Hangar-7

Dani García's style of cooking is akin to that of a scientist, but only superficially, because he is and remains a cook who uses the scientist's knowledge for his taste experiments. He is comfortable with molecular cuisine; nowhere else can he live out his unusual ideas in the same way. With his unique recipes, the Spaniard is well on the way to following the "traditions" of his compatriots such as Ferran Adriá and Joan Roca, and setting new benchmarks in the kitchen.

He made a rather traditional start, though, to his training as a chef de cuisine. At just 18 years of age he attended La Cónsula catering school in Churriana, Málaga. Then he served his apprenticeship in the restaurant Martin Berasategui, under the chef and proprietor of the same name. Even then, García attracted attention because he was the first chef in Spain to experiment with liquid nitrogen. For those without a degree in Chemistry, this translates to cooking at -196°C. Shaped by San Sebastián, the Basque country, and a superb teacher like Berasategui, García realised the world of cookery's boundless possibilities. His next sojourn was at Tragabuches restaurant, which gained a Michelin star under his guidance. The Calima restaurant, within the Hotel Sol Meliá, opened its doors to the top chef in 2005. The Calima has García to thank for turning it into a very high quality and innovative restaurant in a unique setting.

But what distinguishes Dani García's cuisine from that of other top restaurants in Andalucia? It combines traditional dishes with avantgarde techniques. New compositions, such as foie gras and goat's cheese with caramelised green apples, cherry gazpacho with soft cheese, or sangria with fruit pearls frozen in dry ice are just a small sample of the unique culinary creations that originate in Calima's kitchens.

If Dani Garcia were a scientist, he would have earned a Nobel prize, because how many chefs can claim to serve nitrogen popcorn with olive oil and raf tomatoes? Even if García has not won this award, he has got what he deserves – in 2002 he was voted Chef of the Year by the Gastronomic Academy of Málaga. He added two more Chef of the Year titles in 2005, and the following year he was crowned Chef of the Future by the International Academy of Gastronomy. Calima experienced its finest hour in 2007, when it was favoured by Michelin's inspectors and rewarded with a star.

Ask the Spaniard about his personal recipe for success and he replies, "Success follows if you work professionally and honestly, but to create something that is really new you must also have good ideas." Judged by the latter criterion, García will certainly never be lacking in success.

All guest chefs at a glance

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Archive

Guest chef at Restaurant Ikarus

Preview
Guest chefs 2012 /en/ikarus/guest-chef-at-restaurant-ikarus/2012/preview-guest-chefs-2012/

Guest chef at Restaurant Ikarus: May 2012

Pino Lavarra /en/ikarus/guest-chef-at-restaurant-ikarus/2012/pino-lavarra/

Trettl meets Pino Lavarra

Pino Lavarra
Italy /en/ikarus/roland-trettl-on-tour/2012/roland-trettl-meets-pino-lavarra/

Guest chef at Restaurant Ikarus: April 2012

Tanja Grandits /en/ikarus/guest-chef-at-restaurant-ikarus/2012/tanja-grandits/

Trettl meets Tanja Grandits

Tanja Grandits
Switzerland /en/ikarus/roland-trettl-on-tour/2012/roland-trettl-meets-tanja-grandits/

Guest chefs at Restaurant Ikarus: February 2012

Tim Raue /en/ikarus/guest-chef-at-restaurant-ikarus/2012/tim-raue/

Guest chef at Restaurant Ikarus: March 2012

Ryan Clift /en/ikarus/guest-chef-at-restaurant-ikarus/2012/ryan-clift/

Trettl meets Ryan Clift

Ryan Clift
Singapur /en/ikarus/roland-trettl-on-tour/2012/roland-trettl-meets-ryan-clift/

Trettl meets Tim Raue

Tim Raue
Berlin, Germany /en/ikarus/roland-trettl-on-tour/2012/trettl-meets-tim-raue/

Guest chefs at Restaurant Ikarus: January 2012

Nuno Mendes /en/ikarus/guest-chef-at-restaurant-ikarus/2012/nuno-mendes/

Trettl meets Nuno Mendes

Nuno Mendes
Viajante, London /en/ikarus/roland-trettl-on-tour/2012/trettl-meets-nuno-mendes/

Guest chefs at Restaurant Ikarus: December 2011

Daniel Redondo &
Helena Rizzo /en/ikarus/guest-chef-at-restaurant-ikarus/2011/daniel-redondo-helena-rizzo/

Guest chefs at Restaurant Ikarus: November 2011

Björn Frantzén &
Daniel Lindeberg /en/ikarus/guest-chef-at-restaurant-ikarus/2011/bjoern-frantzen-daniel-lindeberg/

Roland Trettl on tour

Helena Rizzo & Daniel Redondo, São Paulo, Brazil /en/ikarus/roland-trettl-on-tour/2011/roland-trettl-meets-helena-rizzo-daniel-redondo/

Guest chef at Restaurant Ikarus: October 2011

Xavier Pellicer /en/ikarus/guest-chef-at-restaurant-ikarus/2011/xavier-pellicer/

Roland Trettl on tour

Xavier Pellicer,
Barcelona, Spain /en/ikarus/roland-trettl-on-tour/2011/roland-trettl-meets-xavier-pellicer/

Guest chef at Restaurant Ikarus: September 2011

Alvin Leung /en/ikarus/guest-chef-at-restaurant-ikarus/2011/alvin-leung/

Roland Trettl on tour

Alvin Leung,
Hong Kong, China /en/ikarus/roland-trettl-on-tour/2011/roland-trettl-meets-alvin-leung/

Guest chef at Restaurant Ikarus: August 2011

Ikarus Team /en/ikarus/guest-chef-at-restaurant-ikarus/2011/ikarus-team/

Roland Trettl on tour

Peter Goossens,
Kruishoutem, Belgium /en/ikarus/roland-trettl-on-tour/2011/roland-trettl-and-the-ikarus-team/

Guest chef at Restaurant Ikarus: July 2011

Peter Goossens /en/ikarus/guest-chef-at-restaurant-ikarus/2011/peter-goossens/

Roland Trettl on tour

Peter Goossens,
Kruishoutem, Belgium /en/ikarus/roland-trettl-on-tour/2011/roland-trettl-meets-peter-goossens/

Guest chef at Restaurant Ikarus: June 2011

Emmanuel Renaut /en/ikarus/guest-chef-at-restaurant-ikarus/2011/emmanuel-renaut/

Roland Trettl on tour

Emmanuel Renaut,
Megève, France /en/ikarus/roland-trettl-on-tour/2011/roland-trettl-meets-emmanuel-renaut/

Guest chef at Restaurant Ikarus: May 2011

Anatoly Komm /en/ikarus/guest-chef-at-restaurant-ikarus/2011/anatoly-komm/

Roland Trettl on tour

Anatoly Komm,
Moscow, Russia /en/ikarus/roland-trettl-on-tour/2011/roland-trettl-meets-anatoly-komm/

Guest chef at Restaurant Ikarus: April 2011

Daniel Humm /en/ikarus/guest-chef-at-restaurant-ikarus/2011/daniel-humm/

Roland Trettl on tour

Daniel Humm,
New York, USA /en/ikarus/roland-trettl-on-tour/2011/roland-trettl-meets-daniel-humm/

Guest chef at Restaurant Ikarus: March 2011

Claus-Peter Lumpp /en/ikarus/guest-chef-at-restaurant-ikarus/2011/claus-peter-lumpp/

Roland Trettl on tour

Claus-Peter Lumpp,
Germany /en/ikarus/roland-trettl-on-tour/2011/roland-trettl-meets-claus-peter-lumpp/