At the age of 14, Berasategui began to work in his parents' restaurant, Bodegón Alejandro. He was sent to France to train as a
pastry chef when he was 17. Berasategui opened his eponymous restaurant in
Lasarte-Oria (outside
San Sebastián) in 1993. It was awarded a third Michelin star in the 2001
Michelin Guide. The restaurant was voted 29th-
best restaurant in the world by
Restaurant in both 2008 and 2011, the highest the restaurant has appeared on the list. As of 2013, he holds more Michelin stars than any other Spanish chef. In addition to his three at Restaurante Martín Berasategui, he holds three at Restaurante Lasarte in Barcelona and another two at M.B. in Tenerife (the largest of the Canary Islands). His restaurant M.B. in the Ritz Carlton Abama resort in Tenerife gained its first Michelin star in the 2010 guide. It was announced in 2013 that the
François Rabelais University would be awarding an honorary doctorate to Berasategui in culinary studies. It is the first time that the university has awarded honorary doctorates to chefs, with
Mikuni Kiyomi,
Philippe Rochat and
Pierre Wynants also receiving the awards. ==Michelin-starred restaurants associated with Martín Berasategui and their highest rating==