- Nothing is conventional at Restaurante Gamberro. Least of all its larder, which is deeply rooted in its culinary philosophy.
- That is why Franchesko Vera and Flor, the duo behind this leading light of creative cuisine in Zaragoza, boast an extensive network of local producers, as well as suppliers from other parts of Spain and even beyond the country’s borders.
- This is the Gamberro way: respect for the finest produce, a deep connection to the local area and an open outlook on the world.
Few restaurants manage to make produce, technique and creativity speak the same language with such naturalness and dynamism as Restaurante Gamberro (Zaragoza, 1 Repsol Sun and recommended in the Michelin Guide). And this is down to the hallmark of its culinary philosophy, in which technique and innovation carry just as much weight as tradition and respect for the finest ingredients. At this centrally located restaurant, the traditional Aragonese repertoire is infused with the spirit – and the substance – of Asian and Latin American cuisines, with a larder that includes suppliers from the local area as well as from further afield.
At the restaurant run by Franchesko Vera (chef) and Flor García (front-of-house), the duo at the helm, a brain fritter – so typical of Aragón – is coated in Mexican nixtamalised maize; the garlic prawn croquettes have a Thai feel and are infused with exotic spices, whilst the quintessentially Japanese takoyaki dispenses with the traditional octopus filling in favour of a stew made from certified Aragonese lamb.
Behind each of the 17 courses that make up the menu (€80 per person)—which changes constantly with the seasons—there has, for the past eleven years (the restaurant’s entire history), been an equally important preparatory process: the selection of the raw ingredients. At Gamberro, the pantry is not merely a list of suppliers, but a statement of intent. Franchesko Vera works with producers who share his approach to gastronomy, based on respect for the origin of ingredients, product excellence and a constant pursuit of quality.
Local suppliers…
Home is where the heart is. That’s why our network of suppliers has a strong Aragonese flavour. From Grupo Pastores, we source the renowned Ternasco de Aragón thanks to a network of over 800 livestock farmers spread across some 400 towns and villages. Vera is also the face of the offal products bearing this Protected Geographical Indication. From Teruel, and more specifically from Tierra Mudéjar, a leading name in duck meat, the restaurant sources the ‘pato mudéjar’, a key feature of the summer menu, as well as ‘pato mole’ (another example of culinary fusion). There, it also works with D’Gourmet, which supplies fresh truffles (a key element of its cuisine) and other delicacies.
There is no shortage of carefully selected ZGreens shoots from Zaragoza, nor, of course, cheeses from La Pardina, a cheese dairy in the northern part of the city (where vegetable gardens and livestock farms are still plentiful), with whose goat’s kefir curd they have devised a new dessert that is as eye-catching as it is delicious. Using the world-famous products from Radiquero (Adahuesca, Huesca), they make the cheesecake, one of the restaurant’s most renowned desserts.
Aragonese identity undoubtedly takes centre stage thanks to partners who embody the value of the region and artisanal craftsmanship. These include Carnicería Belloch, a highly renowned Zaragoza-based butcher’s that keeps the tradition of artisan charcuterie alive and works closely with Franchesko Vera, and La Huerta Clandestina, neighbours of the restaurant, who supply it with delicious fruit and other vegetables. Also based in the capital, they have a close relationship with Gussto Meat & Prime Foods, well known in the trade for the quality of their meat, who supply them with delicious cuts of pork from Teruel and other premium cuts of Iberian pork, as well as their beef tenderloin.
…and suppliers from further afield
Franchesko Vera certainly recognises the importance of ‘Kilómetro Cero’, but he does not allow himself to be limited by it. In his quest for excellence, he looks beyond his local boundaries. And this has led him to forge very strong ties with quite a few producers from places as far afield as Cultivo Desterrado, led by Rafa Monge and dedicated to reviving the traditional cultivation of navazo (in the brackish waters of Sanlúcar de Barrameda, in Cádiz). It is Monge who also supplies him, for example, with fresh peanuts, which Franchesko cooks just as he would any other pulses – to make, for instance, a hare stew. Or the virtually unknown ‘sunflower artichoke’, which has made him one of the few chefs to work with this variety.
He is a regular customer of Green Asparagus, run by farmer Carlos Camañes from Villena (Alicante), known for his extraordinary varieties of asparagus and his unique olive juice. Camañes supplies him with his famous, incredibly tender baby asparagus, which Franchesko cooks in many different ways.
Pescaderías Coruñesas is a regular feature on the shopping lists of Spain’s top chefs. The same goes for Makro, Spain’s leading wholesale company specialising in the hospitality sector.
But Gamberro’s pantry does not end in Aragón or even in Spain. Franchesko Vera’s cuisine constantly looks to other regions to enrich his culinary language. Ingredients, techniques and nuances from South-East Asia and Japan coexist with Latin American influences in a continuous dialogue with local produce. The chef himself, curious by nature, sources exotic spices and ingredients, often whilst travelling. The result is a cuisine deeply rooted in its local origins yet open to the world, where local character and cultural fusion cease to be opposing concepts and instead become the very essence of every dish.
About GAMBERRO
Restaurante Gamberro (1 Repsol Sun and recommended in the Michelin Guide) is a restaurant with a great deal of character in Zaragoza which, after eleven years of steady growth, has become a benchmark for the finest creative cuisine not only in Aragon, but also in Spain. Restaurante Gamberro is the personal project of Franchesko Vera (chef) and Flor García (front of house), a perfect professional and romantic partnership. Together, they have turned their restaurant in the centre of Zaragoza into a mecca for lovers of fine dining. Their secret? A highly personal approach to cooking that takes the form of a unique 17-course tasting menu (80 euros), with many of the dishes coming and going frequently to reflect the seasons. Their cuisine is built around ingredients, technique and concept. Together with her team, Vera applies these principles in a contemporary way, whilst never forgetting the origins of each ingredient. All this is done with a distinctively personal touch, reflecting a fondness for Aragonese recipes and ingredients, a taste for fusion with Asian and Latin American flavours, great elegance and a touch of humour.
Source: FABRA Comunicación