Ignacio Echapresto

Chef at Venta Moncalvillo* (Daroca de Rioja, La Rioja, Spain)

Ignacio Echapresto is a self-taught cook who champions seasonal produce and village cooking.

So, it comes as no surprise that, together with his brother Carlos, he decided that the best place to open a restaurant was in their own village, Daroca de Rioja, a land they know well and which could supply them with the best produce.

That’s how Venta Moncalvillo came about; a restaurant with its own vegetable garden, offering a cuisine with flavours of the village but that embraces the most avant-garde techniques. This establishment has held a Michelin star since 2011, and went from being a traditional eatery to a place of pilgrimage for foodies both in Spain and from abroad.

In addition to being committed to rural cooking, Ignacio and his brother Carlos have been organising ‘Village Cooking’ at the restaurant since 2019; an event whose aim is to be a meeting point to give visibility to and show the value of the cuisines of small villages from all over Spain, as well as to the growers, producers and artisans who work with them.