More stars for Malaga restaurants in the 2020 Michelin Guide

A year ago, Dani García made history in Lisbon by becoming the first chef from Malaga to be awarded three Michelin stars. Now, with the latest edition of this gastronomy guide, Malaga is once again in the news, because for the first time two restaurants from the province can boast two stars at the same time: Benito Gómez's Bardal, in Ronda, and Marcos Granda's Skina, in Marbella. Only two others from Malaga have achieved two stars in the past - Paul Schiff and Dani García, and that was with 30 years between them, in 1980 and 2010.

The 2020 Michelin Guide for Spain and Portugal was launched at the Lope de Vega Theatre in Seville this week, but it wasn't all good news: Kabuki Raw, in Casares, has unexpectedly lost the star it was awarded in 2015.

There were mixed emotions, then, but the rest of the restaurants in the province retained their distinctions: José Carlos García (the only one in Malaga city), El Lago (Marbella), Sollo (Fuengirola) and Messina (Marbella).

There was also a new addition to the Bib Gourmand category, as Fernando Alcalá's Kava, in Marbella, has now joined Café de Paris, Figón de Juan, Aderezzo, BiBo, Platero & Co and El Palangre.

The Michelin Guide had particular praise for Mario Cachinero, the young chef at Skina, in Marbella, saying that he demonstrates true talent in constructing a creative cuisine which evolves traditional Andalusian recipes.

Few restaurants were awarded two Michelin stars this year, so Bardal and Skina are in very select company: just El Poblet (Valencia), Angle (Barcelona) and Noor (Cordoba).

Elsewhere in Andalucía Mantúa (Jerez de la Frontera, Cadiz) and Dama Juana (Jaén) received a star for the first time, and Aponiente, Ángel León's restaurant with three Michelin stars in El Puerto de Santa María (Cadiz), was also awarded this year's Sustainability Prize.