Juanjo Perez

The Climb

Formal instruction came first at School of Hospitality and Tourism in Madrid, where the discipline of the trade began to take shape for Perez. From there, the work moved through Arzak in San Sebastian, then La Broche in null, Amparo in null, and Echaurren in null. Read in sequence, those kitchens mark the kind of progression that builds range: repetition, pressure, timing, and the ability to work inside different systems without losing control of the plate. The path to ownership was not abrupt. It was a long apprenticeship in kitchens where precision matters and where a cook learns to enter quietly, observe closely, and earn authority through consistency. In 2003, Perez became chef and owner of Cocinandos, fixing the restaurant as the main site of his practice. Since then, the address has carried the weight of his training and the decisions that followed it.

Today

At Cocinandos, the dual role of chef and owner gives Perez direct control over both the cooking and the structure around it. The chef’s side is the daily work: menu decisions, pacing, and the standards that shape service. The owner’s side is the longer view: the identity of the house, the continuity of its line, and the responsibility of keeping the place steady over time. Ownership in this setting is operational, not ceremonial. It means presence in the kitchen and accountability for the room, with the restaurant functioning as an extension of the methods Perez has spent years building. Remaining in that role since 2003 places Cocinandos at the center of his career and explains why the restaurant sits within Spain’s Michelin-recognized landscape.

In Their Words “First we are going to make this Iberian guanciale.” “Here we are going to do a demonstration.” The language is direct and procedural, closer to the pass than to the podium. It points to a working style that keeps the emphasis on process, on showing the steps rather than dressing them up. The phrasing suggests a chef comfortable teaching in real time, where explanation and execution move together.

Recognition

Juanjo Perez has received Repsol Guide, 2 Soles Repsol. Juanjo's honors include 1 Michelin Star and 2 Soles Repsol. Those distinctions place Perez among the consistently recognized names in contemporary Spanish cooking, where the standard is not only technical control but staying power. For Cocinandos, the awards confirm what the career already shows: a line of work that moved from study to kitchen experience to ownership without losing focus on the house itself.