Paco Ron

Coming Up

At Taberna de Viavélez, Asturias, Paco Ron held the line as chef from 1989–2023. Over more than three decades, that kind of continuity became part of the kitchen’s working identity: present through service, close to the day-to-day, and measured by repetition done well. The value was not in turnover or reinvention, but in the discipline of staying with a place long enough to shape how it cooks. A long tenure in one room leaves a clear mark on style. At Taberna de Viavélez, Paco Ron’s work was identified with restraint, exactness, and a refusal to push beyond what the dish needed. The cooking is built on control rather than display, with an emphasis on clarity and on letting ingredients carry their own weight. Across 1989–2023, that approach became part of the restaurant’s character.

Signature

Among Paco Ron’s signature dishes are gazpacho with sardines on cucumber gel and fabada. One works through contrast and structure, combining brightness with a cool, precise finish; the other sits in the regional register, direct and substantial, with the depth expected of fabada. Together, they show a cook working across register without losing control of the plate.

In Their Words “He always seeks a naked, simple cuisine, trying to move away from anything that is not essential on the plate and trying to achieve clarity in the flavors to reach that "sabrosura" that is his final objective.” This points to a kitchen method built on subtraction. “Naked” and “simple” here describe editing, not poverty of intent: remove what distracts, keep what carries flavor, and stop when the plate reads clearly. The aim is not ornament but articulation, with “sabrosura” as the finish line. In Paco Ron’s case, the long run at Taberna de Viavélez reads as a steady practice in that discipline.