Celebrated Chef from Catalonia, Spain, Marc Rivas became a TV personality for his charm, dry wit, and vast knowledge of gastronomy.
Originally from Girona, Marc Ribas is a Catalan chef and television presenter, known for his appearances in the programs “Cuines”, “Joc de Cartes” and “Pop Up Xef”, all three on TV3.
Marc Ribas is once again the protagonist in Catalan restaurants with the premiere of new episodes of TV3’s “Joc de Cartes”, which is one of the great successes of the Catalan corporation in recent years.
The show is best described as energetic, dynamic, and daring, and perfectly combines the world of catering with a fully competitive competition, sometimes reminiscent of reality, and can also be quite harsh and greedy.
In a similar format to Come Dine With Me, contestants must eat at each other’s restaurants, and then rate each other on: the kitchen, food, service, and the pricing. In the end, they come face to face to hear the scores and then confront each other about the unsurprisingly “low” rating given by the competing restaurant owners.
With his characteristic beard and hairstyle inspired by Elvis Presley, the TV3 “hipster” chef continues to demonstrate his gastronomic and television talent with his charm and witty personality.
Marc taking part on the show “Joc de Cartes” along with the contestants.
Studies and Career
Ribas was born in Girona in 1976. At the age of 43, surprisingly, he was a student of Fine Arts and to earn a living, he worked in the hospitality industry on weekends. It was then that he discovered that it was his true passion and that he wanted to devote himself to it full time. Since then, Marc has lived and worked in Girona, Sabadell and Terrassa, where he currently resides, but also in Brazil, where he worked for five years.
He later devoted himself professionally to gastronomy, contributing his creativity to about ten restaurants, including Can Ferran, Vitrium, Capritx and Matís. El Capritx, which has been awarded a Michelin star, is a tiny restaurant that upholds the values of “slow food”, claiming to maintain ethical standards regarding animals.
In addition, in the city where he resides, Terrassa, he set up the Taverna del Ciri together with Artur Martínez. His television career began in 2016, when he began appearing on the TV3 program ‘Cuines’, but it was the following year that the premiere of the program ‘Joc de Cartes’ would catapult him to fame.
Taverna del Ciri, by Marc Ribas
Joc de Cartes’ Success
The latest season of Joc de Cartes aired this past September of 2021. This addition, shot last summer, proclaims the best seafood cuisine at Xiringuito La Sal in Cadaqués.
One of TV3’s most successful spaces, ‘Joc de Cartes’ and its chef Marc Ribas, are touring Catalonia looking for new restaurants. The summer version has ended in Roses and Cadaqués, and an episode of the show’s best moments aired on September 2nd.
With 13 new episodes, there’ll be a new category included in which wine will be rated, in a kind of cata. Contestants will have to score if the restaurant has a menu with authentic Catalan wines, and if such wines are served well with the recommended dishes.
The program returns with the usual episodes, premiering the Garrotxa region where ‘the best xup-xup (slow-cooked) cuisine’ of the region will be valued.
Among the many towns, there will be the metropolitan area, where Cornellà de Llobregat will be premiered and also Lleida. One of the programs will be dedicated to the best chef in the metropolitan area of Barcelona and to the sustainable cuisine of the Catalan capital.
