Housed on the ground floor of Casa Martí is Els Quatre Gats, opened on June 12, 1897, by Pere Romeu and painters Santiago Rusiñol, Ramon Casas and Miquel Utrillo. The cafe had a strong resemblance to the Le Chat Noir cabaret in Paris and quickly became a regular meeting point for the artistic, ideological and cultural vanguard of the city. Participants included such illustrious figures as Gaudí, Isidre Nonell, Enric Granados and a 17-year-old Picasso, who had just moved to the Catalan capital and would hold his first solo exhibition in the restaurant in 1899.
After only six years in business, it closed in 1903. It wasn’t until 1978 that Els Quatre Gats was reconstructed at its original location on Carrer Montsió and the modern-day reproduction has made every effort to recreate the 1897 original. The menu designed by Picasso during his years patronizing the café can still be seen gracing the covers, and it still survives trading on an arty atmosphere and alternative reputation more than good food.