Chef Manuel Olveira On Finding A Home For His Food And Memories In Mumbai

At La Loca Maria and La Panthera, Chef Manuel Olve weaves together age-old family recipes, Spanish techniques, and Indian influences he found in Mumbai, to create a cuisine that feels both global and yet deeply personal. Know his full story!

Contributed By

Muskan Kaur

December 6, 2025

Chef Manuel Olveira—the man behind Mumbai's La Loca Maria and La Panthera.

“Some of my fondest childhood memories are of Sundays in Spain. It was always reserved for a happy and hearty family time. We all gathered outdoors around the paella being cooked over an open fire. The adults clinked their glasses of wine, the kids ran around, stories were shared, and all this, while the rice slowly cooked. Paella was never just a meal; it was a dish that brought us together,” said chef Manuel Olveira, when I asked him about what led him into the culinary world.

He is the owner of two of Mumbai‘s most-celebrated Spanish restaurants, serving an authentic fare, La Loca Maria and La Panthera. These restaurants bring flavours that chef Oleivra grew up eating and loving, to Mumbai’s accepting and risk-taking audience. He works not just with food, but with memory. And the fact that his food, which is borrowed from his family’s recipes, traditions, and emotions, speaks to the heart and tummy in equal parts, makes it irresistible for the diners. For him, “it’s not about changing shapes or adding trends, it’s about evolving classics so they fit in the way eat today, while keeping the true essence of the cuisine intact.”

Every part of the chef’s cooking and both the restaurant’s menus are influenced by the nooks and crannies of his childhood. “The stocks, the sauces, the way vegetables are treated and seasoned, and the foundations of La Loca Maria and La Panthera’s cuisine remain deeply rooted in the flavours of my childhood. Even when we innovate, the soul remains Spanish,” the chef added. Even the name of his first Spanish restaurant, La Loca Maria, borrows from his mother’s name, Maria, who inspired the restaurant’s creation.

Additionally, ‘La loca’ translates to ‘the crazy’ in Spanish, a name given to the chef’s mother because she was considered eccentric enoughfor her time and bold for being the first woman in her town to open a restaurant. La Loca Maria is an ode to chef Olveira’s mother’s confidence and passion towards her goal.

In a chat with Outlook Traveller Eats, he spoke about the joy and struggles of bringing a slice of Spain to Mumbai, one plate, one paella, and one Spanish tradition at a time.

The best of Spanish cuisine, squeezed into all but one dish: the delicious paella.

From The Cobblestones Of Spain To The Streets Of Mumbai

Born and raised in Toledo, Spain—a UNESCO World Heritage site—Chef Olveira’s earliest memories centre around his mother’s food. “My mother and my aunt cooked the most delicious dishes I’ve ever tasted,” he said, and that sparked his fascination with cooking. Cooking isn’t a textbook lesson, as Chef Olveira learned: whatever he ate and loved defined delicious food. “I learnt two things from my mother. First, flavour comes from patience and care; second, love is the most important ingredient of a dish,” he added.

When discussing Spanish cuisine, Chef Olveira emphasised that ingredients and produce are its core. In Spain, changing seasons drastically alter what appears on dining tables. The sustainable cuisine embodies the farm-to-table philosophy in its truest sense. “Food shapes our lives—it determines how we live, gather, share, and celebrate,” he said.

Setting up a restaurant in Mumbai is no easy feat. The city constantly evolves with new restaurants, diverse cuisines, innovative concepts, and fresh interpretations. In such a rapidly growing food scene, connecting with the audience is a significant challenge.

To strike a balance and connect with Indian palates, the chef drew on his memory as a guide, learning what Indian diners expect and prefer. In talks with chefs introducing regional cuisines to India, I have noticed hesitation toward “Indianising” their food. But Chef Olveira embraces it in a way that keeps his food authentic.

Now, masalas are staples in his kitchen, and he can’t imagine cooking without that Indian touch. “I use spices now in ways I never imagined in Spain. India has taught me that it’s not just about the spice you add, but also when and how. That precision is something I’ve learned here,” he said.

Food At La Loca Maria And La Panthera

To bring innovation to his most-loved cuisine, Chef Olveira introduces it in idiosyncratic ways at his beloved restaurants. He blends tradition with the contemporary. “Tradition gives me the story, the technique, the backbone. Innovation joins afterwards,” said Chef Olveira.

When I asked him about the parts of Spain that shaped his journey as a chef and a food lover, he described the impact of several regions in detail. Andalusia inspired his use of confit, a method of cooking food slowly in fat or oil to preserve and tenderise. From Galicia, he drew techniques for grilling over hot coals, while Castilian influences shaped his approach to slow-braising, combining slow-cooked meat with a small amount of liquid. These regional influences are evident in both his technique and flavour.

Spanish cuisine isn’t defined by one technique but by mastery of many, and Chef Olveira’s food proves it.

The Paella De Arroz Negro (Black Paella) at La Loca Maria.

With his restaurants, his aim is also to bring the undiscovered and unearthed marvels of Spain and Spanish cuisine to the diner’s table. “While France is considered the mecca for cheese lovers, Spain has incredible cheeses too. Yet very few outside the country know about it,” the chef said. He also mentioned how using unique ingredients and techniques in his restaurants piques the interest of diners, making them curious and thus creating awareness about the best that Spain and Spanish cuisine have to offer.

On Authenticity, Identity & The Future of Spanish Cuisine

For a chef whose food is built on memory, the idea of authenticity takes on a deeply personal meaning. When asked what it means to him as a Spanish chef cooking thousands of miles from home, he retorts with a simple truth: “Being true to myself. I don’t have to copy a recipe exactly to be authentic. If I cook something honestly and with love, that’s authenticity for me.” Now I know why his restaurants feel less like a Spanish eatery and more like extensions of his own kitchen in Toledo. Both his restaurants are places where flavours evolve, techniques adapt, while the soul of the food remains unchanged.

Spanish cuisine, too, is currently also having a moment on the global food stage. From Barcelona’s tapas bars inspiring menus across continents to Basque-style cheesecakes becoming universal favourites, the world is slowly waking up to the diversity of Spain’s culinary heritage. For Chef Olveira, its rise brings joy, not pressure. “It’s great to hear more people say their favourite restaurant is a Spanish one. It means Spanish food is connecting with more diners around the world, and I am proud to be a part of it.”

It’s fitting, then, that Mumbai—chaotic, colourful, endlessly hungry—has become the canvas for his culinary storytelling. In a city that thrives on emotion, nostalgia, and warmth, Chef Olveira’s food feels right at home. Each plate brings back a memory from Toledo, translating lovingly for a new audience, proving that food—when cooked from the heart—actually has no borders. And maybe that’s the real magic of La Loca Maria and La Panthera: that a boy who grew up around paella pans and open fires in Spain can create flavours that speak just as deeply to a diner sitting at a table in Bandra, Mumbai.

Also Read: Chef Sujan Sarkar On His Memories Of Pujo And Reconnecting With His Roots

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