In a city where the Japanese culinary scene has grown exponentially in recent years, two Barcelona restaurants have set themselves apart from the rest with an endorsement that goes beyond guides and stars: an official certificate from the Japanese government.
UMO Àlex Vall, in the Bonanova neighborhood, and Carlota Akaneya, in El Raval, are the only restaurants in Barcelona (and all of Catalonia) to hold the certification of “partner establishments promoting Japanese cuisine and ingredients abroad, ” a program promoted by the Japanese Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) and managed by JETRO (Japan External Trade Organization).
The seal, which is renewed every two years and is free to apply for, recognizes restaurants and shops outside Japan that consistently and verifiably use and promote ingredients and beverages of Japanese origin.
Certified establishments are listed on JETRO’s international Taste of Japan portal and may use the program’s official logo, a distinction that the industry views as a guarantee of authenticity.
What are these authentically Japanese restaurants like?
UMO Àlex Vall opened in the spring of 2025 at Carrer de Reus, 25, in Sarrià-Sant Gervasi, and since then has become one of the leading destinations for Japanese cuisine.
Its chef and founder, Àlex Vall, has seven years of training under Hideki Matsuhisa at Koy Shunka —a Michelin-starred restaurant—and a stint in Japan with master chef Yoshihiro Murata. The result is an omakase experience at the counter for just eleven or twelve diners, with a single seating at 8:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, where the chef decides the menu.
The eight-course menu, priced at 85 euros, combines Japanese grilling techniques, seasonal sushi, and locally sourced ingredients. Reservations open on the first day of each month and sell out within hours.
On the other hand, Carlota Akaneya, located at Carrer del Pintor Fortuny, 32, in El Raval, represents the tradition of sumibiyaki, the Kyoto-style Japanese charcoal barbecue. It is the first restaurant in Barcelona specializing in this cuisine and the only one in Catalonia to offer the exclusive Matsusaka Beef on its menu, in addition to A5-grade wagyu and kobe.
Unlike Àlex Vall’s omakase, at Carlota Akaneya it is the diners themselves who cook the ingredients on a charcoal grill placed in the center of the table.
A recognition also for Barcelona’s shops
The certification shared by both restaurants also extends to shops and businesses that sell Japanese products. According to JETRO’s list, these shops in Barcelona also hold this distinction:
- ASIAN ORIGINS (367 Muntaner St. and 102 Torrent de l’Olla St.)
- Since 1850 (Sabadell Central Market, stalls 289–291).
- ORIENTAL MARKET (212 Sicilia St., ground floor)
- PEIXOS J. ARROM (C/ Longitudinal 10, Nave 55)
- SOMENOYA (119 Aribau St.)
- THE BUTCHER SOCIETY (Carrer Felip II, 162 and Carrer Bigai, 10):
- TOKYO-YA (C/ Balmes, 197)
