Aitor Zabala discusses endurance as Somni returns to Michelin's top tier

Chef Aitor Zabala spoke at TEDxBeverlyGrove 2026 about rebuilding Somni after its pandemic-era closure and a failed reopening plan in 2021. The West Hollywood restaurant later earned three Michelin stars seven months after reopening, underscoring one of California's most closely watched restaurant comebacks.

Why it matters: - Somni's return shows how a high-end restaurant can rebuild after closure and still regain elite status. - The Michelin recognition seven months after reopening put Somni back among California's top restaurants. - Zabala's story connects endurance, leadership and recovery in a business where setbacks can end a project.

What happened: - Aitor Zabala delivered a TEDxBeverlyGrove 2026 talk on endurance and rebuilding Somni. - The talk took place under the event theme "Reimagining the Possible." - Zabala described a turning point in October 2021, when his sous-chef resigned and the West Hollywood reopening site fell through on the same day. - Zabala said he considered stopping that morning, then decided on a rule that carried him forward: "not today, wait one more day." - TEDxBeverlyGrove said the talk will be released online in the coming months.

The details: - Somni first opened in Beverly Hills in 2018. - The restaurant closed during the pandemic. - Zabala spent nearly four years working largely alone in a small test kitchen without a dining room or guests. - Zabala described the rebuilt Somni as smaller and closer, designed to reflect who he actually was rather than perfection. - Somni reopened in West Hollywood in 2024. - Seven months after the reopening, the Michelin Guide awarded Somni three Michelin stars. - The award made Somni one of California's highest-rated restaurants. - Zabala is a Barcelona-born chef who trained at three-Michelin-star Akelarre before joining El Bulli. - Zabala spent four years in El Bulli's kitchen and elite test kitchen. - After a decade as creative director at José Andrés' ThinkFoodGroup, Zabala opened Somni in Beverly Hills and earned two Michelin stars before the pandemic closure. - Zabala became the first Spanish chef to earn three Michelin stars outside Spain and the first to receive all three stars simultaneously.

Between the lines: - The talk framed rebuilding as a discipline problem, not a motivation problem. - Zabala's message suggested that endurance can matter more than inspiration when a business faces repeated setbacks. - The Michelin result also signals that a narrower, more personal version of Somni resonated at the highest level.

What's next: - TEDxBeverlyGrove plans to release Zabala's talk online in the coming months. - Somni's post-reopening momentum will likely keep drawing attention as one of the state's most closely watched restaurant comebacks.

The bottom line: - Zabala's TEDx message was simple: rebuilding Somni started with staying in the fight one more day.