Malak

The story

Malak in Jaén – Contemporary Michelin-Starred Restaurant by Chef Javier Jurado

Malak, located on the Plaza de la Constitución in Jaén, is the project of chef Javier Jurado. The name, meaning “angel” in Arabic, is a direct tribute to his grandparents, Ángel and Angelines, who ran the restaurant “Los Ángeles”. Jurado grew up watching them cook, absorbing the values and recipes that would later define his own kitchen.

The restaurant’s ethos is built around the Sierra de Segura, a vast natural area in eastern Jaén. Jurado describes his cooking as a journey through its forests, rivers and valleys, recovering the culinary heritage passed down through generations. The result is contemporary cuisine that honours local, seasonal ingredients and traditional techniques, without losing sight of innovation.

This approach earned Malak a Michelin star, a recognition that speaks to the precision and clarity of the cooking. The kitchen works with produce from the surrounding landscape – olive oil from the region’s groves, game from the sierra, and vegetables grown in the local microclimate. Two tasting menus, “Aldeas Perdidas” and “Sierra de Segura”, guide diners through this landscape, each dish a clear expression of place.

The dining room reflects the same reverence for the terrain. Stone, water and earth set the scene, a subtle homage to the protected natural area that supplies the kitchen. The wine list, with over 150 references from around the world, is designed to complement the progression of the meal.

At Malak, the personal and the professional converge. Jurado’s cooking is a deliberate continuation of his family’s legacy, modernised but never detached from its roots. It is a restaurant that rewards attention – to the plate, to the story, and to the land that makes it possible.