Diego Guerrero
DSTAgE | Madrid, Spain
October 2019
Growing up in the Basque region of Spain, Diegu Guerrero searched for ways to express his creativity. He dreamed of becoming a journalist, then an artist, then finally, a chef. Although his parents urged him not to pursue gastronomy, his culinary dreams remained. Before graduating with honors from the Escuela de Zabalburu in Bilbao, Guerrero staged at renowned Spanish restaurants Martín Berasategui, Goizeko Kabi, and elBulli. At 23, Guerrero became the head chef of Restaurante El Refor in Araba, leading the restaurant to 2001 and 2002 Pil Pil gastronomy awards.
In 2003, Guerrero became the head chef of fine dining destination El Club Allard in Madrid. Under his supervision, the restaurant was awarded its first Michelin star in 2007 and its second in 2011. Guerrero left the restaurant in 2013 to begin working on his own project, DSTAgE, which opened in 2014. Using his vision of democratizing haute cuisine, Guerrero crafted an environment that is open and unfussy, with a shared kitchen and dining room. He also became a pioneer in employee well-being, deciding to close his restaurant on the weekends so his staff can enjoy a less stressful life. DSTAgE was awarded two Michelin stars in 2017.
