Guillermo Ramírez tells the story of his professional career as he turned his restaurant Pícaro into one of the most successful entries in the Gran Canaria’s capital restaurant portfolio: “I studied cooking at the Hofmann School in Barcelona. When I finished my studies, I sent an email to the 30 best restaurants in the world offering my services to them. I was admitted to the prestigious Danish restaurant Noma, where I learnt the philosophy of our profession: hard work, hours of dedication and commitment. At Noma I also learnt “less is more”. I nurtured myself with their cuisine, based on seasonal products, fermentations, and the traditions of Nordic cuisine.
After that, I moved to the restaurant Pier 51 in Stuttgart, where I worked with the person I consider being my mentor, Philipp di Mineo. I worked there as head of the meat department for eight months and took classes with several Michelin star chefs. With Philipp I also learnt pastry making. I then made the leap to the Asian continent and went to work at the Gaggan restaurant in Bangkok, a two Michelin Star restaurant, where I learnt Thai and Indian cuisine.
From there I returned to Gran Canaria, and after a few months working at restaurant De Cuchara, the idea of Pícaro, my own restaurant materialized. The cuisine I develop in Pícaro is contemporary and at the same time traditional, with influences from many other cuisines of the world. Speaking English and German opened few doors and enabled me to move freely around the world, and to travel and enrich myself with other cultures”.
All that learning around the world, plus the efforts and dedication that he put into his profession were rewarded in 2019, when Pícaro obtained the BIB GOURMAND mention from the 2020 Michelin Guide, an award that rewards and recognizes restaurants offering good value for money.
