Chef Sergi Arola returns to Madrid with new restaurant after years in Chile

Renowned Spanish chef Sergi Arola is making his return to Madrid's culinary scene with the opening of a new restaurant called Austral, located at 61 Velázquez Street in the capital's Salamanca neighborhood. The project marks his return to the city ten years after the closure of his previous high-end establishments due to financial difficulties.

Austral is a collaboration between Arola and the Chilean group Los Lirios, specifically stemming from a project proposed by owner José Luis Ansoleaga. The restaurant draws heavy inspiration from the seven years Arola has spent living in Chile, where he has traveled extensively, filmed television programs, and immersed himself in local culture and traditions. The establishment is divided into two distinct concepts: a street-level pisco bar featuring his signature bravas potatoes and a downstairs dining room focused on traditional Chilean cuisine and South Pacific flavors.

Reflecting on his career during a recent television appearance and interviews, Arola opened up about the severe financial ruin he experienced following the 2016 closure of his Michelin-starred restaurant in Madrid. Describing that turbulent period as a life lesson, he admitted that management was his weakest point at the time and that he struggled significantly before relocating abroad to rebuild his professional life as a consultant and television personality.

"For me, that era is now a life lesson," Arola stated, adding that he looks back without bitterness or a desire for revenge. He noted that moving to South America completely transformed his perspective, allowing him to connect with rural life, agriculture, and nature in ways that enriched him both professionally and personally.

The menu at Austral focuses heavily on fire and spoon dishes, steering away from a formal tasting menu in favor of an accessible a la carte offering. Dishes range from stews cooked with hot stones to seafood and meat preparations that blend indigenous ingredients with historical Spanish influences, reinterpreted through Arola's personal culinary lens.

Now 58 years old, the chef expressed that he harbors no regrets about his past struggles, noting they ultimately led him to his current life and marriage to Chilean nurse Francisca Leree. While he does not rule out future recognition from guidebooks like Michelin, his primary focus is on establishing a genuine culinary bridge between South America and Spain.

"All I aspire to with Austral is to try to establish a culinary bridge from the affection and devotion I feel for that landscape," Arola explained, emphasizing his desire to share the warmth and familiarity of Chilean gastronomy with diners in Madrid.