Where a 3-Michelin-Star Chef Eats in Los Angeles
This week, we’re in Los Angeles with Aitor Zabala, chef and owner of the three-Michelin-starred Somni, one of the first restaurants in Los Angeles history to hold three stars.
The Spanish chef trained at a murderers’ row of Spanish kitchens, including three-starred Akelarre in San Sebastián, before spending four years at elBulli under Ferran Adrià, where a chance encounter with José Andrés changed his life. He went on to serve as creative director of Andrés’ ThinkFoodGroup for a decade, then opened the original Somni inside The Bazaar in 2018, earning two Michelin stars within a year.
After the pandemic shuttered it, Zabala rebuilt Somni on his own in West Hollywood: a 14-seat counter that debuted in the Michelin Guide with three stars at once, making him the first Spanish chef ever to hold three stars outside Spain.
Below, Aitor shares:
His favorite restaurants in Los Angeles
The restaurants he takes every visiting chef
The under-the-radar bakery that makes Somni’s bread, plus his go-to coffee shop
His favorite restaurants in the world, from a Barcelona tasca to sardines grilled over an open fire on the beach in Málaga
And so much more
(A Google Map with all of the locations mentioned is provided at the end of the interview.)