Who is José Pizarro? The Godfather of Spanish cuisine in the UK.
Originally from a beautiful, rural village near Cáceres, Extremadura, José has lived in London for almost 25 years, and is often described as The Godfather of Spanish cuisine in the UK.
In his early career, he trained in the top restaurants in Spain, before becoming head chef at a Michelin star restaurant.
José Pizarro began his career at Gaudi, moving to Eyre Brothers in Shoreditch before becoming the Executive Chef at Brindisa. In 2011, he opened his first restaurant José on Bermondsey Street, offering simple and traditional tapas. His restaurants now include José Pizarro at the Royal Academy, Pizarro, and José Pizarro The Swan Inn, while he has also published a line of regional Spanish cookbooks and is a regular face on our TV screens. In 2023, José opened his first restaurant outside the UK: José by Pizarro, at the Conrad Hilton in Abu Dhabi. In 2024, José opened his third restaurnat on Bermondsey Street. Named after his own childhood nickname, Lolo is a contemporary restaurant, providing a unique blend of conviviality and culinary delights.
José believes in fresh, seasonal, quality ingredients and keeping dishes simple. He promotes the idea that great tapas is for all, and that home cooks shouldn’t be afraid of cooking several smaller dishes – it’s all in the prep & keeping it simple. The mantra of quality and simplicity along with José’s charm, enthusiasm and passion for Spanish food has led to José appearing on many of our favourite foodie TV programmes. A regular guest chef on BBC 1’s Saturday Kitchen, ITVs This Morning, Channel 4’s Sunday Brunch, Weekend Kitchen with Waitrose, Rick Stein’s Christmas, Food Network’s The Big Eat, and the popular ITV show - James Martin's Saturday Morning.
José’s talents don’t end there – his five books launched to great critical acclaim: Seasonal Spanish Food (Kyle Books, 2009), Spanish Flavours (Kyle Books, 2012), Basque (Hardie Grant, 2016), Catalonia (Hardie Grant, 2017) and Andalusia (Hardie Grant, 2019 - reprint 2023).
His sixth and latest cookbook - The Spanish Home Kitchen - launched in 2022 and it is a collection of over 80 best-loved recipes from the heart of chef Jose Pizarro's Spanish family home.
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"My restaurants are like my own house. It’s why I have open kitchens – so that my customers feel like they are guests in my home." Chef, art collector, and someone who appreciates beauty in many forms.
JOSÉ'S RESTAURANTS
