Versátil

The story

Versátil: Michelin-Starred Contemporary Cuisine in Zarza de Granadilla, Spain

El alma de un pueblo

Versátil stands on Calle Lagar in Zarza de Granadilla, a village of 1,800 people in the heart of Extremadura. This is not a restaurant that tries to escape its surroundings; it is built from them. The Hernández Talaván brothers — Álex, David and José — grew up here, surrounded by dehesa, tradition and the everyday hospitality of rural life. In 2017 they opened Versátil, a project that reinterprets the cooking of Extremadura with a contemporary sensibility, always anchored in local product. “The soul of a village, the taste of Extremadura,” they say.

Three brothers, one kitchen

Álex Hernández Talaván is the chef. He trained in Salamanca and worked at Martín Berasategui’s three-star kitchen, but he credits Versátil as his real school. His cooking moves between classic and contemporary, with the raw ingredient at the centre. David, entirely self-taught, runs the wine cellar and the informal La Bodega space with naturalness and rigor. José, the maître and sommelier, brings warmth and precision to El Salón. Together they have created a project where the bond with the land is not decorative — it is the foundation.

Two spaces, one philosophy

Versátil offers two distinct dining experiences. In El Salón, an elegant and serene room, the kitchen expresses itself through two tasting menus: Gran Paseo Extremeño (16 courses, 99€) and Paseo Extremeño (11 courses, 79€). Dishes like carpaccio of presa ibérica with vegetable vinaigrette, or solomillo ibérico ‘madurado Versátil’ with chard and bellota, speak directly of the dehesa and the seasons. In La Bodega, the atmosphere is more informal, with an à la carte that shares the same product-driven spirit.

The family works with local ganaderos, agricultores and artisans. They source carnes from the dehesa, seasonal vegetables, honey from Las Hurdes, cheeses from Ambroz. Sostenibilidad is not a label but a natural way of operating: Versátil is a regenerative business that creates rural employment, activates local supply chains, and draws visitors to a village that might otherwise be overlooked.

Recognition and roots

This commitment has earned national recognition. Versátil received its Michelin star in 2022 and has renewed it annually, a distinction that the brothers say gave them “freedom to work with the best” without changing their essence. In 2023 they were awarded a Sol Repsol, and in 2026 they were included in the Guía Macarfi. These accolades reflect a project that proves high-level contemporary cuisine can flourish far from urban centres — rooted in a place, in a family, and in an honest way of cooking.