A Tafona’s cuisine is a laboratory of flavours in which Galician produce from the coast and the vegetable garden speak to us of the region, culture, heritage and also markets, such as the Santiago de Compostela’s Central Market Hall, which he has turned into his second home.
Every morning, Lucia Freitas scours the stalls of the Central Market to stock her pantry with the best products to satisfy the palates of her diners. And every day the same scene is repeated, continuous greetings to the “placeras“, women who like so many others work from sunrise to sunset and to whom she wanted to give visibility with the “Amas da Terra” project, because for the chef they are the ones who give the essence to her land, the ones who give it its unique personality.
“Amas da Terra” was born after a trip to Japan, a country to which she returns whenever she can, and where she met a group of women who worked around gastronomy and some shellfish gatherers who freedived in Shima, a city with estuaries very similar to those of Galicia. This experience gave rise to a project that aims to give the recognition they deserve to Galician producers, shellfish gatherers, redeiras, barnacles, farmers, craftswomen, winegrowers, bakers and livestock breeders. They are the true protagonists of their cuisine, the ones who sustain the gastronomy of this country. Life experiences of these women that she wanted to capture in a documentary directed by Xisela Franco and premiered in 2022 at San Sebastian Gastronomika.
Lucia Freitas, one of the great figures in gastronomy
His dishes tell stories and tell us about his memories, about his land. Like the Froxán chestnut, which takes us on a journey to inland Galicia and the Festa da castaña de Froxán, where the product is presented on a plate of burnt wood to remind us of the fires that this area suffered. Or Caldo de Gloria, a traditional dish from some areas of Galicia that the poet Rosalía de Castro reflected in her poem “My house, my home”
Image of the future gastronomic illusion, the path of Lucía Freitas has not been an easy one. A lot of work, learning and obstacles to overcome, but never failures. His story begins at the Artxanda School of Catering (Bilbao) and continues specialising in patisserie with Jordi Butrón at Espaisucre, working with great chefs such as Roca, Aduriz and Pepe Rodríguez. At the age of just twenty-seven, he decided to return to his origins and opened a modest restaurant offering market cuisine with seasonal products and produce from his own garden. But the concept doesn’t work and when she is about to give up, two Americans, sons of Galician emigrants, try her cooking and are so satisfied that they offer her to be the chef advisor, organise the menu and look for the products for a restaurant they plan to open in Manhattan. Accepting this proposal guarantees him emotional and economic stability with which to tackle the works at A Tafona, which has gone from being a restaurant to a gastronomic restaurant with a tasting menu. From that moment came the recognition that his talent deserves, such as second place in the 2016 Spanish Chef of the Year Competition, the awarding of his first Michelin star in 2018 and the Chef of the Future Award 2022 granted by the International Academy of Gastronomy, which recognises the chefs with the best future and projection.
With A Tafona consolidated on the Spanish gastronomic scene, he launched another project, Lume, a more informal concept with fire as the protagonist, to which we must add a third one in the making, based on wood-fired cooking.
What does A Tafona offer?
A setting in an old stables courtyard with just five tables arranged in a space where modernity and tradition come together to create a magical atmosphere. A space in which stone, natural light and wood respect the lines of Galician architectural design and with the kitchen in view, but separated from the dining room by glass.
Its menu is based on local produce, with fish and seafood from its own garden playing a predominant role. Preparations with the identity that gives it its land, from the market, faithful to the season and cooked with care, without renouncing creative touches and careful presentation. Delicious and fresh vegetables, the traditional production of different types of bread made from corn and onion, sultanas and rye, chestnuts and seeds or local wheat and sea water, and sweets and pastries are also hallmarks of A Tafona.
“Casual and full of contrasts, as it combines striking stone walls with a beautiful staircase, a skylight and some other stylish details. The young chef, whose dream came true with this restaurant, prepares a modern cuisine with a lot of flavor, fine technique and elegant pairings” This is what the Michelin Guide inspectors said to justify the Michelin star awarded to A Tafona. A unique culinary experience that will make your visit to the city of Santiago even more unforgettable.
