Romain Fornell
French chef of Caelis — the youngest in Europe to earn a Michelin star, and the only French chef with stars in both France and Spain.
- Michelin stars
1- Repsol Soles
2- Restaurants
- 5
- Born
- 1976 · Toulouse
Romain Fornell is a French chef based in Barcelona since 2002, where he opened Caelis (currently 1 Michelin star, 2 Repsol Soles). He became the youngest Michelin-starred chef in Europe at twenty-four (2001) and remains the only French chef to hold stars in both France and Spain. He leads the Goût Rouge group of around a dozen restaurants and was awarded the French Legion of Honour in 2025.
Biography
Early years
Born on 27 December 1976 in Toulouse, Fornell entered hotel and tourism school in 1994 and trained under French chefs Michel Sarran, Alain Ducasse, and Jean-François Piège.
Career
In 2000 Fornell opened his first restaurant, La Chaldette in Lozère; in 2001 it earned a Michelin star — making him at 24 the youngest chef in Europe to hold one at the time. He moved to Barcelona in 2002 and opened Caelis at the Hotel El Palace, which earned a Michelin star in 2005 (Caelis has since moved to its current location at Hotel Ohla on Via Laietana). The award made him the first French chef to hold Michelin stars in both France and Spain. He now leads the Goût Rouge group, which directs around twelve restaurants across Catalonia and Paris, and was awarded the French Legion of Honour in 2025.
Philosophy
Fornell's cuisine is rooted in French haute-cuisine technique reinterpreted with Catalan and Mediterranean produce. His group spans formal tasting-menu fine dining (Caelis) and an unusually broad portfolio of casual rooftops, brasseries, and seafood concepts — all under a single signature.
Restaurants
On Guidavera
5Accolades
- ·1 active Michelin star at Caelis (since 2005)
- ·2 Repsol Soles at Caelis
- ·Youngest chef in Europe at the time to hold a Michelin star (age 24, 2001)
- ·Only French chef to hold Michelin stars in both France and Spain
- ·French Legion of Honour (2025)
Frequently asked
How many Michelin stars does Romain Fornell have?
One active star, at Caelis in Barcelona, which has held a Michelin star since 2005. He earned his first star earlier in 2001 at La Chaldette in Lozère, becoming the youngest Michelin-starred chef in Europe at twenty-four — the first French chef to hold stars in both France and Spain.
Where can I eat Romain Fornell's cuisine in Barcelona?
Five restaurants on the platform. Caelis at Hotel Ohla on Via Laietana is the Michelin-starred flagship. The Goût Rouge group also runs Azul Rooftop in Barceloneta, Casa Tejada (Mediterranean bistro with Italian influence), Le Grand Café Rouge, and Tejada Mar.
What is the Goût Rouge group?
Goût Rouge is the restaurant group Fornell leads from Barcelona. It directs around a dozen restaurants across Catalonia and Paris, spanning everything from his Michelin-starred Caelis to casual rooftops, brasseries, and seafood concepts.