Virens

The story

Virens, Contemporary Mediterranean Plant-Forward Dining in Barcelona

Virens is a contemporary Mediterranean restaurant at Gran Via de Les Corts Catalanes 619 in Barcelona, listed as Recommended by the Michelin Guide in 2026. The kitchen calls its approach "alta cocina vegetal", high cuisine built around vegetables.

Vegetables first

Chef Rodrigo de la Calle, a reference point for green gastronomy, cooks alongside Gio Esteve. Organic, local and seasonal produce drives the menu, in the spirit of plant-forward cooking. The carta opens with vegetables, mushrooms and garden produce. A selection of rice dishes follows, then organic meat and fish. The restaurant also holds 5 Radishes from the We're Smart Green Guide (2026).

The Gastrobotánica menu

For a longer meal, the tasting menu shows the chef's latest work. It begins with a run of snacks and moves through four vegetable dishes and a rice. Guests then choose between meat, fish or a vegetable main, and the meal closes with three desserts.

Bar, market and showcooking

Virens Bar keeps things looser, with classic tapas and green-kitchen flavors. On the third Sunday of each month the bar becomes a small market of local seasonal produce, and the team builds a personal menu from whatever you choose. A showcooking series with artist Jimmy Millán seats only 10 guests per edition, on six dates a year.