Santi Santamaría

If one thing defines Santi Santamaría's cuisine its his staunch adherence to tradition. Like most Catalan chefs he combines sea and land, products that come from the Mediterranean coast and those from inland locales, in this case from Montseny, Catalunya (map). His cooking, in traditional Catalan style, is simple yet sophisticated, and dominated by his respect for the seasonality of food. Santamaría pays meticulous attention to the creation of flavors. In 1981 he opened the restaurant that has since made him famous -- El Racó de Can Fabes -- with his wife Angels Serra. The restaurant was an old country house the Santamarías gave a modern touch. One of the most famous contemporary Catalan painters, Antoni Tapies, shows his art on the walls of Racó de Can Fabes as well as on its menu. Many would say that just that is reason enough to visit. The menu varies depending on the season and which products are best in the farms of Montseny at the time. In summer, one can enjoy offerings like the cauliflower yogurt with smoked cod caviar, melon with ox hocks or Arenys Roma tomatoes with apricot and smoked eel. Racó also has an impressive selection of Catalan cheeses . This famous restaurant in Can Fabes boasts three Michelin stars and was the first Catalan restaurant to receive this distinction. Santi Santamaria is President of Relais Gourmand and the international Vice President of Relais & Châteaux.

 

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