Picasso held his first exhibition here in 1900. The building is a Puig i Cadafalch modernisme masterpiece. The restaurant has been operating since 1897 as a gathering place for Barcelona's artistic and intellectual class, and while the food is competent rather than revelatory (solid Catalan cooking, good value set menus), the reason to come is the room: the ceramic murals, the Gothic arches, and the particular atmosphere of dining in a place where Picasso, Casas, and Rusinol shaped the culture of modern Barcelona.
Location
Gothic Quarter, Barcelona
Insider Intel
The set lunch menu for value — the food is traditional Catalan and well-executed. A coffee in the front bar area if you want the atmosphere without a full meal. The room is the main course.
Lunch for the set menu. Morning for coffee in the front bar. The Gothic Quarter location is central to everything.
Carrer de Montsio 3, Gothic Quarter. Catalunya or Urquinaona metro. Set lunch approximately 15-20 euros, dinner mains 15-25 euros. Since 1897. Picasso's first exhibition was here. The building (Casa Marti) is a Puig i Cadafalch modernisme gem. Reservations recommended.