i. Biography
Gabriel Zapata co-opened Bacira in Madrid in July 2014.
The Path
Sushi work set the terms of Gabriel Zapata’s early career in 2006, when he stepped into the role of sushiman at Wasabi in Palma de Mallorca. The discipline of that station is the throughline here: knife work, timing, texture, and restraint, all carried in a setting that rewards repetition and attention. From there, he continued as a sushiman at Sushi House in Palma de Mallorca, carrying the same exacting practice into a second room and building experience through consistency rather than spectacle. The move from the islands to Madrid widened the field, with sushiman roles at Nikkei 225 in Madrid and Distrito 798 in Madrid. Each placement added another layer of service pressure and continuity, the kind of work that is measured by control over many services, not by single moments. Zapata’s career reads as accumulation: a series of posts that sharpened the same discipline across different kitchens. Since 2014, he has been chef of Bacira, where those years of sushi work found a broader setting. The role places the precision of his earlier positions into a more comprehensive frame, with Bacira becoming the main site where his experience continues to be applied.
The Work Today
Gabriel Zapata Co-opened Bacira in Madrid in July 2014. That opening remains the clearest marker of his current work in Madrid. Bacira was launched in July 2014 and has since been the place where his background in sushi service and kitchen discipline is held together under one roof. The significance lies in the continuity: the same steadiness that defined his earlier roles now informs the restaurant he co-opened and continues to lead as chef.
Acclaim
Gabriel Zapata Co-opened Bacira in Madrid in July 2014. That fact is the public marker most directly attached to his name: the co-opening of Bacira in Madrid in July 2014. It sits on top of a career that began in 2006 and moved through Wasabi in Palma de Mallorca, Sushi House in Palma de Mallorca, Nikkei 225 in Madrid, and Distrito 798 in Madrid before settling into his ongoing role as chef of Bacira.
Profile updated August 2026
FAQ
Asked of Gabriel
Where did Gabriel Zapata work before?
Gabriel Zapata's earlier career included Wasabi, Sushi House, and Nikkei 225.
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