Ricardo Sanz
Pioneer of Japanese-Mediterranean ("japo-cañí") fusion cuisine in Spain and founder of Grupo Ricardo Sanz.
- Repsol Soles
1- Restaurants
- 3
Ricardo Sanz is a self-taught, Madrid-born chef and founder of Grupo Ricardo Sanz, credited as a pioneer of Japanese-Mediterranean ("japo-cañí") fusion cuisine in Spain. He trained under Japanese itamae Masao Kikuchi at Toki Taro in the 1990s before opening his flagship restaurant, Kabuki, in 2000, becoming the first Spanish chef to earn a Michelin star with an international-cuisine restaurant. After splitting from his Kabuki group partner, José Antonio Aparicio, in December 2021, Sanz founded Grupo Ricardo Sanz, whose restaurants include Kyoshi Las Cortes in Madrid, and mentored chefs such as Juan Alcaide and David Arauz along the way.
From @grupo_ricardosanz on Instagram
Biography
Early years
Sanz is a self-taught Madrid native who began in Spanish tapas cooking, serving hamburgers, hot dogs, tapas and cured ham, before training under Japanese itamae Masao Kikuchi at Toki Taro in the 1990s, the apprenticeship that turned him toward Japanese cuisine.
Career
He opened his flagship restaurant, Kabuki, with partner José Antonio Aparicio, in Madrid in 2000, relocating it in 2007 to its current address on Calle Velázquez. Along the way, chefs including Juan Alcaide and David Arauz trained under him before going on to run kitchens of their own. After splitting from Aparicio in December 2021, Sanz founded his own Grupo Ricardo Sanz, rebranding the Velázquez restaurant as Ricardo Sanz Wellington and adding Kyoshi Las Cortes, a more casual japo-española restaurant inside the DoubleTree by Hilton Madrid (Hotel Las Cortes), as well as Kai by Ricardo Sanz and Kai Beach in Estepona. Ricardo Sanz Wellington held one Michelin star and three Repsol Soles, but entered pre-insolvency proceedings in January 2026 amid what Sanz described as an oversaturated Madrid market for Japanese restaurants, and closed later that year.
Philosophy
Sanz is credited as a pioneer of "japo-cañí" fusion, cooking that applies Japanese technique to Spanish ingredients such as olive oil and jamón; his signature dishes include a fried-egg sushi created in tribute to chef Abraham García.
Restaurants
On Guidavera
1Elsewhere
2Ricardo Sanz in our guides
Editorial guides featuring Ricardo Sanz’s restaurants.
Accolades
- ·First Spanish chef to earn a Michelin star with an international-cuisine restaurant (Kabuki, later Ricardo Sanz Wellington)
- ·Honored by the Government of Japan (2016) for promoting Japanese culture in Spain
- ·Ricardo Sanz Wellington: one Michelin star and three Repsol Soles while operating (restaurant closed 2026)
- ·Kyoshi Las Cortes: one Repsol Sol
Frequently asked
Does Ricardo Sanz currently hold a Michelin star?
No. His flagship, Ricardo Sanz Wellington, held one Michelin star but entered financial difficulty in early 2026 and closed later that year. His current restaurants, including Kyoshi Las Cortes, do not hold a Michelin star.
Where can I eat Ricardo Sanz's cooking in Madrid?
Kyoshi Las Cortes, inside the DoubleTree by Hilton Madrid (Hotel Las Cortes), carries a Repsol Sol and offers his japo-española fusion menu in a more casual format.
What is Ricardo Sanz known for?
He is considered a pioneer of "japo-cañí" fusion cuisine in Spain, applying Japanese technique to Spanish ingredients, and was the first Spanish chef to earn a Michelin star with an international-cuisine restaurant.
Who taught Ricardo Sanz Japanese cooking?
Japanese itamae Masao Kikuchi, at Toki Taro in Madrid in the 1990s. Sanz is otherwise self-taught; that apprenticeship turned him from tapas toward Japanese cuisine.
Where is Ricardo Sanz from?
He is a Madrid native who describes himself as a Madrileño through and through. He started in hospitality serving tapas and cured ham before training under itamae Masao Kikuchi and moving into Japanese cuisine.
Who did Ricardo Sanz mentor?
Chefs including Juan Alcaide and David Arauz trained under him at his restaurants before going on to run kitchens of their own in Madrid and Barcelona.
Did Ricardo Sanz open restaurants outside Madrid?
Yes. His group, Grupo Ricardo Sanz, also runs Kai by Ricardo Sanz and Kai Beach in Estepona, on Spain's Costa del Sol, alongside its Madrid restaurants.