Marcos Granda, the sommelier with six Michelin stars, is set to open his first restaurant in Málaga

The group led by the restaurateur, which bears his name, will take over the premises recently vacated by José Carlos García, who last week moved his headquarters to the former Café de París in the La Malagueta area. At present, few details are known about the future project, but it is clear that large structures have already been erected alongside the façade and workers have begun work on the premises to adapt them for their new use.

When questioned by SUR, Granda himself chose not to comment on the future restaurant he is planning, which is expected to be named Paula, after his daughter. It remains to be seen whether it will be a fine-dining restaurant or, conversely, whether it will opt for a more informal and accessible style of cuisine to appeal to all kinds of customers. Whichever the case, it is sure to be a spectacular project, given that the premises in question cover an area of 1,000 square metres.

There is no doubt that the Muelle Uno shopping centre, owned by the Myramar Group, has moved quickly to find a high-calibre replacement as soon as possible for the Malaga-born chef José Carlos García, who ran the restaurant there for 15 years and was still cooking there until just two weeks ago. The premises are situated next to the chapel and the Godoy seafood restaurant.

Marcos Granda, together with his team, is one of the three Spaniards with the most stars awarded by the renowned guide. In Marbella, he owns the restaurant Skina, which specialises in haute cuisine from Andalucía and has been awarded two Michelin stars (one of the establishments whose name always features in the running for a third), and Nintai, a Japanese-style restaurant, which has one star.

In addition to the accolades he has received on the Costa del Sol, the sommelier also boasts a further three stars at the restaurants Clos and Toki (both located in Madrid) and Marcos, in his hometown of Gijón. Until this year, he held another star at the Ayalga restaurant in Ribadesella, but he has recently withdrawn from that project.

Marcos is, therefore, one of the leading exponents of fine dining, understood as the perfect blend of excellent service and high-quality cuisine. He is passionate about hospitality and has a single obsession: ensuring that customers who walk into any of his restaurants feel right at home. The sommelier was also on the verge of launching a venture in the capital three years ago, although that project ultimately fell through. Specifically, he had planned to open In-Formal at El Corte Inglés’ Gourmet Experience.

The city of Malaga has five Michelin-starred restaurants. As well as the aforementioned José Carlos García - who was the first to be awarded a star - the list also includes Kaleja, run by Dani Carnero; Blossom, run by Emi Schobert; and Palodú, run by Cristina Cánovas and Diego Aguilar. Granda’s arrival in the city is undoubtedly a real boost to its growing culinary reputation.