Restaurant Follia — Restaurant in Sant Joan Despí

I first came to Follia in 2012 and on my return to Barcelona I decided to pop in again. To my surprise the daughter of the owner had opened up her own part of the restaurant alongside two chefs she’d brought with her from her time spent in the basque country at San Sebastian’s ‘Mugaritz’.

I decided to try her spot as opposed to the upstairs section and I must admit that I was blown away. The spot feels young and fresh with three young, passionate creators at the wheel. I use the word ‘creators’ as that’s exactly what They did for us all night long; create.

They created an ambience of which sits snug between new and old, warm and cold, dream and life. I felt like I’d stepped foot into a dream I’d Already lived and was grateful to bé back There again. Gianmarco was in charge of our table and he walked us through each dish with a smile and know-how.

They created not only an incredible and to the bone menú, but a show to watch at the same time. The kitchen is in clear view, subtly open-planned allowing full vision of what is going on. Behind the scenes, in front of your very eyes. Team-work, communication and passion on tap. Marvellous.

Alatz’s chorizo and the trinxat melted away in my mouth. Kudos to Fran, Gianmarco and Alatz whom helped me in a more than acceptable level of English, enjoy this experience to it’s fullest. I’m very excited to return in a year or so to see how...

I really wanted to like this place given the high price, the great ratings, and the beautiful venue. Unfortunately, it can be that I’m not innovative enough to appreciate this kind of meal.

The dishes that came out were beautifully presented as it would be in a fine dining restaurant, small portions, big plates, and creative plating. The taste on the other hand, was quite flavorless and resembled much more to their earthy taste. One of the starters included an artichoke gelato, which tastes like an artichoke puree that was cold. My brain and tongue just didn’t agree. The tuna tartare on bread tasted like the ocean, and the mushroom foam with algae tastes exactly as described… mushroom forged from the forest with algae that was scooped up from the sea and scrubbed clean.

Sadly, the only starter dish that my palate did agree with is the potata brava. As usual, beautifully presented and a bit difficult to mess up.

In the case you do come here, skip all the appetizers/ starters and order the main dishes such as the pork and the fish.

The finally was a generous Pantone slice with a dollop of chocolate truffle gelato on the side. This was pasable as I do love chocolate and gelato but preferably, separated.

I’m sorry, but despite the beautiful venue, kind staff, and imaginative creativity, this just...

I have been to this restaurant a few times but not because of the food.

Edited in May 2025: I went again last weekend. Three of the four dishes I ordered were amazing (I don't recommend the barquito with mushrooms). So I am changing my food score from a 3/5 to a 4/5.

Food: 4/5 While the presentation of the food is what you would expect from an expensive restaurant, the taste was well below par. The portions were also extremely small. I don't mind the portions being small for the price but I expect the flavours to be very good. (Updated... See edit above).

Service: 4/5 Wonderful and very appropriate service.

Ambience: 5/5 An absolutely beautiful restaurant and garden. The reason why I...