David García has joined Corral de la Morería as Head Chef. After training in Martín Berasategui’s prestigious kitchen, in 2014 he earned a Michelin star as Head Chef at the Álbora restaurant in Madrid, after just two years with the establishment.
Corral de la Morería will have two gastronomic spaces where García’s new creations will be presented. The first, Restaurante Corral de la Morería, is a unique restaurant where the chef will create a very personal culinary selection designed exclusively for four tables (guests can make a reservation for dinner alone or for dinner followed by a move to the Premium Tablao area, where they can watch the flamenco show scheduled for that night). The second is Restaurante Tablao, i.e. the space currently being used, which has a larger capacity than the first as well as its own stage. It will offer a unique experience that will also feature food by David García and a show at a venue that is considered to be the World’s Best Flamenco Tablao.
David García has already begun to work with the kitchen and floor staff, although his creations will not see the light of day until late summer.
Corral de la Morería will also boast one of the most comprehensive cellars in Spain. Its wine list will include a special section featuring over 200 sherries, mainly high-end, making the establishment one of the most interesting options in the capital.
As such García represents the culmination of the gastronomic evolution of Corral de la Morería, following several years during which renowned chefs like José Luis Estevan (Lágrimas Negras), Salvador Brugués (global expert in vacuum cooking) and pastry chef Jordi Puigvert (Les Cols, Alquimia) have been consulting and collaborating on the establishment’s cuisine.
Gastronomic profile
The del Rey family who run Corral de la Morería, namely Blanca, Juan Manuel and Armando, have made a firm commitment to haute cuisine by signing David García as Head Chef. Coupled with the best artistic and flamenco programme in Spain, which changes from week to week, this will create a unique experience that’s first-class in every regard.
About David García
A devoted champion of organic produce, controlled cultivation and high-quality ingredients, his authentic cuisine stands out for its broths, soups and sauces, which are made with natural and top-quality ingredients.
A passion for food is tattooed in this Bilbao-born chef’s DNA. He hadn’t even turned 18 when he began to learn his trade at his family’s restaurant, El Támesis. He went on to graduate from the EIDE Tourism and Hospitality Management School in Santurzi, which led him to train under master chefs such as Martín Berasategui. He also worked at El Bullí and Mugaritz, and in the past few years, before moving to Madrid, he developed his cuisine at the restaurant Nerua (1 Michelin star), located in Bilbao’s Guggenheim Museum.
In 2014 his work in Madrid reached a new peak when he was awarded a Michelin star as Head Chef at the restaurant Álbora.
As the next step in his professional career, David García wanted to transform his cuisine into a new experience that would flood all of the senses.
In his own words, “Uniting the World’s Best Flamenco Tablao with haute cuisine is a wonderful idea. It’s pure emotion in every sense. Flamenco is universal and Corral de la Morería is a venue that’s unique in the world. If a person wants to experience the best Flamenco Tablao as well as haute cuisine, this will be the place. The flamenco shows scheduled by Blanca del Rey every week at Corral de la Morería are of the highest possible standard. It’s pure emotion and my cuisine is also pure emotion. There’s no better unifying link than that”.
60th Anniversary of Corral de la Morería
In 2016 Corral de la Morería, which is considered the World’s Best Flamenco Tablao, celebrates its 60th anniversary.
Opened by Manuel del Rey in 1956, over the course of its existence Corral de la Morería has presented the very best in flamenco. Standout artists include Pastora Imperio, La Chunga, María Albaicín, El Güito, Mario Maya, Manuela Vargas, Lucero Tena, Antonio Gades, El Cigala, Antonio Canales, Rafael Amargo, the list goes on.
Among other awards, it has been recognised as the “World’s Best Flamenco Tablao” by the prestigious International Cante de Las Minas Festival. It was also cited in the New York Times number 1 bestseller “1,000 Places to See Before You Die”, and recently won the City of Madrid Award.
Corral de la Morería currently features an artistic programme that changes each week and includes the most important artists on today’s flamenco scene. In May over 90 artists performed on its stage for the 7th Corral de la Morería Flamenco Festival and its Enchanted Nights (Noches Brujas) programme.