Mae

If you’re looking for the neon-soaked, sangria-drenched tourist traps of the Gothic Quarter, keep walking. Mae isn’t for the casual stroller. It’s tucked away in Sarrià-Sant Gervasi, the kind of neighborhood where the old money lives and the noise of the city center fades into a dignified hum. This is a place for people who take their eating seriously—people who want to see what happens when you put a Catalan, a Colombian, and a Costa Rican in a kitchen and tell them to find a common language.

The name stands for 'Mesa' (Table), 'Amigos' (Friends), and 'Experiencia' (Experience), but don't let the friendly acronym fool you. This is high-level, technical cooking that hits you right in the gut. The chefs—Germán Espinosa, Diego Mondragón, and the influence of Mariella—call it 'gastronomic synchrony.' It’s a fancy way of saying they’ve stopped looking at borders and started looking at how a Mediterranean prawn plays with Latin American achiote. It’s not fusion; it’s a conversation, and it’s one worth eavesdropping on.

Walking into Mae feels like entering a well-kept secret. The space is sophisticated but lacks the suffocating pretension of many Michelin-chasing spots. There’s an honesty to the room that mirrors the food. You aren't here for the tablecloths; you’re here for the protein rush. The menu is built around tasting experiences—the 'Mae' and the 'Gran Mae'—and you’d be a fool not to go all in.

Let’s talk about the food, because that’s why we’re here. The squid with coconut and lime is a revelation—a clean, sharp slap of acidity and fat that wakes up parts of your brain you forgot you had. Then there’s the pigeon, served with cocoa and a depth of flavor that feels ancient. It’s dark, rich, and slightly dangerous. You can taste the Catalan heritage of Espinosa (formerly of Luma and Fonda Gaig) in the technical precision, but the soul of the dish is somewhere else entirely, somewhere warmer and more tropical. The red prawns with 'suquet' and achiote are another standout, a bridge between the Costa Brava and the Caribbean that makes perfect, inevitable sense once it’s on your tongue.

The service is led by professionals who actually give a damn. The sommelier, Carla, doesn't just recite a wine list; she finds bottles that stand up to the bold, often spicy profiles of the kitchen. The wine pairing is mandatory if you want the full story. They’ll bring out things you’ve never heard of, and by the third glass, you’ll be wondering why you ever drank anything else.

Is it perfect? Nothing is. If you’re on a budget, the price tag might make you wince. If you’re in a rush, the pace of a tasting menu might grate. But if you want to see what the future of Barcelona’s food scene looks like—away from the crowds, away from the clichés—Mae is where you find it. It’s a restaurant that respects the past but isn't afraid to set it on fire to see what grows in the ashes. It’s one of the best restaurants in Sarrià-Sant Gervasi, and quite frankly, one of the most exciting things happening in the city right now. Go before the rest of the world finds out.