Restaurant in Zarza de Granadilla, Spain
Michelin star, rural Extremadura — book ahead.
A Michelin-starred tasting menu restaurant in a small Extremaduran village, Versátil earns a dedicated food trip. Chef Alejandro Hernández — trained under Martín Berasategui — runs two seasonal menus built on regional produce, with a 4.9 Google rating from nearly 2,000 reviews to back up the reputation. Book weeks ahead; this is a hard reservation, especially on weekends.
Versátil is the right choice if you are planning a food-focused trip into Extremadura and want a Michelin-starred tasting menu that draws directly from the region's seasonal produce. It is not a detour-worthy add-on to a broader itinerary — it is the reason to go to Zarza de Granadilla. If you are travelling with someone who wants casual dining or a broad à la carte selection, manage expectations in advance: the format here is tasting menus, and the kitchen leans into Extremaduran ingredients with intention. Book well ahead; this is a hard reservation to secure, especially on weekends.
Zarza de Granadilla is a small village in the north of Cáceres province, and Versátil sits within it at C. el Lagar, 6 , the kind of address that makes first-time visitors double-check the map. The dining room is described as eclectic yet welcoming, a contrast to the austere rural setting outside. The Bodega functions as a secondary space: more informal in register, and doubling as an art gallery. For a full tasting menu experience, the main dining room is the right call. The Bodega is worth knowing about if you are travelling with someone who wants a lighter, less structured meal , or if you want to extend the visit beyond the table.
The physical scale of the venue is intimate by design. In a village this size, there is no audience to fill a large room, and that suits the format. Tasting menus work leading in spaces where the kitchen and the table are in close relationship, and Versátil's room supports that. Arrive with time to settle in rather than treating it as a quick stop.
The menu structure at Versátil is built around two tasting options: 'Paseo Extremeño' and 'Gran Paseo Extremeño'. Both are anchored in updated traditional Extremaduran cuisine, with seasonal produce from the region driving the content of each. The chef, Alejandro Hernández, trained under Martín Berasategui in Lasarte-Oria , a kitchen known for technical precision , and that background shows in the execution here, even as the ingredients shift with the calendar.
Seasonal rotation is not a marketing framing at Versátil; it is the actual mechanism of the menu. Extremadura's larder is genuinely distinct: Ibérico products, wild mushrooms, game in autumn and winter, fresh river fish, and the region's distinctive olive oils and paprika all cycle through depending on the time of year. Visiting in autumn or early winter gives you access to the broadest expression of the kitchen's range. Spring menus lean greener and lighter. Summer visits introduce dishes like the documented liquid summer salad , a technically adventurous preparation that shows the kitchen's willingness to apply fine-dining technique to hyperlocal produce.
If you can only visit once, autumn is the strongest season. The produce depth is at its highest, and the tasting menu format allows the kitchen to showcase a wider arc of Extremaduran ingredients. That said, any season works if the trip is planned around Versátil's current menu rather than assumed dishes from a previous visit.
Getting a table at Versátil is genuinely difficult. A Google rating of 4.9 across 1,916 reviews reflects both the quality and the word-of-mouth reach that has extended well beyond the local area. The restaurant draws visitors making dedicated food trips to Extremadura, which means weekend tables fill quickly and lead times of several weeks are realistic for Friday and Saturday dinner. The award recognition , Michelin 1 Star (2024) , has only increased demand.
Opening hours narrow your window further. The kitchen is closed Monday and Tuesday entirely. Wednesday through Friday, service runs 2 PM–4 PM for lunch and 9 PM–11 PM for dinner. Saturday mirrors the midweek pattern. Sunday is lunch only (2 PM–4 PM). If your travel schedule gives you a choice, a Thursday or Friday lunch is the most accessible booking to secure and lets you arrive unhurried from wherever you are staying. If you are combining the visit with a stay in the area, check our Zarza de Granadilla hotels guide for options close to the restaurant.
Versátil does not exist in a vacuum. If you are making a dedicated food trip to Spain's west, the broader context is worth knowing. Atrio in Cáceres is the other major Michelin reference in the province , two stars, a wine cellar of serious depth, and a hotel attached for those who want to stay within the experience. Versátil is the leaner, more singular proposition: one star, one village, two tasting menus, and a kitchen that earns its reputation without the infrastructure of a destination hotel behind it.
