The haute cuisine landscape in Valencia will undergo a symbolic change this week. The restaurant formerly known as El Poblet, with two Michelin stars and two Repsol suns, will be renamed Flores Raras as of Wednesday, January 28.
This is not a break with the past, but rather a “natural evolution,” according to Quique Dacosta, chef, owner, and director of the restaurant. The establishment will remain in its usual location at number 8 Calle Correos, under the same ownership as before.
This change of name seeks to reflect the maturity of a project that, since its opening in 2012, has acquired its own personality that already called for a name different from that of the parent company in Dénia.
Carolina Álvarez, at the helm of the kitchen
Flores Raras team
The big news at this stage is the appointment of Carolina Álvarez as the new head chef. Álvarez is no stranger to the Dacosta universe; she comes with an impeccable track record after six years leading the kitchen at Quique Dacosta Restaurante (three Michelin stars in Dénia) and being part of its creative team.
“Cooking in Valencia is a responsibility that I am very excited about. I came to this city almost two decades ago and fell in love with it and its people,” said the chef, whose profile ensures that the transition will be organic.
Her mission will be to maintain the technical excellence and respect for the product that define the brand’s DNA, while bringing her own vision to this new era.
Luis Valls, until now head chef at El Poblet, will leave the project with this change.
Flores Raras
Although the name and the head chef are changing, Flores Raras will continue to be orchestrated by Delia Claure in the dining room, while the wine cellar will remain under the direction of sommelier Hernán Menno.
For Quique Dacosta, the birth of Flores Raras is an affirmation of what has been built: “The project evolves from experience and maturity,” says the chef from Extremadura and Valencia.
The proposal will continue to focus on “knowledge of the product, the environment, and technique, understood as a tool at the service of flavor and emotion.”