A historic photo from the grand party celebrating the 190th anniversary of the Los Caracoles restaurant

BarcelonaA red carpet and a queue stretched down the street to celebrate a major milestone: Los Caracoles, founded in 1835—190 years ago—on Escudellers Street in Barcelona. The party drew a huge crowd, more than 350 people. Chef Carles Gaig told me, "Any European city would envy having this establishment." And the magazine editor... KitchenJudith Calix adds, "And an American would be blown away." Indeed, Americans are indeed blown away, and people here still remember the crowds of American sailors and such prominent figures as the Commander-in-Chief, President Jimmy Carter. Someone who had held a high-ranking position told me he took a Catalan official to eat there because all his American contacts raved about Los Caracoles, and he—who worked in tourism—had never been, an unmentionable omission on his résumé. In fact, someone who showed up Tuesday night and could have offered an American perspective was the chef José Andrés, who wanted to greet the Bofarull family, the large family that runs the restaurant and is now in its sixth generation. Andrés arrived like a whirlwind, accompanied by Isabel Pérez Barceló, Ferran Adrià's wife, who was there representing the former El Bulli chef. When Andrés came in, he grabbed a cocktail from Javier de las Muelas, made it clear he was taking the alcoholic option, and looked at an immense tuna waiting to be devoured by all of us: "This is a sardine, man!" he joked.

Speaking of perspective, the most significant event yesterday was the taking of a historic photograph, the one accompanying this news story, taken by my colleague Manolo García. It features three women representing the three oldest restaurants in the city. Between them—and this is quite something—they have a combined history of 618 years. The restaurateurs embodying this heritage are Susana Pérez, director of 7 Portes, the restaurant established in 1836 which will also reach its 190th anniversary next year, and which was run by... with her husband, Paco Solé Parellada; Alicia Agut, from Can Culleretes, the oldest restaurant in the city, dating back to 1786, and Cristina Bofarull, fifth generation of Los Caracoles.

If Can Culleretes is the oldest restaurant, Los Caracoles is the oldest still run by the same family, the Bofarulls. In the words of Albert Batlle, councilor for Ciutat Vella, it is "living history of Barcelona." He adds: "As I'm getting on in years, I remember Mr. Bofarull driving a horse-drawn carriage down Balmes Street and La Rambla." Batlle, who started coming to Los Caracoles as a child with his father, has a vivid memory of it because it was a sight that impressed everyone. "The bullfighter and wine producer Álvaro Domecq gave Antoni a white horse because he was very pleased with the arrangement. And Antonio decided to go down to work at the producer's house in Bonanova in a carriage he drove himself, stopping at the Boqueria market to buy produce," explained Toni Padilla. in a historical article about the restaurant published in this newspaperCertainly, this event was still being talked about at the party.

A proper party

But Los Caracoles wasn't just important to the city. One attendee recalled how her in-laws from Taradell, when they came to "do Barcelona," always had lunch at Los Caracoles. It was also important to its employees, some of whom, as Cristina Bofarull mentioned in her speech, had known up to four generations of the family. Judith Calix's father worked there for many years, by the till, taking reservations and filling out the orders. He remembers it as a very happy and fun time... except when the till didn't balance. Los Caracoles had a football team for the staff, people who could wait tables while Lola Flores danced around them. In fact, the chef Quim Marquès remembers coming as a child with his uncle, who was La Chunga's photographer. Their companion was Lola Flores, a woman young Marquès had no idea who she was.

The event was truly a feast. There was ham, oysters, caviar, dishes Hot drinks were being passed around. The red wine was Las Terrazas by Álvaro Palacios. "I've never seen so many bottles of Les Terrasses together," said one guest. They certainly didn't skimp. A tuna was sliced live, what's known as a ronqueoThere was a caricaturist capturing the essence of the guests, and finally, a tower of cava glasses, from which the golden liquid from the Oriol Rossell winery flowed. Meanwhile, beside it, a monumental cake in the shape of a snail, made by Christian Escribà, celebrated the milestone with candles indicating the 190th anniversary. Cristina Bofarull, in her speech on behalf of the family, recalled: "It's not just a birthday, but the testament to a legacy that remains like their hand, from those who began their dream, from those who started their dream, from Barcelona." Tears, applause, and much emotion. "No interior designer has set foot here; you enter through the kitchen, and entering is easy, but more than one person has a hard time leaving, as they will have discovered," she said. Indeed, at Los Caracoles, you know when you enter, but not when or where you will leave.