Julen Baz

Garena is located in Dima, a tiny municipality in the Urdaibai Biosphere Reserve — one of the most ecologically rich landscapes in the Basque Country. Baz's cooking mirrors this extraordinary biodiversity: wild mushrooms, river crab, mountain herbs, and the ancient Basque practice of fermenting and preserving — all interpreted through a young, avant-garde sensibility.

Julen Baz, born 1988 in Amorebieta (Basque Country), is the youngest Michelin-starred chef in the Basque Country, earning his star at Restaurante Garena in Dima (Bizkaia) in 2022. He and his co-founders created a deeply local, nature-forward restaurant in a rural Bizkaia setting that draws on the biodiversity of the Basque hills.

Amorebieta, Biscay, Basque Country — trained in Basque contemporary fine dining; rural Bizkaia terroir focused

Career

• Chef at Basque contemporary fine-dining restaurants, Basque Country, Spain (2010–2018)
• Head Chef / Co-Founder at Restaurante Garena, Dima, Bizkaia (2018–present)

Mentored by Basque contemporary fine-dining tradition.