Santi Santamaria was the Spanish Catalan chef widely recognised as one of the most-decorated and most-controversial figures in modern Spanish gastronomy and the first chef in Catalonia to earn three Michelin stars. Born 26 July 1957 in Sant Celoni, Catalonia, Spain, Santamaria opened Restaurant Can Fabes in his hometown of Sant Celoni in 1981 with his wife Angels Serra. The restaurant earned its first Michelin star in 1988, its second Michelin star in 1989, and its third Michelin star in 1994, making Santamaria the first Catalan chef to earn the maximum Michelin distinction. He was a passionate defender of traditional natural cooking and an outspoken critic of molecular gastronomy through the late 2000s.
Santamaria passed away suddenly on 16 February 2011 at age 53 from a heart attack while presenting a new restaurant at the Marina Bay Sands in Singapore. Can Fabes struggled to maintain its three-Michelin-star status following his death and closed in 2013. The 2010 La Cocina al Desnudo (the naked kitchen) book and his sustained advocacy for traditional, locally sourced ingredients remain reference points in modern Spanish gastronomic discourse, alongside the Spanish-Asian and Madrid restaurant ventures including Santceloni in Madrid and Ossiano at the Atlantis the Palm in Dubai. His family has continued to preserve his legacy through 2025-2026.
TL;DR
- Spanish Catalan chef born 26 July 1957 in Sant Celoni, Catalonia
- Opened Can Fabes in Sant Celoni 1981 with wife Angels Serra
- First Catalan chef to earn three Michelin stars (1994)
- Outspoken critic of molecular gastronomy; advocate of traditional natural cooking
- 2010 book La Cocina al Desnudo; Spanish ventures Santceloni, Ossiano Dubai
- Died 16 February 2011 age 53 from heart attack in Singapore; Can Fabes closed 2013
Santi Santamaria key facts
| Born | 26 July 1957, Sant Celoni, Catalonia, Spain |
| Died | 16 February 2011, Singapore (age 53) |
| Cause | Sudden heart attack while presenting a new restaurant at Marina Bay Sands |
| Wife | Angels Serra (co-founder of Can Fabes) |
| Defining restaurant | Can Fabes in Sant Celoni (1981-2013; three Michelin stars 1994-2013) |
| Major distinction | First Catalan chef to earn three Michelin stars (1994) |
| Other ventures | Santceloni Madrid; Ossiano Atlantis the Palm Dubai; Tierra Madrid |
Early life and training of Santi Santamaria
Santamaria was born on 26 July 1957 in Sant Celoni, in the Catalan Vallès Oriental county, Spain. He grew up in Sant Celoni and developed his culinary interests through the Catalan family-cookery tradition rather than formal culinary training. He has been described as largely self-taught, learning his craft through reading, travel and direct ingredient handling rather than through professional kitchen apprenticeship.
Through the late 1970s and early 1980s Santamaria worked alongside his wife Angels Serra in developing the concept for what would become Can Fabes. The couple opened Restaurant Can Fabes in Sant Celoni in 1981, in a renovated farmhouse setting that became the defining environment for Santamaria’s traditional Catalan natural cookery approach across the following three decades.
Can Fabes earned its first Michelin star in 1988, its second Michelin star in 1989, and its third Michelin star in 1994. The 1994 third star made Santamaria the first Catalan chef to earn the maximum Michelin distinction, an achievement that established him at the front rank of Spanish chefs of the 1990s and opened the path for the subsequent Spanish three-Michelin-star expansion through the 2000s.
Santi Santamaria career timeline
- 26 July 1957: Born in Sant Celoni, Catalonia, Spain
- 1970s: Self-taught culinary education through Catalan family cookery
- 1981: Opens Can Fabes in Sant Celoni with wife Angels Serra
- 1988: First Michelin star at Can Fabes
- 1989: Second Michelin star at Can Fabes
- 1994: Third Michelin star at Can Fabes (first Catalan chef to earn three stars)
- 2001: Opens Santceloni in Madrid
- 2002: Receives Spanish Premio Nacional de Gastronomia
- 2008: Publishes La Cocina al Desnudo (the naked kitchen)
- 2008-2009: Public criticism of molecular gastronomy and Ferran Adria
- 2010: Opens Ossiano at Atlantis the Palm in Dubai
- 2010: Opens Tierra in Madrid
- February 2011: Travels to Singapore to present new Marina Bay Sands restaurant
- 16 February 2011: Dies suddenly from heart attack in Singapore at age 53
- 2011-2013: Can Fabes struggles to maintain three-Michelin-star status
- 2013: Can Fabes closes after 32 years
- 2013-onwards: Family continues to preserve Santamaria culinary legacy
- 2025-2026: Sustained legacy preservation; books and Catalan-cookery references continue
Santi Santamaria signature style: traditional natural cooking and the naked kitchen
Santamaria’s central argument, developed across more than three decades from 1981 onwards, was that traditional natural cooking with high-quality locally sourced ingredients should anchor Spanish high gastronomy, in direct contrast to the molecular-gastronomy approach championed by Ferran Adria and the elBulli movement. The Can Fabes menu under Santamaria from 1981 to 2011 became one of the defining traditional Catalan three-Michelin-star menus of the era, anchored in renovated-farmhouse setting and Catalan natural cookery.
