 · Sevilla
Rafa Zafra is the Sevillan chef-owner of Estimar (Barcelona, 2 Repsol Soles) and chef of Amar Barcelona inside the five-star Hotel El Palace (1 Repsol Sol; it held a Michelin star until the 2026 Guide). A former elBulli cook trained alongside the Adrià brothers, his cooking is product-first Mediterranean seafood served in formats that range from a no-frills El Born seafood bar to a luxury hotel dining room.
From @rafazafra_ on Instagram
🏨 Masia Tibidabo, el nou restaurant del @parctibidabo amb el xef @rafazafra_ al capdavant, obrirà el 5 de juny. 🧑🍳 "Seure, compartir i celebrar a taula, amb cuina catalana de temporada pensada per a petits i grans, amb Barcelona als peus.", comparteix el xef Rafa Zafra. ❤️ Masia Tibidabo posa el
🍽 Hay clientes que impresionan. Y luego está tu madre. Para @rafazafra_ cocinar para ella sigue siendo lo más importante. Porque antes que todo, está quién te enseñó a valorar la mesa. #LateXperience #RafaZafra #Madre #Gastronomía
De la idea al bocado. Madrid se encuentra con Canarias en Bikini Bar. El proceso detrás del nuevo amigo de @rafazafra_ , @safecruz (@gofiomadrid) con una propuesta que habla de origen y sabor. Disponible durante el mes de mayo.
Biography
Early years
Zafra was born in 1981 in Alcalá de Guadaíra, in the province of Sevilla, into a hospitality family, his relatives ran the historic Posada de Alcalá. He studied at the Heliopolis School of Catering in Sevilla and trained in starred kitchens including Arzak in San Sebastián and Tristán in Mallorca before joining Ferran and Albert Adrià's group at Hacienda Benazuza, the elBulli summer project. The relationship with the Adrià brothers was a turning point in his career.
Career
After cooking at elBulli and running the kitchen of the two-Michelin-star La Alquería at Hacienda Benazuza — the group's hotel — in his mid-twenties, Zafra was executive chef of Heart Ibiza, the Adrià–Cirque du Soleil project, in 2015. In 2016 he opened Estimar in Barcelona's El Born with Anna Gotanegra as a product-first seafood restaurant; it earned two Repsol Soles, and Estimar Madrid followed in 2019. In April 2022 he opened Amar Barcelona inside the five-star Hotel El Palace on Gran Via, championing what he calls 'the casualisation of luxury', Mediterranean seafood served in a hotel dining room without the formality typically attached. Amar held a Michelin star until the 2026 Guide and keeps its Repsol Sol. Zafra's wider group also runs Estimar Madrid, Madre Mía (Madrid), Mareantes (Sevilla), Casa Jondal (Ibiza), and Per Feina (Barcelona).
Philosophy
For Zafra, luxury is the product itself (turbot, prawns, sea urchins, oysters) treated with as few ingredients as possible. His cooking strips away technique in service of the raw material, anchored in seafood and Mediterranean tradition.
Restaurants
On Guidavera
2Elsewhere
2Rafa Zafra in the News
Masia Tibidabo opened to the public on 5 June 2026 in the Tibidabo park's restored 1901 farmhouse, 500 metres up with the whole city below. Rafa Zafra of Estimar and Amar designed the Catalan sharing menu; lunch only, Wednesday to Sunday, around €45 a head.
Dos Palillos was promoted to two Soles at the 16 February 2026 gala in Tarragona. Amar Barcelona, Besta, Eldelmar, and Prodigi each picked up a first Sol. Catalunya leads Spain with 122 Soles.
Rafa Zafra in our guides
Editorial guides featuring Rafa Zafra’s restaurants.
Accolades
- ·Amar Barcelona held a Michelin star until the 2026 Guide (Michelin's own page, verified September 2026)
- ·3 Repsol Soles across Barcelona venues (2 at Estimar, 1 at Amar)
- ·Former cook at elBulli / Hacienda Benazuza
- ·Head chef of the two-Michelin-star La Alquería at Hacienda Benazuza (elBulli hotel) in his mid-twenties
- ·Executive chef of Heart Ibiza (2015); Casa Jondal earned a Repsol Sol in 2022
Frequently asked
How many Michelin stars does Rafa Zafra have?
None currently. Amar Barcelona, inside the Hotel El Palace, held a Michelin star until the 2026 Guide; it keeps its Repsol Sol, and his Born seafood restaurant Estimar holds two Repsol Soles.
Where can I eat Rafa Zafra's cuisine in Barcelona?
Two restaurants. Amar Barcelona on Gran Via, inside the Hotel El Palace, is the fine-dining room, which held a Michelin star until the 2026 Guide. Estimar in El Born is the product-first seafood project where the kitchen built its reputation.
What was Rafa Zafra's relationship to elBulli?
Zafra cooked with Ferran and Albert Adrià at Hacienda Benazuza, the brothers' Andalusian project, and at elBulli itself, the formative relationship he credits as the turning point in his career.