Over the last few years, Marbella has become a hot spot for Michelin Star fine dining. Daniel García Reinaldo, Marbellí native and Mauricio Giovanini, from Cordoba, Argentina are two chefs with restaurants in Marbella that have been praised with the honour of a Michelin Star or two or three!
From two completely different backgrounds, García took the more conventional route to culinary success and Giovanini fought his way independently as his own boss from day one.
Dani García was born and raised in Marbella. He began his journey at la Escuela de Hostelería de Málaga and began his career under the then renown chef Martín Berasategui . He developed his style which he describes as “the artist of flavours”. “I use products from my country and mould them into meals that burst with flavour combining them with techniques and ingredients of international cuisine.”
Having worked and travelled the world, García made it back to his home town Marbella where he opened three restaurants, Lobito del Mar, BiBo, and LEÑA.
Among his many awards and achievements, Dani currently holds three Michelin Stars, which he confirms he is not ready to give away.
Messina, a quaint restaurant in the centre of Marbella, was awarded the Michelin Star in the 2016 and 2017 Guide. The Argentinian chef, Mauricio Giovanini, started from the bottom up.
Giovanini studied at a local French gastronomy college in Cordoba, Argentina. In 2003 he relocated to Marbella in Spain. With his wife Pia, they decided to take a leap of faith by opening Messina, their first restaurant. The original premises were so tiny it barely had room for a handful of customers. However, Mauricio believed in being his own boss and more importantly he believed in his vision to create extraordinary food for people to enjoy. The chef self-taught himself motoring on in his little kitchen tucked away in the old town of Marbella. This allowed him to develop unique skills.
Mauricio’s eureka moment came when he toyed with the development of essential vegetable juices. “The source of flavour of all vegetables lies in their natural moisture. These essential juices are used to enhance some of my existing preparations, creating a sensory panorama of concentrates, meringues, creams and broths.” This ground-breaking approach became Giovanini’s recognised trademark in the culinary world and earned him a Michelin Star two years in a row.
Currently, Mauricio works with natural thickeners made from dried fruit and collagen extracted from various ingredients. He combines these elements and alters their respective proportions to make gelatines which can be adjusted to create countless different textures.
Since, Messina has moved to the main boulevard in Marbella, Severo Ochoa. It is attached to the Amàre Beach Hotel in Marbella. Messina has since been repeatedly hailed by the national press and has become one of the top fine dining spots in Marbella.
