The Four Cats

Els Quatre Gats, the bohemian cabaret of Barcelona

The Barcelona audio-guided tour draws your attention to a building that stands out, with the look of a medieval castle: Els Quatre Gats, which translates as "the four cats". This famous cabaret, opened in 1897, was a high place of the artistic and bohemian life of the city.

Inspired by the Chat Noir of Paris

The place was conceived by Pere Romeu, who had worked with Rodolphe Salis at the Chat Noir in Paris, which inspired him to open an avant-garde and bohemian establishment of the same kind in Barcelona. The name is a play on words: it recalls the Parisian cabaret and takes up a Catalan expression, "to be four cats", to say that there is almost no one. Among the investors was the painter Ramon Casas, who financed the medieval furniture and the interior decoration.

What there is to see

Housed in a modernist building, Els Quatre Gats was the haunt of artists and intellectuals, among them a very young Pablo Picasso, who exhibited there and designed the establishment's menu. Now a restaurant, the place has kept its period decor, its woodwork and its bohemian atmosphere. It is a stop laden with artistic history, in the heart of the Gothic quarter.

Practical information

Els Quatre Gats is in the Gothic quarter of Barcelona, in a modernist building. Now a restaurant, the place welcomes the public according to its own service hours; the façade can be contemplated freely from the street. It is advisable to enquire in advance for a meal.

What does the name Els Quatre Gats mean?

It is a play on words that recalls the Parisian cabaret of the Chat Noir and takes up a Catalan expression meaning that there is almost no one.

Which famous artist frequented Els Quatre Gats?

A very young Pablo Picasso exhibited there and even designed the establishment's menu, which was a haunt of bohemian artists.