Julian Serrano facts for kids

Julian Serrano is a famous Spanish chef. He lives and works in the United States. He first became well-known in San Francisco. Now, he mostly works in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Julian Serrano: A Chef's Journey

Early Life and Training

Julian Serrano was born in Madrid, Spain. He went to a special school for hotel management. It was called Escuela Gastronomie P.P.O. in Marbella, Spain. After school, he worked in many famous restaurants. He cooked in places like Paris, France, Zurich, Switzerland, and Munich, Germany. He also worked on Caribbean cruise ships.

Moving to the United States

Chef Serrano moved to the United States. He worked briefly in Miami and Nashville. In 1983, he moved to San Francisco. There, he helped open a restaurant called Masa's. He learned a lot from Masataka Kobayashi.

Cooking in Las Vegas

In 1998, Julian Serrano moved to Las Vegas. He became the Executive Chef at Picasso. This restaurant is inside the Bellagio hotel. He brought his special Mediterranean-French cooking style there.

Chef Serrano also has another restaurant at the Aria hotel. It is named after him: Julian Serrano Tapas. This restaurant serves delicious tapas (small Spanish dishes). It also features molecular gastronomy, which is a fun way to use science in cooking.

In April 2015, he opened another restaurant called LAGO. It is also located at the Bellagio.

In May 2024, Chef Serrano shared news about his retirement. He announced that Picasso restaurant would close in August 2024.

Julian Serrano's Restaurants

• Picasso, Las Vegas, Nevada
• Julian Serrano Tapas, Las Vegas, Nevada
• LAGO, Las Vegas, Nevada
• LAGO, Shanghai, China

Awards and Recognition

Julian Serrano has won many important awards for his cooking.

• He won the James Beard Foundation Award two times. This award is like the "Oscars" for chefs! He won for Best Chef Pacific in 1998. He won again for Best Chef Southwest in 2002.
• His restaurant, Julian Serrano Tapas, was named one of the "20 Best New Restaurants in 2010" by Esquire Magazine.
• Julian Serrano Tapas also received a "Best of Award of Excellence" in 2011. This was from Wine Spectator Magazine.
• Picasso, his restaurant at the Bellagio, has also won many awards. It received two stars from the Michelin Guide. It has also won the AAA Five Diamond Award every year since 2002. Its wine list has received the Grand Award from Wine Spectator Magazine.