Pinea

The story

Pinea in Ayora, Spain – Seasonal, Foraged Cuisine with a Michelin Bib Gourmand

Pinea: A Taste of the Valley in Ayora

In 2021, chefs Kiko and Elisabet returned to their hometown of Ayora, a small town in the Valencian hinterland, to open Pinea. This is not a restaurant that imports its identity. It is a project rooted in the surrounding landscape, a place where the menu is dictated not by a trend report but by what grows within a few kilometres of the kitchen.

The philosophy is direct: sustainable, seasonal cooking based on what the chefs themselves forage. Kiko and Elisabet are gatherers. They walk the fields and hillsides between one and eight kilometres from the restaurant, bringing back wild herbs, vegetables, and other ingredients that local tradition has either forgotten or overlooked. This “cocina del valle” (valley cuisine) changes with every season and is shaped by the weather and the harvest.

The tasting menu, priced at 55 euros, is a reflection of that landscape. It might begin with a tartaleta of local perro sausage, wild rocket pesto, and broad beans, followed by a heart of artichoke with handmade ricotta and prawn. A salt cod buñuelo, named after the local ferryman, is a nod to place. Mains include red tuna belly with a Manchego mojete and pine nut praline, or a loin of venison with pasta filled with its own Bolognese, Café de Paris sauce, and bagna cauda. Desserts, such as macerated Xàtiva strawberries with a mountain-lemon ice cream and an English cream of nettle, continue the theme.

The quality of this honest, ingredient-led cooking has earned Pinea a Michelin Bib Gourmand, an award that recognises good quality, good value cooking. It is a fitting acknowledgment for a restaurant that does not chase complexity but instead trusts the product of its own valley.

Pinea is a personal project, a constant evolution. It is open for lunch and dinner by reservation only, closed on Mondays.