From the depths of the sea at -25 meters underwater to the Andean heights of 4050 meters above sea level in a unique menu

AN EXPERIENCE that will bring together two of the most internationally renowned chefs will take place on March 31 at the restaurant led by Ángel León in El Puerto de Santa María, Cádiz.

Central, recognized as the fourth best restaurant in the world according to The World’s 50 Best Restaurants, joins the Aponiente team, with 3 Michelin stars, for an unrepeatable occasion in which both chefs will work together.

The menu, «From the depths of the sea to the extreme heights of the Andes» elaborated jointly by both chefs will have biodiversity and sustainability as protagonists, both essential elements in the proposals of Ángel León and the Peruvian chef Virgilio Martínez, which, in its current proposal, prepares its dishes from the ingredients found in the different Peruvian ecosystems according to it’s height in terms of sea level.

Madrid, February 22, 2022. On March 31, chefs Ángel León from the restaurant (Aponiente 3* Michelin and #79 in The World’s 50 Best Restaurants) and Virgilio Martínez (Central in #4 of The World’s 50 Best Restaurants ) will cook together for the first time for a single meal that will take place in Aponiente, located in El Puerto de Santa María (Cádiz-Andalucía).

The menu “From the depths of the sea to the heights of the Andes”, prepared jointly by both chefs, the vital connection between cuisine and nature will be highlighted through local products and by uniting the current elements that are the protagonists of their dishes. proposals, the sea (Ángel León) and the Andean heights (Virgilio Martínez).

United by their connection with the environment and sustainability

Both Central and Aponiente find inspiration in diverse landscapes, for the creation of a unique experience that shows that intention to connect deeply with the environment and the particularities of the ecosystems they explore. Sustainable haute cuisine is today a vision that Aponiente and Central share.

Both Ángel León and Virgilio Martínez, each in their own way, and from a different context, work tirelessly seeking harmony between their cuisine proposals and the sustainable use of resources to minimize the impact on the environment, as one of the pillars of your proposals.

Sustainable fishing and the use of species that have historically been considered discarded products are hallmarks of Ángel León’s gastronomic proposal, which has also been recognized with the Michelin green star and in 2019 received the Sustainability Award for the red guide It is also carrying out the recovery of the environment in which the restaurant is located, reviving the marsh of the Bay of Cádiz. His commitment to the future of the planet has also led him to set up an international debate forum on sustainability, “Despesques”.

For its part, Central proposes a travel experience through the diverse ecosystems of Peru that are found at different heights, from the depths of the sea to the extreme height of the Andes of Peru – at more than 4050 meters above sea level -, crossing different Amazons, inter-Andean and coastal valleys, the desert, and the mountainous forests of the jungle edge. Being Peru one of the 12 mega-diverse countries on the planet, the concept of exploring Peruvian ecosystems in products holistically integrates cultural, social, traditions and local customs, which is closely expressed in preparations linked to the human context, and to the history of the Peru and the domestication of thousands of cultivars, as well as the demonstrated immense natural wealth. Central recognizes the coexistence of natural and social ecosystems and the need to connect to know and value.

Central has Mater, an interdisciplinary research center, as a source of knowledge and an entity that coordinates people and actions, and is directly associated with a satellite center in Cusco, called Mil, which functions as a base for Mater’s action and is close to the Andes and its powerful cultural legacy.

About Aponiente Restaurant & Chef Ángel León

***Michelin Stars, Michelin Green Star for Sustainability and #79 The World 50 Best Restaurants

The Aponiente restaurant is located in an old tide mill from the 19th century. In the heart of the Bahía de Cádiz Natural Park in El Puerto de Santa María, the area is inhabited by marine life that is subject to constant change, given the local weather conditions and the rhythm of the tides.

Led by chef Ángel León, Aponiente is carrying out the recovery of the environment in which it is located, also creating an ecosystem for future generations. A benchmark in sustainability, it promotes the defense of the environment through gastronomy. Sustainable fishing and the use of species, which have historically been considered discarded products, are hallmarks of the gastronomic proposal of the «chef del Mar» together with innovation, creativity and honesty. A revolutionary genius whose commitment to nature has led him to discover, use and reinvent food from the great pantry of the sea.

About Central Restaurant & Chef Virgilio Martínez

#4 The World 50 Best Restaurants

Central restaurant is located in the grounds of Casa Tupac in Barranco. A space that used to function as the cultural center of the district, made up of artists from different disciplines who proposed a movement to make art accessible and understandable. By occupying this physical space, Central seeks to preserve that integrating spirit and has the Mater interdisciplinary research center to carry out different actions at the country level, and even outside its borders, seeking to register and make visible the megadiversity of this territory, and the diversity of the Latin American region, thus adding to the management of preserving ecosystems, and knowledge, valuing diverse cultural traits and recovering products, cultivars and ancestral conservation techniques.

Thus, the Central team, led by Virgilio Martínez, with the leader Pía León, together with Mater, in gastronomy, exhibit unique ingredients, wonderful natural landscapes, culture, traditions, stories, and, above all, make visible those people who they live them and narrate them through a proposal designed to question those who experience it, to connect, and finally to appreciate in order to conserve.