Juan Mari Arzak is the owner and chef for Arzak

Arzak

Arzak is a restaurant in San Sebastián, Spain. It features New Basque Cuisine. In 2008, Arzak's owner and chef, Juan Mari Arzak, was awarded the Universal Basque award for "adapting gastronomy, one of the most important traditions of the Basque Country, to the new times and making of it one of...

 restaurant. He is considered to be one of the great masters of New Basque cuisine. He describes his cooking as "signature cuisine, Basque cuisine that's evolutionary, investigatory, and avant-garde."

Personal life

Juan Mari Arzak was an only child born to Juan Ramon Arzak and Francisca Arratibel in San Sebastián

San Sebastián

Donostia-San Sebastián is a city and municipality located in the north of Spain, in the coast of the Bay of Biscay and 20 km away from the French border. The city is the capital of Gipuzkoa, in the autonomous community of the Basque Country. The municipality’s population is 186,122 , and its...

, Spain. He spent much of his childhood in his grandparents' restaurant. Later, Juan Mari Arzak's parents took over control of the restaurant. Juan Mari Arzak's father died in 1951, after which time his mother continued to run the restaurant until he took over control of the restaurant. Juan Mari Arzak has two daughters, Marta and Elena, with Maite Espina.

Professional life

Arzak said that his interest in cooking began at birth, and that in his childhood he would help in his family's restaurant. However, his real interest in cuisine didn't begin until his time at a hotel management school in Madrid. After Arzak's mandatory time in the military, he returned to his family's restaurant and began training as a chef, during which time he was responsible for roasting meat. Since he took over the restaurant, the restaurant has garnered much praise, and received 3 Michelin stars in 1989. In 2008, Arzak received the "Universal Basque" award for "adapting gastronomy, one of the most important traditions of the Basque Country, to the new times and making of it one of the most innovative of the world". He is currently grooming his daughter Elena to take over the restaurant.