i. Biography
Diego López is the owner and chef of Restaurante La Molinera in Pontevedra, Spain, a role shaped by years of disciplined training, kitchen travel, and a close connection to the family business at La Molinera in Lalín, Spain. The work here is built on repetition, service pressure, and the steady accumulation of technique; in Diego López, those conditions show up as control, pace, and a clear sense of what each plate is meant to do.
The Path
Training at Centro Culinario Ambrosia gave Diego López a formal base before he moved into kitchens that widened the scope of his practice. From there, the route through La Terraza del Casino in Madrid, Spain, Dos Cielos in Barcelona, Spain, and Restaurante Solla in Pontevedra, Spain added sequence and range to his understanding of professional cooking. Each post sharpened a different part of the craft. The movement from Madrid to Barcelona to Pontevedra reflects a career built through service, adaptation, and repetition rather than a single leap. In that progression, Diego López gathered the practical knowledge that now defines his work at his own restaurant. Since 2010, Restaurante La Molinera has been the place where that experience is put to use. For Diego López, it is the point where family business, formal training, and time in noted kitchens meet in one working kitchen.
The Work Today
He is owner and chef at Restaurante La Molinera in Pontevedra, Spain. In this role, Diego López applies the discipline of his training to the demands of a working restaurant. The cooking at Restaurante La Molinera is shaped by precision, control, and an awareness of place, with family history and broader kitchen experience sitting behind the daily output. It is a kitchen defined by continuity: the habits of professional service carried into a restaurant he owns and runs.
Signature
Diego's signature dishes include Cooking with Octopus and Grilled baby octopus with texture onion. These dishes point to a style that relies on structure and finish. Cooking with Octopus shows attention to a familiar ingredient handled with intent, while Grilled baby octopus with texture onion suggests a focus on contrast and composition. In both, the interest is not decoration but clarity: ingredients arranged so the final dish reads cleanly and holds together.
Recognition
Diego López has received Forum Gastronomico A Coruña — Chef of the Year prize (2014).
Profile updated July 2026
FAQ
Asked of Diego
What is Diego López's current role?
Diego López is Owner and Chef.
Where did Diego López train or study?
Diego López trained at Centro Culinario Ambrosia.
What recognition has Diego López received?
Chef of the Year prize (2014).
