Saó by Vicenç Fajardo

Ember cookery is the organizing principle here, a small Catalan restaurant tucked into a quiet village in the Baix Empordà where the kitchen treats live fire as a dialect rather than a trick. The menu reads Mediterranean and seasonal, with an à la carte alongside tasting menus. In summer, a terrace wrapped in greenery pulls most of the room outside, which is probably exactly what you'd want in a village this small.

One honor, in evidence: