Comerç

‘Quedem a Els Ocellets!’ (Let’s meet at Els Ocellets!) children in the Sant Antoni neighbourhood would shout in the 1970s. The meeting point: the Los Pajaritos (‘the little birds’, or ‘els ocellets’ in Catalan) bar. While they waited for their friends, the kids pressed their noses up against the window and watched, fascinated, as the ‘eight-armed gentleman’ skilfully and swiftly operated all eight handles of the coffee machine by himself. One of those boys would open Els Ocellets in the same location, in 1984. Its welcoming style attracted artists, intellectuals and sportsmen who could be found seated at its tables, helping to create a unique atmosphere, which remained unchanged after the refurbishment of 2005, and which survives to this day, as the space continues to be a meeting point for locals and bohemians. Catalan-Mediterranean cuisine featuring a few tributes to dishes from Can Lluís, a restaurant founded by the boy’s grandfather in 1929. Unusual desserts.