A meal at ‘Els 4Gats’ in the Gothic Quarter of Barcelona will transport you to the beginning of Modernistic art and leads you to imagine a young Picasso enjoying evenings with his many contemporaries, discussing matters that transformed into some of the most famous works of art in the 20th Century.

The history is rich with importance and intrigue, starting with its name. ‘Els Quatre Gats’, is Catalan for ‘The Four Cats’, and is a slang term meaning just a few people. It was chosen by Pere Romeu, the creator, in a self-deprecating play on words, as in: “Nobody was at the restaurant but four cats.”

Romeu was a successful performer in the famous cabaret bar ‘Le Chat Noir’ in Paris and he wished to establish a meeting place for him and his conversationalist companions in Barcelona that would resemble this restaurant.  ‘Els 4Gats’ was born in June of 1897 and it quickly became a favorite spot for poets, painters, musicians, and architects, the most famous being Picasso, who held his first public exhibition in the café. However, Romeu was overcome by his idealistic dream of owning the restaurant as a birthplace for artistic ideas rather than as a profitable business, and soon his generosity with bills and tabs forced him to shut it down in 1903, to the dismay of the people of Barcelona.

It was later reopened by another artistic circle and thrived until the Spanish Civil War changed the entire city until the 1970´s where it was once again brought back to life by three businessmen. Now it is a beautifully renovated restaurant with art hung on all the walls and even a menu depicting an original drawing by Picasso for that very purpose. The atmosphere is different than the numerous other cafes in the Gothic Quarter and the food is also of high quality and taste.

‘Els 4Gats’ is tucked away in the Gothic Quarter at Carrer de Montsió 3, just a couple short blocks away from Las Ramblas. The menu features a diverse mix of Catalan cuisine and an extensive wine list, and if you are interested in dining during for lunch, the Menu del Día offers a surprisingly diverse list of two courses and a dessert for a relatively inexpensive price of 12,50€.

Learn more about the history and menu of El 4Gats and also check out Las Ramblas apartments  near the restaurant.