#News • 27 August 2025

These are the 15 chefs who will compete in the Chef Balfegó semifinal in Paris

Next Monday, September 8, 15 chefs from some of Europe’s most prestigious restaurants will present their best bluefin tuna recipe at Le Cordon Bleu Paris, where the international semifinal of Chef Balfegó 2025 will take place. The chefs will compete for one of the eight available spots in the grand final, which will be held on October 27 at Le Cordon Bleu Madrid.

After receiving more than a hundred applications, these are the 15 selected chefs:

Anthony Gerbeau – L’Artimon (France)

Athinagoras Kostakos – Nõema (Greece)

Francisco Silva – Vila Foz* (Portugal)

Jean Paul Tossens – Le Monastère de Saint-Mont (France)

Enrico Mantovanelli – Bistrot al 5 (Italy)

Lucas Vital – Vista* (Portugal)

Diego Duarte – The Yeatman** (Portugal)

Franz-Josef Unterlechner – Schwarzreiter (Germany)

Valeria Dell’Amico – Il Narciso (Italy)

Martijn Wetsteijn – Fred** (Netherlands)

Berjen Wiling – Ron Gastrobar* (Netherlands)

Shaurya Manchanda – L’Atelier des Augustins* (France)

Leo Besnard – Le Lion d’Or (Switzerland)

Davide Polli – Pramerl & The Wolf* (Austria)

Andrea de Carlo – Bavarie by Käfer (Germany)

 

A stellar jury composed of chefs Paolo Casagrande, Lasarte* (Barcelona – Spain); Rui Paula, Casa de Chá da Boa Nova (Leça da Palmeira – Portugal); Viki Geunes, restaurant Zilte* (Antwerp – Belgium); Christopher Coutanceau, Christopher Coutanceau* (La Rochelle – France); Heinz Reitbauer, Steirereck im Stadtpark* (Vienna – Austria); Daniel Schimkowitsch, L.A. Jordan (Deidesheim – Germany); and Domenico Stile, Enoteca La Torre (Rome – Italy), will be responsible for selecting the finalists, bringing a diverse, European, and demanding perspective to the evaluation process. Flavor, creativity, technique, and passion for bluefin tuna… everything is at stake in Paris!

 

 

The eight semifinalists who manage to impress the jury in Paris will join the four chefs already qualified from the Spanish national phase:

• Guillermo Chávez (Amelia, San Sebastián)

• Riccardo Radice (Fishølogy*, Barcelona)

• Angelo Duarte (Brugarol, Barcelona)

• Piero Aponte (El Molino de Urdániz**(*), Navarra)

 

On October 27, Madrid will host a final promising excellence, creativity, and excitement, with Europe’s top culinary talents competing for the prestigious title of Chef Balfegó 2025.

 

Our Partners

For the semifinal, we are proud to count on exceptional partners who support us in making it possible: Estrella Galicia, TheFork, Fagor Professional, Le Nouveau Chef, S. Pellegrino, Vittel, Sorlut, Gancedo, Oro Bailén, Le Cordon Bleu Paris, and Sanger.