Rafa Zafra

Chef at Estimar (Barcelona, Spain)

Estimar, Zafra's flagship restaurant, is a veritable temple to fish and seafood, blessed by Ferran Adrià himself, who declared it the seafood restaurant of the 21st century.

Rafa Zagra showed his talent as a child. The best memories of his childhood in Alcalá de Guadaira (Seville) are linked to food, which is why he decided to study at the Escuela de Hostelería Heliópolis in Seville.

During his training, he travelled around Italy and the Basque Country and ended up in Catalonia, where he came into contact with elBulli, which allowed him to return to Andalusia with Hacienda Benazuza, elBulli's hotel, where he spent ten years and where he became head chef.

With all his experience and the support of the family of his partner at the time, Anna Gotanegra, he decided to open a restaurant in Barcelona. The Gotanegras are a fishing family with a long tradition in the port of Roses, and Zafra wanted to open a seafood restaurant. Success was guaranteed.

After Estimar Barcelona, Rafa Zafra has expanded his empire and now runs seven restaurants in Barcelona, Madrid, Ibiza and Seville.