David López

Chef at Local de Ensayo (Puente Tocinos, Murcia, Spain)

Born in La Mancha and adopted son of Murcia, López cooks up climate-responsible fare in his own plantation and his restaurant.

David studied to be an electrician, but discovered the world of cookery through a friend. He learned the trade in Alicante with Ricardo Moltó (whom he considers his mentor), and in Almería he madehead chef, until he returned to native soil in 2003 as co-owner of a restaurant which did not work out.

Failure due to inexperience, which, after a more intense training stint with Dani García, Vicente Patiño and Pablo González, took him to Murcia, where he found the confidence to open his own place: Local de Ensayo. A restaurant featuring some no-nonsense ingredients and haute cuisine techniques, where both the crew and the fare have expanded in recent years.