The Boy In The Kitchen

In the 1960s, Benito’s parents moved from Andalucía to Barcelona to run a restaurant. “All the cooking I have ever seen has been in restaurant kitchens. I grew up with Catalan and Andalusian cooking, so Bardal is inspired by both,” explains the chef.

Benito studied Culinary Arts at Sant Pol de Mar, but his turning point was the cookbook El Bulli – El Sabor del Mediterráneo (El Bulli, the taste of the Mediterranean) by the famous Catalan chef Ferran Adrià. “That book became the foundation of modern Spanish gastronomy where Adrià broke with the establishment and showed the way for a whole new generation of cooks. To be honest, it marked my path both as a cook and a person.”

His first paying job was in Jean Luc Figueras’ Michelin restaurant. Benito is still inspired by his Catalan role models, “though I look up to anyone who has the stamina to work in a kitchen 15 hours a day while putting all their love into preparing food.”

In 2014, Benito came to work as a chef for the restaurant Tragabuches in Ronda. “There are few places in the world that are as spectacular. I fell completely in love with the town.”

He took over the ownership of Tragabuches in 2016. Tragatá, as he renamed it, received a Michelin recommendation in 2017 and is still open. In 2018 he opened Bardal, and the restaurant has had two Michelin Stars since 2019.

Benito praises Andalucía’s gastronomical potential. “Never has Andalucía’s kitchen been seen as how we look at it today. This was Spain’s poorest region with food based on what was available. But the great thing now is that you have an extensive kitchen with rich taste nuances based on very humble ingredients. At the same time, Andalucía has some of the best produce in the world.”

The price to enjoy a dinner at Bardal is steep, but worth the cost and the trip. “Just like football fans will spend 150 euros on a match, those who appreciate special dining experiences will come here. The guests spend on average 230 euros per person, but a restaurant like this is an experience of a lifetime.”

Life Of A Master Chef

Like his ancestors, Benito is an unstoppable workhorse. “Just a few years ago, restaurant employees didn’t have a single day off, but we still work weekends, bank holidays and vacations.”

Bardal operates like a finely tuned machine and tardy guests are the only thing that causes problems. Since the diners spend up to four hours at the table, there is no margin for delays. “Our lunch reservations are between 13:30 and 13:45, and dinner reservations are between 20:00 and 20:45. The guests cannot come any later, but Spaniards have a lot to learn about punctuality. When you go to a theatre performance, they won’t start again if you arrive late. Why can’t restaurants be like that? It isn’t a problem at Tragatá where you can eat in 30 minutes or three hours and order one or ten dishes. But at Bardal we serve 18 or 21 dishes depending on which menu you choose.”

Benito gives everything to offer his guests the very best. Bardal is his work, his hobby, and his passion. “I am lucky in that I love what I do. If I was born again, I’d do the same thing!”

A La Mesa

In Bardal’s kitchen eight professional cooks work in an incredible 20m2 area. They are overseen by Benito, who ensures that tastes, scents, and presentations are nothing but perfect. The ingredients reflect the region with respect, essence, and authenticity and their Menú Degustación includes mushroom and pine nut infusion, sea urchin and caviar, sheep milk labneh, wild seabass, and baby goat with seaweed. “In the five years we have been here, we have established our own style, but every year the style gets more refined in how we combine our ingredients.”

Bardal works with over 120 speciality suppliers, as a single dish can have ingredients from a handful of places. “Everybody talks about the zero kilometer kitchen. Obviously, we also wish to use local ingredients and pollute less, but cooks are not the ones who will ruin the planet. We use local produce, when possible, but not everything local is good, and we need the best. By importing better ingredients to Ronda, we also improve local knowledge and production.”

Once again, Bardal received two stars in the 2023 Michelin Guide, ensuring its position among the gastro-elite. But the chef is quick to point out that these are prizes and nothing more. “Of course, we are ecstatic to be in the Michelin Guide. It has given us international attention, but whether you have stars or not, you still have to continue to do everything to the best of your abilities, be honest and work hard.”

Benito’s long-time dream has been a bigger kitchen. As soon as they get the last building permits (hopefully later this year), the restaurant will eventually move to a spectacular new location 15 minutes outside of Ronda, where the team will have the space to cook to their hearts’ content. In the meanwhile, one can enjoy Benito’s cuisine right in the heart of Ronda.

For all his stars, the chef is truly down-to-earth. “I do not believe in gourmet food. Food is good or bad; the only difference is that good food is made with love. In the end, it is about the essence and quality of the products and the care one takes in preparing the food. It is no greater secret than that.”