Marcos Granda is leaving the Ayalga restaurant. “I have to start choosing,” he says

Marcos Granda started the Ayalga project in 2019. "For me, it was an opportunity to do something in my home region after many years living in Marbella. I worked with an incredible team, and we achieved what no one had ever achieved in Asturias: bringing a Michelin star to a hotel restaurant. But the project is now running on its own, and for me, constantly traveling back and forth between Marbella and Asturias puts enormous pressure on me. My rule when I'm managing a project is to try to be present, and that's not possible for me right now. I've informed the hotel of my decision, and they understand. For me, Ayalga will always be my home, and I can only express my gratitude," he said. The hotel also expressed its gratitude to Granda through a post on its Instagram profile: "Although you are no longer part of the project, your mark will always remain at Ayalga. Thank you so much for everything."

Marcos Granda, originally from the town of Sotrondio, proudly represents Asturias and his early career in his family's bar, but since 2004 his life has been linked to Marbella, where he opened the restaurant Skina. Already boasting two Michelin stars, in 2024 he moved from the tiny premises where it had remained for 20 years to a palatial establishment on Marbella's Golden Mile, with the ambition of achieving a third star. This third star was even mentioned in the predictions before the awards ceremony, but ultimately eluded him. Granda accepted this, as he deeply understands the guide's rigorous standards. "A third star is very difficult to achieve," he said that same evening. However, he also acknowledges that pursuing it is his primary objective, and that he will spare no effort. If the guide is demanding, Granda is extremely demanding of himself: "I only understand one way of doing things, which is by giving it my all and dedicating myself completely, and right now that's putting a lot of pressure on me, so I think the wisest decision I can make is to focus exclusively on what's mine, one hundred percent. I can't handle any more stress. To do things well, you have to be well yourself," he reasoned.

Another reason that weighed heavily on his decision to leave Ayalga is the reopening, at the end of 2025, of Clos, his first Madrid project (the second was Toki, which, like Nintai in Marbella, is an omakase bar), after a renovation of the premises and with a new chef at the helm, David Villoria, for years David Muñoz's right-hand man at DiverXo. "I'm very excited about this new stage for Clos, but taking it to the highest possible level also requires dedicating time to it," he explained. When asked if he also plans to leave the Marcos restaurant in Gijón, Granda replied: "Not at all. Marcos is my own project that I share with Marcos Mistri," he noted.