Our story: from Arzak to Barcelona
Ana López de Lamadrid and Gonzalo Galbete met in the Arzak kitchen, went through five Michelin-starred houses and opened Igueldo in the Eixample in 2007.
The beginning
They met on a work placement at Arzak
Ana and Gonzalo spent a year together at Arzak, in Donostia, packed into a very small kitchen, and the friendship came out of that. Afterwards each went their own way: Gonzalo left for Latin America and Ana came back to Barcelona to train as a sommelier.
Where they come from
Where Ana and Gonzalo learned to cook
Ana López de Lamadrid
Diploma in Hotel Management from the Universitat de Barcelona and a sommelier qualification from the Escuela de Marbella. She worked at Neichel, with two Michelin stars, at Arzak, with three, and at Rodero, with one, and was the sommelier at Toc. With Josep Puigcorbé, sommelier at Drolma, she co-wrote the guide El vino lo dejo en tus manos.
Gonzalo Galbete
He studied at the Escuela Superior de Cocina in San Sebastián and learned the Navarrese basics at Tubal in Tafalla, which holds a Michelin star. He carried on at Arzak and Rodero, ran a Basque restaurant in Santiago de Chile and cooked at Jean Luc Figueras in Barcelona.
Produce from the north
Produce from the north, with a name and an origin
Igueldo works with meat from Oiartzun, vegetables from Navarre, lamb and morcilla from Burgos and fish from the Vigo market. That is the basis of a menu that owns its Basque-Navarrese origin instead of hiding it, with its own sections for cured meats, fish and meat.
How they split the work
Ana front of house, Gonzalo in the kitchen
They crossed paths again in Pamplona and later in Barcelona, where Ana had an investor and asked Gonzalo to set up the restaurant with her. He said yes. Today Ana runs the dining room and looks after the guests and Gonzalo runs the kitchen, although they cover for each other when they have to.
“It was an honour that Ana had thought of me for the project.”
Come and see us in the Eixample
If you would like to know more about the team, the dining room or how we work at Igueldo, write to us and we answer you ourselves, with no middlemen and no long forms.
Get in touch