Diego Alonso Arias

The Path

Since 2019, the kitchen at CoolRooms Atocha has been led by Diego Alonso Arias, placing him at the center of the property’s culinary rhythm. That same year, 2019, he also became head chef of El 34, adding another line of responsibility and extending the demand for consistency across two kitchens. Holding both posts since then, he has built his standing on steady control rather than display, with the work organized around balance, order, and a clear point of view. The value of that path lies in its continuity. It is not a leap so much as a sustained commitment, visible in the day-to-day management of service and standards. The dual role points to a chef who can work under pressure and understands that leadership is not only about what lands on the plate, but about the tone set before the plate leaves the pass. At CoolRooms Atocha and at El 34, Diego Alonso Arias is defined by practiced consistency and a grounded approach.

The Work Today

Pinchos remain the specialty, and that format shapes the work: compact servings that depend on exact detail and a sharp sense of what matters most. Diego Alonso Arias has described the craft in terms that read like a working brief for the kitchen: “mastering and believing in the product, being a master of detail, seeking creativity, demanding excellence, trusting and maintaining team cohesion.” Those priorities describe a kitchen where nothing is left to chance. The product comes first, detail carries weight, creativity has to coexist with standards, and excellence is treated as a daily requirement rather than a slogan. Team cohesion matters just as much, because trust is what lets a kitchen move with confidence. In Diego Alonso Arias’s work, pinchos are not only a specialty; they are a form that rewards precision, order, and a disciplined sense of flavor.

In Their Words “In my opinion, there are 5 important points to highlight: mastering and believing in the product, being a master of detail, seeking creativity, demanding excellence, trusting and maintaining team cohesion.” “Devoting oneself to what one likes is the greatest reward, and it demands a daily hard work to reach the excellence.”