The restaurant Strava in Arrecife has joined the national elite of appetizers after being selected to compete in the final of the Spanish Championship 'The Perfect Appetizer', for which only the 16 best proposals in the country have qualified
The province of Las Palmas has another participant, it is Tasca La Marillanos, in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. The final will be held on Wednesday, December 10 in Avilés.
The competition, which began on November 14 and lasted until the 30th of that same month, featured more than a hundred participants from all corners of Spain with very diverse proposals divided into two categories: best classic appetizer and best modern appetizer.
The gastronomic initiative, organized by the company Idea Redonda, "recognizes creativity, technique, and flavor in a format as emblematic and popular as the aperitif, highlighting excellence".
"It also invites restaurateurs to the challenge, daring them to condense a winning proposal into just a few bites," explain the organizers.
Strava has earned its place in the final with "a groundbreaking brioche bun with orange syrup, wild prawns fried with Creole spices, gilda mayonnaise, red onion pickled in vermouth, Navarra piparra pepper, and crispy
coral".
Tasca La Marillanos, whose bar offers classic tapas such as fries with cockles, sweet potato salad, or Iberian ham croquettes, competes in the traditional section with a pigeon salad with kimchi mayonnaise
The competition has given diners the opportunity to rate the gastronomic creations after tasting them.
A professional jury will now have the final say. Gastronomic critics Jorge Guitián and Carmen Ordiz, and chefs Ricardo Sanz (one Michelin Star and three Repsol Guide Suns), Jose Antonio Campoviejo (one Michelin Star and two Repsol Guide Suns), Diego Fernández (one Michelin Star and two Repsol Guide Suns), and Alejandro Villa (chef from the Michelin Guide and Repsol Guide) will crown the country's best appetizer.
Your choice will weigh originality, presentation, flavor balance, and service viability.
The Spanish Championship 'The Perfect Appetizer' is sponsored by the Avilés City Council, a town chosen as the Spanish Capital of the Appetizer 2026, Vermut Picofino, Regala Restaurantes, Singularu Joyas, Sal Maldon, and Ucayc.
