The coronavirus pandemic and its impact on the food industry has not stopped the Michelin Guide from announcing its list of top restaurants in Spain and Portugal for 2021 at a virtual event held in Madrid on Monday. The prestigious organization has awarded stars to 234 Spanish establishments, and of these, 11 have retained the top three-star status that they had last year.
The accolades are welcome news in a sector where some of the greats have had to shut down due to the crisis, including Madridâs ZalacaÃn, the first Spanish restaurant to receive three Michelin stars back in 1987. After 47 years in business, this iconic eatery was forced to closed its doors in early November. And many of this yearâs winners are temporarily closed as they wait for restrictions to be lifted.