Saó

Mediterranean/Catalan · Gràcia, Barcelona · €€€

Awards: Bib Gourmand 2026

Open since 2018

Saó means seasoning, or the moment of ripeness, in Catalan — and that's the language Juanen Benavent built his Gràcia tasting kitchen around. Three menus — Llavor, Germinat, Arrels (seed, sprout, roots) — trace a single arc through Mediterranean produce and French technique.

The Delekta Review

Mediterranean-Catalan produce, French technique — Benavent's cooking is precise, seasonal, and rooted in market relationships

Intimate Gràcia dining room — tasting menus built on seasonal produce, the space quiet enough to pay attention to the plate.

Juanen Benavent: Valencian, four years in Paris from 2013 — including the Goust kitchen of Enrico Bernardo, World's Best Sommelier 2004 Returned to Barcelona to open Saó as his own project — small dining room, km-zero produce, no concession to scale

Three thematic tasting menus — Llavor (lunch only Tue–Fri), Germinat, Arrels — building from short to extended over ten to twelve courses Optional pairings of local wines including organic and natural; the shorter menus can add a selection of artisan cheeses

Savoury crema catalana with aubergine base and caramelised foie gras — the dish that has become the kitchen's signature Crispy black rice with ajoaceite and lemon; meloso rice with mushrooms and green beans; false egg with corn cream and cilantro

Lunch service Tuesday to Friday opens the cheapest entry point — the weekday Llavor menu is the value proposition

What the critics say

Visit

Address
Carrer de Cesare Cantú, 2, Gràcia, 08023 Barcelona, Spain
Phone
+34 935 66 39 68
Website
saobcn.com/en
Reservations
Book a table

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