Mateu Casañas

Mateu Casañas, born in 1977 in Roses, Girona, began his culinary career at his family's restaurant Si us plau before apprenticing at elBulli in 1997, rising to pastry chef in 2003 and later head chef and creative team member until its 2011 closure. Alongside Oriol Castro and Eduard Xatruch, he co-founded Compartir in Cadaqués in 2012 and Disfrutar in Barcelona in 2014, where Disfrutar earned three Michelin stars, the World's 50 Best Restaurants #1 in 2024, and multiple prior accolades including Best New Restaurant in Europe by OAD in 2016.