The 5th Andorra Taste celebrates cuisine that showcases the region’s caracter

Now in its fifth year, Andorra Taste, the International High-Mountain Cuisine Festival, continues to focus on local produce. While remaining true to the essence of high-mountain cuisine, this year Andorra Taste aims to demonstrate how local produce, shaped by the region's climate, altitude and ecosystem, is integral to defining a unique culinary identity. From 16 to 20 September, chefs, producers and local advocates will explore this topic in depth, once again gathering in Escaldes-Engordany, the Andorran municipality hosting the professional conferences and public fair that bring Andorra Taste to a close each year.

In its fifth year, this international forum will also pay special attention to France, a neighbouring country with which Andorra shares historical, cultural and culinary ties, as well as a border. In addition to boasting excellent examples of high-mountain cuisine in the Pyrenees, the Alps and the Massif Central, France has undoubtedly influenced aspects of Andorran cuisine and its appreciation of local produce.

The foundation is the produce

Andorra Taste will explore how various chefs work with produce, examining the relationship that defines contemporary haute cuisine. In this approach, the landscape is not merely a backdrop, but rather the starting point for many chefs' culinary concepts. One such chef is Julian Stieger, head chef at the Rote Wand Chef’s Table** in Lech am Arlberg (Austria). He has developed a concept characterised by great technical precision, combining Alpine produce with a contemporary perspective and international influences. His close connection to the Arlberg region is fundamental to him, which is why he mainly works with regional produce, observes nature, experiments in the vegetable garden, and collaborates closely with local producers.

Riccardo Gaspari, another Alpine chef from the Italian side of the Alps, shares this approach. Set against the stunning backdrop of the Dolomites, Gaspari’s culinary philosophy centres on regenerative cuisine: creating authentic dishes that respect nature and are based on circularity. Gaspari believes in respecting seasonality and the value of produce, a principle he learnt while working on his family’s farm as a young man and later with his culinary mentor, Massimo Bottura. Gaspari puts all this into practice at SanBrite*, the restaurant he runs with his wife, Ludovica Rubbini, in Cortina d’Ampezzo.

Also sharing the Alpine stage with Stieger and Gaspari at Andorra Taste will be Emmanuel Renault (Flocons de Sel***, Megève), one of the world's leading figures in mountain cuisine and president of the Toquicimes festival. This annual event, which takes place in Megève every autumn, is a gastronomic celebration of mountain cuisine. It brings together chefs, local producers, and food lovers to celebrate Alpine cuisine and share knowledge about local produce and culinary techniques.

Further strengthening the French presence at this international gathering will be Vivien Durand. A chef of Pyrenean origin, he offers a true culinary masterclass in respect for ingredients and the forging of a distinct regional identity at his restaurant, Le Prince Noir*, in Lormont near Bordeaux.  With a firm commitment to sustainability, Durand appears to break with tradition, yet ultimately reinforces it, presenting it as a heritage to be preserved.

From the other side of the Pyrenees, Aragonese chef Iris Jordán will also take to the stage at Andorra Taste. From her restaurant Ansils* in the heart of the Benasque Valley in Ansiles, Huesca, she has succeeded in reviving and updating traditional local recipes based on regional produce such as game.

The respect for produce shown by these high-altitude chefs is influencing contemporary haute cuisine, as can be seen in the work of several Spanish chefs who will also be travelling to Andorra for the fifth edition of Andorra Taste. Hailing from the heart of the Iberian Peninsula, chefs such as Iván Cerdeño, Paco Roncero and Manolo Franco will be making the journey to the Pyrenees. With Iván Cerdeño (Iván Cerdeño**, Toledo), we will explore a cuisine that draws on memory but with a modern twist. Against the backdrop of Toledo and the River Tagus, Cerdeño explores the gastronomic legacy of the various cultures that have passed through the city, incorporating produce from its market gardens and riverbanks into his dishes. Manolo Franco does much the same in the heart of the Sierra de Madrid, in the village of Valdemorillo. At La Casa de Manolo Franco*, this former sports journalist is dedicated to preserving the tradition of mountain cuisine. Moving from tradition to innovation, we encounter the creative vision of Paco Roncero, one of the most prominent chefs in the Spanish capital. At Paco Roncero Restaurante**, he translates his culinary vision into a dialogue between Madrid's traditions, innovation, and haute cuisine.

In Barcelona, the same harmony of respect for ingredients and tradition, without losing the uniqueness afforded by haute cuisine, is evident in the work of Sergio and Javier Torres. The brothers work in perfect synchrony at the helm of Cocina Hermanos Torres***. They offer an insight into preserving the essence of an ingredient in a three-Michelin-starred restaurant setting.

Andorra Taste will also explore the enduring influence of French cuisine on contemporary chefs. Juanlu Fernández, the chef from Cádiz, pays homage to classic French cuisine while celebrating the finest Andalusian produce through traditional stews and recipes at LÚ Cocina y Alma** in Jerez de la Frontera. 

France remains a benchmark

This edition's featured destination is France. Representing it in the Andorra Taste programme are leading figures from the French culinary scene, including Emmanuel Renault, Vivien Durand and Dennys Teixeira. Also participating are French professionals who have worked in Andorra and Spain, such as chef Eric Marty and sommelier Audrey Doré. Together, they will explore the essence of French cuisine and its unique influence.

The unique relationship between Andorran and French cuisine will also be discussed at a round-table session featuring Renault and Durand, as well as Teixeira, who will represent the new generation of chefs who have found a means of expression in the region. His cuisine reveals a strong Mediterranean sensibility and a deep connection to the surrounding landscape of Bélesta, where he runs La Coopérative*, the restaurant at Domaine Riberach. Representing Andorra will be Eric Marty, chef and owner of Restaurant Eric Marty in Andorra la Vella. Having trained under the influence of French cuisine and been inspired by the legacy of Paul Bocuse, Marty has developed a gastronomic approach combining technique, respect for ingredients, and elegance. The discussion will also feature Óscar Caballero, a journalist and one of the food writers most familiar with the French scene.

The programme will conclude with a contribution from Oriol Balaguer, a master chocolatier from the world of confectionery, and an interesting round-table discussion in which several Andorran chefs will talk about the present and future of 'cocina de borda', Andorra's most traditional cuisine. The third day of the event will also feature a remarkable high-altitude wine tasting led by Audrey Doré, a French sommelier based in Girona. Doré is the director and head sommelier at Vii, the Roca brothers’ wine bar in Girona. One of the most recognised figures in contemporary sommelier circles, she worked with Josep Roca at El Celler de Can Roca for several years and was awarded the National Gastronomy Prize for Best Sommelier in 2025.