Jesús Sánchez, in Elle Gourmet: memories, territory, and cuisine that touches the memory

Elle Gourmet magazine has published an in-depth interview with Jesús Sánchez, conducted at Amós, his restaurant at the Rosewood Villa Magna hotel in Madrid. The conversation, written by José Manuel Rodríguez and published on 7 April 2026, covers everything from the chef’s earliest childhood memories to his vision for the current season at Cenador de Amós: the 2026 Cantabrian Collection.

It’s an interview well worth reading in full. But here we want to share what we know first-hand – the things that don’t fit into an interview and that can only be understood by being on the inside.

Grandma’s peppers and a culinary tradition that goes back a long way

In the interview, Jesús talks about his earliest memories: a grandmother roasting peppers over a wood fire in Azagra, the pig slaughter, a boy who, at the age of 8 or 10, was already pottering about in the kitchen. There is no culinary tradition in his family. Just produce, seasonality and unpretentious cooking that he describes using words we know well: borage, cardoon, chicory, cod with garlic sauce.

Anyone who has eaten at Cenador de Amós will recognise those flavours. They form the foundation of everything that comes out of this kitchen, thirty-three seasons on. Navarre borage, peppers, pulses from the Ribera del Ebro: all of these travelled with Jesús from Navarre to Villaverde de Pontones and remain present in every course of the Cantábrico 2026 Collection.

What the interview doesn’t reveal — because it can’t — is what the kitchen smells like at six in the morning when the team starts their mise en place. Nor does it capture the silence in the dining room before Marián checks it one last time. You can only experience that by coming along.

Hake, anchovies and the dishes that define a cuisine

When Elle asks him which ingredient best represents him, Jesús replies without hesitation: fish. Hake in green sauce, anchovies from the Bay of Biscay. And then he tells the story of the ‘Marea Negra’ hake: a contemporary take on a dish he discovered when he arrived in Cantabria in the 1990s, glazed with squid ink and a pil-pil sauce made from the hake’s own collagen.

This dish has been evolving for decades. The version served today at Cenador de Amós is the result of thousands of trials, fine-tuning cooking times, temperatures and textures until achieving something that, in Jesús’s words, looks like a work of art on the plate. Hake is also on the menu at Amós in Madrid, where it has become one of the dishes that no one should leave without trying, alongside the sirloin steak ‘bikini’ and, of course, the anchovies.

For those who want to find out how fish from the Bay of Biscay is processed in Villaverde de Pontones, the The complete experience begins with a reservation.

Marián Martínez: the other fifty per cent

There is a line from the interview that anyone familiar with Cenador de Amós will wholeheartedly agree with: Jesús describes Marián as an essential part of the project, without whom it would be incomprehensible. She started out in the dining room with no previous experience in the restaurant trade. Over the years, she has become the manager of Cenador de Amós, a pillar of the team and the point of contact for diners.

What Jesus describes as a perfect partnership translates very clearly into everyday life. Marián is the one who checks every detail of the dining room, who senses a guest’s mood before they even express it, and who drives the team to maintain a level of care that goes far beyond technical service. She is the person who makes stepping into Cenador de Amós feel like arriving at a place where someone has been waiting for you.

Art, vegetables and a comforting broth: Season 33

The interview also touches on the Cantábrico 2026 Collection and the collaboration with the artist Juan Díaz-Faes, whose works form part of this season’s culinary journey. Jesús puts it simply: he has been brought into the creative process, and the result influences both the presentation and the dishes themselves.

But when asked which dish still moves him now that he has achieved everything, his answer is neither technical nor spectacular. It is a broth. A clarified, concentrated broth from a traditional stew, served in a small cup as part of the menu sequence. Depth, time and flavour. That is what defines this cuisine.

Visitors to Cenador de Amós this season will find Díaz-Faes’ sculptures interacting with the tableware designed for this edition, new additions to the Collection that explore the Atlantic pantry with a contemporary sensibility, and a social commitment linked to the Lovaas Foundation.

Navarrese and Cantabrian: no contradiction

There is a moment in the interview that really captures Jesús Sánchez’s character. When asked whether he is the most Cantabrian chef from Navarre or the most Navarrese Cantabrian, he doesn’t choose. He feels loved in both regions. He flies the flag for Cantabria wherever he goes, without renouncing his Navarrese roots.

This dual heritage is no mere footnote. It is the key to his cuisine: produce from the Ribera del Ebro meets fish from the Bay of Biscay, his French training blends with Basque tradition, and the memories of his childhood inform every dish he creates as an established chef.

The full interview can be read in Elle Gourmet.

Frequently asked questions

Who is the chef at Cenador de Amós?

Jesús Sánchez is the chef and co-owner of Cenador de Amós, in Villaverde de Pontones, Cantabria. Together with Marián Martínez, who is also the restaurant’s manager, he founded the venture in 1993. Today, it is one of the leading names in haute cuisine in northern Spain, with a score of 96/100 on La Liste.

What is the Cantábrico 2026 Collection?

This is the culinary offering for Season 33 at Cenador de Amós, which features a collaboration with the artist Juan Díaz-Faes through sculptures and tableware pieces integrated into the dining experience. It can be enjoyed by advance booking.

Where is the Cenador de Amós restaurant?

At Plaza del Sol (no number), Villaverde de Pontones, Cantabria (39793). About 20 minutes from Santander, in an 18th-century mansion surrounded by gardens.

---