Rioja’s In Residence Sessions to celebrate tenth anniversary in Madrid

The Rioja Qualified Designation of Origin (DOCa Rioja) will mark the tenth anniversary of its In Residence Sessions culinary programme this year with three pop-up residencies in Madrid, featuring chefs from Japan, Colombia and a third destination yet to be confirmed. The series, hosted at Semilla Food Studio in the Salamanca district, will run from June to October with the aim of bringing internationally recognised restaurants to the Spanish capital for limited-run engagements paired with Rioja wines.

Previous editions of In Residence have hosted chefs and restaurants from Denmark, the UK, Italy and the US, among them Paz (Faroe Islands), Santo Palato (Rome), Osip (Somerset) and Kasama (Chicago).

The programme for 2026 will start on 24^th June with Kinsan, the Tokyo restaurant led by chef Shinichiro Matsuki – the sixth generation of a family with more than 150 years of history in Japanese cuisine. The Madrid residency, which runs for four days, heralds Kinsan’s permanent site in the city, functioning as an international pre-opening ahead of their official launch later this year. The tasting menu will be priced at €90, including wine pairings drawn from a selection of red, white, rosé and sparkling Riojas.

Kinsan’s offering centres on eel, prepared in the traditional unagi style by steaming, glazing with a generations-old sauce and charcoal grilling. For the Madrid sessions, the restaurant will source eel from a Valencian supplier specialising in traceable distribution. The menu will also include Japanese omelette (umaki), clarified dashi and tempura.

Next, from 21^st to 25^th October, is El Chato, the Bogotá restaurant founded by Colombian chef Álvaro Clavijo in 2017. El Chato is currently ranked number one on Latin America’s 50 Best Restaurants list. Clavijo, who trained at the Hofmann School of Hospitality in Barcelona and Le Cordon Bleu in Paris, as well as in restaurants in New York and Copenhagen, has developed a contemporary approach rooted in Colombian produce, indigenous ingredients and techniques such as fermentation and slow cooking.

The following residency of the cycle will be announced in the coming weeks. Prices for the latter two sessions will be published on the In Residence website, where reservations can also be made.

Founded in 1925, Rioja was the first Spanish wine region to receive Qualified Designation of Origin status in 1991. It accounts for over 40% of the value of designation-of-origin wines in Spain and is currently exported to 139 countries. This is the third consecutive year that DOCa Rioja has backed the In Residence initiative. 

Food Desk

The 2026 In Residence Sessions begin on 24^th June 2026 at Semilla Food Studio, Calle José Ortega y Gasset, 67, 1º Derecha 28006, Madrid, Spain. For further information or to book tickets, visit the programme’s website here.