Raül Balam
Son of Carme Ruscalleda and head chef of one-Michelin-star Moments at Mandarin Oriental, Barcelona.
- Michelin stars
1- Repsol Soles
2- Restaurants
- 1
- Born
- 1976 · Sant Pol de Mar
Raül Balam is the head chef of Moments at Mandarin Oriental, Barcelona, where he has led the kitchen since the restaurant opened in 2009. The restaurant currently holds one Michelin star and two Repsol Soles, after holding two Michelin stars from 2017 to 2024. He is the son of Carme Ruscalleda, who remains gastronomic adviser at the restaurant.
From @raul_balam_ruscalleda on Instagram
TE FRED 20gr hojitcha 50gr gingebre 2L aigua Per acompanyar Gel fet a casa Llimona: la pell i l’interitor Fulles de menta 😍 Aquesta es la recepta que he fet. Pero penseu que podeu fer-la com vosaltres volgueu o mes us agradi. Pregunteu me si voleu o teniu algun dubte.
d e s p r o p ò s i t
Idees d’amanides d’estiu Número 1: Tomàquet, carbassó, alfàbrega, ou, chipotle
Biography
Early years
Born in 1976 in Sant Pol de Mar, Balam grew up surrounded by his mother Carme Ruscalleda's cooking — first at the family delicatessen and from 1988 at Sant Pau. He worked at the family supermarket before formally joining his mother's restaurant kitchen at twenty, rotating through every station.
Career
Balam trained at Akelarre under Pedro Subijana before returning to work alongside Ruscalleda at three-Michelin-star Sant Pau. In 2009 the two opened Moments at Mandarin Oriental, Barcelona, with Balam as head chef. Moments reached two Michelin stars in 2017 and held them until November 2024, when the 2025 guide returned it to one star — the level at which it currently sits. Balam also led the brief reopening of the Sant Pau concept as Cuina Sant Pau.
Philosophy
Balam describes the work at Moments as 'neo-traditional Catalan cuisine,' often programmed around thematic menus tied to cities, films, operas, or the UN 2030 sustainability agenda. He cooks within the signature his mother built but takes responsibility for the day-to-day kitchen and the menu's structural choices.
Restaurants
On Guidavera
1Accolades
- ·1 active Michelin star at Moments (since the 2025 guide)
- ·2 Repsol Soles at Moments
- ·Held two Michelin stars at Moments from 2017 to 2024
Frequently asked
How many Michelin stars does Raül Balam have?
One — at Moments in Mandarin Oriental, Barcelona, where he is head chef. The restaurant held two stars from 2017 to 2024, then returned to one in the 2025 guide.
Where can I eat Raül Balam's cuisine in Barcelona?
Moments at Mandarin Oriental on Passeig de Gràcia — the formal tasting-menu space he has led since 2009, working in partnership with his mother Carme Ruscalleda as gastronomic adviser.
How is he related to Carme Ruscalleda?
Ruscalleda is his mother. She founded the original three-Michelin-star Sant Pau in 1988 and remains gastronomic director at Mandarin Oriental, Barcelona. Balam joined her at the Sant Pau kitchen at twenty and has led Moments since 2009; the two cook as a mother-son team.