After Shopping At Les Quatre Gats

Let’s be perfectly honest; Asia is fantastic for shopping, but... Europe is better. Sorry, that’s just the way it is. And in terms of shopping success out of all the countries we’ve visited, Spain takes the lead big time. The best and the most interesting “After Shopping” place in Barcelona, is with no doubt Les Quatre Gats (“4 Cats” translated to universal lingo). This cosy little pub/restaurant, was designed by Puig Cadafalch in neo-gothic style, and was a meeting place for famous artists like Pablo Picasso, Miguel Utrillo and Ramón Casas. The atmosphere, live piano music and decorations are fantastic, and the service is... ehhr, Barcelona-charming. You will have most likely spent most of your day/s 'doing' the Diagonal blocks, so jump in a cab down to the gothic quarters of the old town, and get ready for this place. Here you’ll bump into slightly eccentric artists, big Spanish family parties, tourists of course, or just romantic couples. But they all have one thing in common - appreciation of great atmosphere.
What: Les Quatre Gats
When: Open from early morning ‘til 2am, and anytime between this is just as lovely. It tends to get very busy in the evenings, so bookings (for dinner) are essential.
Where: Carrer Montsió 3-bis, Barcelona, Spain
Dresscode: To use an old cliché: smart-casual, but not too ‘dressy’ (in other words, leave your Blahniks at home). This isn’t a fancy cocktail bar, but an arty, wonderful, charismatic pub/restaurant, full of life and history. We felt perfectly comfortable in our Sass & Bide’s and a blazer.