The second defining element was the multi-restaurant Spanish and international expansion. Santceloni in Madrid (2001), Ossiano at Atlantis the Palm Dubai (2010), Tierra in Madrid (2010) and the planned Marina Bay Sands restaurant (2011) together represented one of the more substantial Spanish chef-restaurateur expansions of the 2000s. The Marina Bay Sands trip ended tragically with Santamaria’s death.
The third pillar was the public criticism of molecular gastronomy. The 2008 La Cocina al Desnudo book and the subsequent 2008-2009 public criticism of Ferran Adria and the molecular-gastronomy movement was one of the most-discussed gastronomic controversies of the period. Within the Spanish three-Michelin-star cohort Santamaria sat alongside peers including Carme Ruscalleda, Joan Roca and Elena Arzak as one of the defining figures in modern Spanish gastronomy.
Notable Santi Santamaria work
Several Santamaria projects have become reference points in modern Spanish gastronomy. Restaurant Can Fabes in Sant Celoni (1981-2013) is his defining 32-year operation and held three Michelin stars from 1994 to 2013. Santceloni in Madrid (2001) was his Madrid extension. Ossiano at Atlantis the Palm in Dubai (2010) was his international venture. La Cocina al Desnudo (2008) is his defining book, anchoring the public critique of molecular gastronomy. The 2002 Spanish Premio Nacional de Gastronomia cement his sustained recognition. The 1994 third Michelin star at Can Fabes remains the historic milestone as the first Catalan three-Michelin-star achievement.
Santi Santamaria awards and recognition
- 1981: Opens Can Fabes in Sant Celoni with wife Angels Serra
- 1988: First Michelin star at Can Fabes
- 1989: Second Michelin star at Can Fabes
- 1994: Third Michelin star at Can Fabes (first Catalan chef to earn three stars)
- 2001: Opens Santceloni Madrid
- 2002: Spanish Premio Nacional de Gastronomia
- 2008: La Cocina al Desnudo book
- 2010: Opens Ossiano Dubai and Tierra Madrid
- 16 February 2011: Dies suddenly age 53 in Singapore
- 2013: Can Fabes closes after 32 years
- 2025-2026: Family continues to preserve culinary legacy
Santi Santamaria impact on modern Spanish gastronomy
Santamaria’s most concrete contribution was the 1994 third Michelin star at Can Fabes, the first Catalan chef to earn the maximum Michelin distinction. The achievement established him at the front rank of Spanish chefs of the 1990s and opened the path for the subsequent Spanish three-Michelin-star expansion through the 2000s including Carme Ruscalleda, Joan Roca and others.
The second contribution was the 32-year Can Fabes run from 1981 to 2013 and the broader Spanish-Madrid-Dubai restaurant portfolio. The portfolio represented one of the more substantial Spanish chef-restaurateur expansions of the 2000s and demonstrated the international portability of the Catalan natural-cookery approach.
The third contribution was the public defence of traditional natural cooking and the critique of molecular gastronomy. The 2008 La Cocina al Desnudo book and the subsequent public discussion remain reference points in modern Spanish gastronomic discourse. Within the Spanish three-Michelin-star cohort Santamaria sat alongside peers including Elena Arzak as one of the defining figures in modern Spanish gastronomy.
Santi Santamaria FAQ
How did Santi Santamaria die?
Santamaria died on 16 February 2011 at age 53 from a sudden heart attack while presenting a new restaurant at the Marina Bay Sands in Singapore. His death was unexpected and prompted widespread tributes across the Spanish and global gastronomic community. Can Fabes struggled to maintain its three-Michelin-star status following his death and closed in 2013.
Was Santamaria the first Catalan three-star chef?
Yes. Santamaria was the first Catalan chef to earn three Michelin stars when Can Fabes received its third star in 1994. The achievement established him at the front rank of Spanish chefs of the 1990s and opened the path for the subsequent Spanish three-Michelin-star expansion through the 2000s.
Did Santamaria criticise molecular gastronomy?
Yes. Santamaria was an outspoken critic of molecular gastronomy and the elBulli movement led by Ferran Adria. His 2008 book La Cocina al Desnudo (the naked kitchen) and subsequent 2008-2009 public criticism made him one of the most-discussed gastronomic figures of the period, and the public debate remains a reference point in modern Spanish gastronomic discourse.
Is Can Fabes still open?
No. Can Fabes in Sant Celoni closed in 2013 after 32 years. The restaurant struggled to maintain its three-Michelin-star status following Santamaria’s death in February 2011, and closed approximately two years later. The Sant Celoni location continues to be associated with Santamaria’s legacy.
What other restaurants did Santamaria run?
Santceloni in Madrid (opened 2001), Ossiano at Atlantis the Palm in Dubai (opened 2010), and Tierra in Madrid (opened 2010). At the time of his death in February 2011 he was also presenting a new restaurant at the Marina Bay Sands in Singapore. The portfolio represented one of the more substantial Spanish chef-restaurateur expansions of the 2000s.
Santi Santamaria legacy
Santamaria’s family continues to preserve his culinary legacy through 2025-2026, including his books, his Sant Celoni roots and the Catalan natural-cookery tradition he championed. His public defence of traditional natural cooking remains a reference point in modern Spanish gastronomic discourse alongside the broader Spanish three-Michelin-star expansion he opened the path for in 1994.
