Paco Quirós

The Path

At Santa Marta Hospitality School, the basis of the craft was set in place through training that still reads in the way Paco Quir works: method first, ornament second. The progression that follows is equally direct. In 1981, the chef role in Santander established his professional footing and tied his identity to the north, a reference that remains present in the Madrid project. Today, Paco is chef and owner of Grupo Cañadío, a role that combines authorship with responsibility.

The Work Today

At Grupo Cañadío in Madrid, Paco Quir keeps the focus on cooking that is composed rather than self-conscious. His position is stated plainly: “I believe in traditional cooking served in good spaces. I follow culinary modernity, but I do not practice it.” That line sets the terms of the room and the plate alike. Tradition leads, modernity is acknowledged, and the result is a dining style that trusts familiar flavors, careful service, and an atmosphere that does not need extra explanation.

Signature

Paco's signature dishes include rabas, ensaladilla rusa, and croquetas cremosas. The set speaks in a clear idiom: dishes the trade knows well, handled with control rather than emphasis. Rabas depend on crispness and timing; ensaladilla rusa asks for balance and a clean sense of proportion; croquetas cremosas turn texture into the point of the dish. Taken together, they show a kitchen working from recognizable reference points and a restrained approach to richness.

In Their Words “I look for normality, avoiding anything kitsch.”

Acclaim

The craft arc here is defined by continuity: Santa Marta Hospitality School as the base, Santander in 1981 as the first professional anchor, and Madrid as the current expression of the same point of view. Paco Quir's path is not built on reinvention. It is built on keeping a line intact, from training to practice to ownership, with a consistent refusal of anything that pulls attention away from the essentials.