For anyone building an Extremadura itinerary around food, restaurants, bars, and experiences, our guides cover what else is worth your time: restaurants in Zarza de Granadilla, bars in Zarza de Granadilla, wineries in Zarza de Granadilla, and experiences in Zarza de Granadilla.
Versátil is a tasting menu restaurant in a small rural village in northern Cáceres province. It holds a Michelin star (2024) and has a 4.9 Google rating from nearly 2,000 reviews. First-timers should arrive knowing the format: two set menus built around seasonal Extremaduran produce, with no à la carte option in the main dining room. A car is required to reach Zarza de Granadilla. Book at least three to four weeks ahead for weekend slots. At €€€ pricing, it sits below the cost of Spain's €€€€ three-star circuit but delivers a level of technical execution that justifies the journey from Plasencia or Cáceres city.
There is no à la carte selection in the main dining room, so the decision is between 'Paseo Extremeño' and 'Gran Paseo Extremeño'. The longer menu gives you more range and is the better choice if this is a dedicated food trip. The kitchen's documented dishes include a liquid summer salad and a Versátil espresso and oak-infused dessert , both reflecting the kind of technical creativity you would expect from a chef who trained under Martín Berasategui. If you want a less structured experience, the Bodega offers an informal menu alongside its role as an art gallery.
Lunch is the more practical choice for most visitors. Wednesday through Saturday lunch runs 2 PM–4 PM, and Sunday is lunch-only. Dinner is available Wednesday through Saturday (9 PM–11 PM) but is harder to book and requires either a local stay or a late-night drive. If your schedule allows, a Thursday or Friday lunch is the sweet spot: more available than Saturday, and a more relaxed pace into the afternoon. Sunday lunch works well if you are ending a weekend trip through Extremadura.
No specific dietary accommodation policy is confirmed in the available data. Given the tasting menu format and the kitchen's reliance on seasonal Extremaduran produce , which includes Ibérico products, game, and fish , guests with significant dietary restrictions should contact the restaurant directly before booking. The Bodega's informal menu may offer more flexibility, but this is not confirmed. Do not assume standard Michelin-level adaptability without checking in advance.
There are no direct Michelin-starred alternatives within Zarza de Granadilla itself. The closest comparable in the province is Atrio in Cáceres, which holds two Michelin stars and includes a hotel, making it the higher-spend, higher-infrastructure option for the same region. For Spain's broader fine-dining circuit at a similar or higher level, see Arzak in San Sebastián, Azurmendi in Larrabetzu, or Mugaritz in Errenteria. For the full picture of what is available locally, see our Zarza de Granadilla restaurants guide.
check the venue's official channels before booking — tasting menu formats like 'Paseo Extremeño' and 'Gran Paseo Extremeño' are built around a fixed sequence, which means advance notice is the only reliable way to accommodate dietary needs. The Bodega's more informal menu may offer additional flexibility. Given the rural location and small team, the earlier you flag requirements, the better.
A Michelin-starred restaurant in a village of a few hundred people is not a typical night out — build the visit into a dedicated food trip to Extremadura rather than treating it as a spontaneous stop. Versátil runs two tasting menus anchored in seasonal Extremaduran produce, trained under Martín Berasategui; the experience is deliberate and unhurried. Tables are hard to get at €€€ pricing, so book as far in advance as possible. The Bodega space, which doubles as an art gallery, offers a more informal alternative on the same site.
There are no comparable fine dining venues in Zarza de Granadilla itself — that rarity is precisely why Versátil warrants a detour. For Michelin-level dining elsewhere in the region, Atrio in Cáceres city is the closest high-profile comparison. If you are building a broader Extremadura food itinerary, the gap between Versátil and the next serious option in the province makes booking here the anchor of the trip rather than one choice among many.
The menu is set — you are choosing between 'Paseo Extremeño' or the longer 'Gran Paseo Extremeño', both built around updated traditional Extremaduran cuisine with seasonal produce. The 'Gran Paseo' is the fuller commitment and makes more sense if you are travelling specifically for this meal. The Bodega menu is the right call if someone in your group prefers a less formal format.
Lunch runs Wednesday to Sunday (2 PM–4 PM or 5 PM on Wednesdays), while dinner service runs Wednesday to Saturday (9 PM–11 PM). Lunch is the only option on Sundays, making it the default for weekend trips. Given the village setting, there is no meaningful difference in atmosphere between services — choose based on your travel schedule, and note that Monday and Tuesday are fully closed.
Keep this venue in your Pearl passport, rate it after you visit, and track it alongside every other place you collect.
