Rigoberto Almeida’s El Pellizco Costa Calma Receives Michelin Recommendation
Chef Rigoberto Almeida’s restaurant, El Pellizco Costa Calma, has been added to the prestigious Michelin Guide just four months after launching innovative tasting menus, “La guantanamera” and “La majorera.” These offerings showcase a unique blend of culinary influences from Cuba and the Canary Islands, particularly Fuerteventura.
El Pellizco Costa Calma is now the only restaurant on the island featured in the guide, marking Fuerteventura’s return to Michelin after a decade-long absence.
The Michelin Guide describes the establishment as a “suggestive restaurant” located near the expansive Costa Calma beach, known for its excellent cuisine and a spacious, comfortable terrace adorned in white tones.
Almeida, a Cuban chef with Canarian roots, draws inspiration from his childhood memories in Cuba and merges Caribbean flavours with local Canary Island ingredients. The two menus focus on dishes that include “Pez en el agua,” featuring marinated fish with a tomato gelée, and “Flor y néctar de cabra,” which uses cured goat leg in a technique inspired by Japanese katsuobushi.
In its July 2026 update, the Michelin Guide highlights El Pellizco Costa Calma for its distinctive fusion of Cuban and Canarian cuisines.
This significant accolade not only re-establishes Fuerteventura on the Michelin map but also signals a new era for contemporary cuisine on the island, influencing the emerging New Canary Cuisine and the broader Spanish culinary landscape.
About Rigoberto Almeida
Born in Cuba to a Canarian family, Rigoberto spent his childhood captivated by his grandparents’ restaurant, El Pellizco, in Havana. He trained in Food Chemistry before pursuing a culinary career at La Bodeguita del Medio. After moving to Fuerteventura with his partner, Yahimara Ferrand, he climbed the ranks at the San Borondón restaurant, eventually completing a course at Le Cordon Bleu.
In 2018, he opened El Pellizco in Morro Jable, with Yahimara managing the dining room, and later graduated from the Basque Culinary Institute. Following the success of El Pellizco, he launched Lo Nuestro Jandía.
