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Ico Palace (Lanzarote, A Single Repsol), opens season by welcoming chef Vicente Rioja, world famous for its traditional paella
The great Valencian chef Vicente Rioja (Rioja House, Benissano, Valencia), world famous for its traditional paella, Considered 'the best in the world' by great chefs and fans, and author of the recent best seller 'The great book (secret) of the paella, will inaugurate the new project 2026 of Ico Palace (Villa de Teguise, Lanzarote) with spectacular action: Vicente will explain in open dialogue all the secrets of Valencian paella and will cook it, actively helping the attendees of the day.. Besides, will sign copies of his book, considered the bible of rice and paella.
Eduardo Riestra y Sonsoles Lopez, owners of Ico Palace, after the great success of his previous project –‘Gastronomic Dialogues’ 2023-24-25- diffusion in Lanzarote of gastronomic culture based on all the Michelin-starred chefs of the Canary Islands, They are now taking a decisive step towards Peninsula with his brand new 'Stars & Terroir’, that will take up the whole year 2026.
This ambitious project, peninsular in scope and always with stars Michelin, will explain (and will give you to taste) the different territories of the Peninsula, with the same leitmotif as always: bring gastronomic intelligence to Lanzarote, in this case delving into the diversity of Spanish gastronomic cartography interpreted by its most relevant chefs.
Indeed, terroir is the new paradigm of cultural vindication and culinary respect that is the protagonist of contemporary Spanish cuisine.
Ico Palace It therefore proposes an annual program of actions with the presence of some of the best chefs from the different peninsular Autonomies, interpreters and ambassadors of their respective territories, both to know their idiosyncrasies and to learn and enjoy their products, traditions and contemporary projections.
Vicente Rioja, “the Paco de Lucía of paellas”
Ico Palace, in the season premiere 2026 with his project 'Estrellas & Terroir’, will approach from Levante to Lanzarote great chef and rice scholar Vicente Rioja (Rioja hotel-restaurant, Benissano, Valencia), described as “The Paco de Lucía of paella” by Quique Dacosta; creator of the “Best paella in the world”, recent Award for Best Career by the Academy of Gastronomy of Valencia; special guest (with paella included) for the best chefs in the world at the gala 2023 of “50 Best Restaurants”, whose Valencian paella was included, in 2022, in the Correos philatelic collection on Spanish gastronomy and author of the recent best seller 'The great book (secret) of the paella.
Rioja, fourth generation of the family that opened the Rioja hotel-restaurant (Benissano, Valencia) in 1924, does 101 years, He was always fascinated by rice: from a very young age, His culinary talent has been dedicated to sublimate the legacy of Valencian paella “Rioja”, the same thing his father and grandfather did, but “perfected” to the maximum excellence.
Vicente He is a celebrity among chefs, gourmets and paella fans from here and around the world. His restaurant is a pilgrimage point for chefs, artists and athletes from around the world, y its paella is considered in Europe, America and Asia “the best in the world”.
Vicente, who is not very fond of leaving his restaurant, where he personally cooks all the paellas (“I make the paellas, all, and only me"), travel from time to time because, dice, “everything that is not given, is lost”. So, despite the fact that he has had million-dollar proposals to open a restaurant in several countries, has never fallen into temptation, although he has cooked his paella in places like Madrid, Barcelona, Balearics, Dubai, California o China.
Their paella is strictly traditional, but touched by the improvements that it has been implementing throughout years of experience and studies. Its bases are non-negotiable: orange firewood dried for a year and a half; tomatoes, garrophons, French beans (horseshoes) and artichokes from his garden; pollo, rabbit and rabbit liver; sweet paprika (dried in the sun and ground on site) and saffron. And Sénia rice from the Arroz de Valencia DO, of which he is an ambassador, Of course. And most importantly: Vicente Rioja…
All this unique centuries-old culinary heritage and the great Valencian paella tradition that lives in Vicente Rioja will be learned, share, they will live and enjoy, with the resident chef, Victor Valverde, he next Saturday 14 February, in palace, the gastronomic hotel of Lanzarote, in the town of Teguise.
Vicente Rioja will sign copies of his successful book 'The Great Book' in person (secret) of the paella).
The plan in Palacio Ico
The inaugural day of ‘Stars & Terroir 2026' will be completed with an initial menu of starters from the chef of Ico Palace, Victor Valverde.
The event, in the form of a complete pack -talk-showcooking, appetizer and food- will be developed with the following program:
Saturday, 14 February 2026
12.15-13.15 h. Patio central (water service, soft drinks, wines and beers)
Talk-dialogue with Vicente Rioja.
Presentation of the rice from the DO Arroz de Valencia, their differences, usos, treatments… Myths and truths about paella. Tricks and secrets to make the best paella in the world.
13.15-14.00 h. Patio central. Aperitif. Practical class: Live participation of all attendees in the preparation of the paellas, with Vicente Rioja
14.00-16.30 h. Dining room
Food. Special starters from the chef of Palacio Ico, Victor Valverde; and Valencian paella from Vicente Rioja.
Menu:
Precio: 85 € (separate drinks, except the aperitif ones, included). Optional special pairing with champagne.
Reservations: 928 594 942 / 677 531 609 / sonsoles@hotelpalacioico.com
