David Fernández de Zaragoza to Compete in the 2026 Tapas Championship

David Fernández Represents Zaragoza at the 2026 National Tapas and Pinchos Championship

David Fernández, chef of the El Gratal restaurant in Ejea de los Caballeros, will compete in the Official Tapas and Pinchos Championship of Spain 2026, representing Horeca Restaurantes Zaragoza. The competition will take place from January 26 to 28 during Madrid Fusion. This participation follows his achievement of the award for the best 60-euro menu at the Horeca Awards, which allowed him to qualify for the national contest.

The Culinary Proposal: La GotiKa

The tapa competing under the name La GotiKa represents a symbolic journey of a drop of water from the Pyrenees to Zaragoza. In a single gastronomic proposal, products that define this route are integrated: sturgeon and trout roe from the Pirinea Group, Persé caviar, Sierra del Moncayo DOP oil, thyme, rosemary, juniper berries, Fuentes de Ebro DOP onion, local vegetables, Aragonese pickles, garnacha vinegar, Enate Chardonnay barrel DO Somontano, and Gin Vinica.

The culinary preparation reproduces the transit of the drop through mountains, rivers, aromatic flora, and traditional crops, symbolically concluding at the Torre del Agua in Zaragoza, a monument from the 2008 International Exhibition.

According to David Fernández, this tapa is a tribute to the territory and to the relationship that Aragon has with water. The chef emphasizes that his goal in the contest is to show how a product can tell a story and connect natural elements, tradition, and technique. He underlines that representing Horeca Restaurantes Zaragoza is both a responsibility and an opportunity to continue showcasing the work being done in local hospitality.

The Official Tapas and Pinchos Championship of Spain, organized by Hostelería de España, is in its fourth edition and has established itself as a national reference. Hospitality associations from across the country participate. The contest selects the six best tapas of the year for the national final at Madrid Fusion, requiring a single recipe without chemical additives.

Horeca Restaurantes Zaragoza has a distinguished history in this championship: in 2023, Susana Casanova, chef of La Clandestina, won the contest with her tapa Cruz de navajas. In 2024, David Fernández was a finalist with Mis tres cerditos, also from the El Gratal restaurant.