Alberto Criado

Coming Up

From 2015, Alberto Criado worked in London, United Kingdom, as head of kitchen at Cambio de Tercio, building his practice inside a house with a clear identity. The role gave him a technical base and, just as importantly, a way to deepen the work without moving away from it. He is now executive chef of Cambio de Tercio, a step that reads as continuity as much as advancement. The move from head of kitchen to executive chef points to a career shaped by accumulation, with each stage strengthening his hold on the same restaurant.

Where They Are Now

Creative dishes at the restaurant define the current line, and the menu leans into familiar forms that are tightened, clarified, and set up to surprise without losing function. The cooking has movement, but it is controlled movement; the plates are built to land cleanly, with pleasure and precision kept in the same register. Among the named signatures is patatas bravas, described as a playful gastronomic take, “the new way.” The dish keeps its classic anchor while shifting the frame, using wit rather than distance. It is a plate that asks for a second look by staying close to the original and pressing it into a new shape. Other named dishes map the range of that kitchen. Tuna tartar ajo blanco gives one point of reference; Galician beef rib gives another. Pluma iberica with roasted pineapple brings meat and fruit into the same composition, while croquetas of salmon nigiri suggest the kind of cross-form imagination that can make a bite feel both familiar and unexpected. Together, they sketch a kitchen that is comfortable moving between classic depth and modern play, allowing contrast to sharpen flavor and texture. Across those dishes, the line is not novelty for its own sake, but close attention to detail and a refusal to let one register crowd out another.

Signature

Alberto's signature dishes include patatas bravas, tuna tartar ajo blanco, Galician beef rib, pluma iberica with roasted pineapple, and croquetas of salmon nigiri.

In Their Words “We have been introducing modern dishes, so-called avant-garde cuisine, while also preserving those more classic dishes.” “What matters to us is that everything is exquisite.”