Luis Valls: reinterpreting traditional recipes under the gaze of haute cuisine
- Spanish 2 Stars chef
- “Cooking Valencia” at El Poblet
- Philosophy from his master Quique Dacosta***
More 2 stars chefs here. Other Spanish chefs here.
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Luis Valls began his career in the kitchen studying at the CDT in Valencia. There, at the age of 17, he took the “Sala” course and later, when he was old enough to do so, he took the cookery course. While studying, he did an internship at the restaurant “Torrijos” (1 Michelin star).
Later he moved to London, where he became head waiter and head chef at the restaurants “Cambio de Tercio” and “Tendido Cuatro”.
He decided to return, motivated by his restlessness, and wanted to get to know the kitchen of “Ca Sento”, where he was allowed to practise. He soon became a chef at “Les Nits” and at the end of 2010 he joined the team at “Vuelve Carolina”, the restaurant opened by Quique Dacosta in Valencia, which is about to celebrate its first decade.
Shortly after, Luis, interested in the philosophy of the great kitchens, moved to Denia where he spent several years at “Quique Dacosta Restaurante”, where he spent more than three years trapped by his passion for cooking, maturing as a person as well as expanding his knowledge. He also experienced one of the most important moments of the restaurant, when the Michelin Guide awarded Quique Dacosta Restaurante the three Michelin stars.
In 2013, barely a year after opening, El Poblet was awarded its first Michelin star and Quique Dacosta saw his commitment to offering his historic dishes in Valencia recognised.
At the beginning of 2014, Quique Dacosta proposed that he take over as head chef of “Vuelve Carolina” and “El Poblet”, a task he carried out until spring 2017, when he took over the kitchen at El Poblet.
In 2018, the restaurant’s gastronomic proposal takes on its own personality, the creativity of Luis Valls, always backed by Quique Dacosta, manifests itself “cooking Valencia”, reinterpreting traditional recipes under the gaze of haute cuisine, making use of the local Valencian larder and expressing the territory in the dishes, a philosophy inherited from his master Quique Dacosta.
In 2019, the creative Valencian haute cuisine of chef Luis Valls positioned the restaurant as one of the best in Spain when the Michelin Guide awarded El Poblet its second star, appearing in the Michelin Guide 2020 with the prestigious award. In this way, the restaurant of the Quique Dacosta Group was awarded a recognition that highlights the cuisine of Luis Valls and the dining room of Ana Botella and Hernán Menno. The arrival of the second star confirms that El Poblet is on the right track, recognises the work of a very young and professional team and invites them to continue pursuing excellence.
El Poblet is positioned as one of the best in Spain, placing even more value on the haute cuisine of the Valencian Community.
This year 2023 the Repsol Guide revalidated the “Dos Soles” for El Poblet, also recognising the work of the team and endorsing its gastronomic proposal.
