6 iconic businesses in Barcelona
Recently we read a news article explaining that the Barcelona City Council was going to promote a legal change to protect unique commerce. So much so that there is even a designed route through the most emblematic businesses of our city. The fact is that 182 emblematic shops in Barcelona still withstand the test of time, decades, and centuries, standing strong, adapting to new times without losing sight of their centuries-old origin. Not long ago we talked about what may be the oldest active business in the city: Cerería Subirà, founded in 1761 on Corders street, in the old quarter and moved to Bajada de la Llibreteria in 1908, to a building constructed and decorated in 1847 that has managed to preserve the original appearance of the establishment, with a double back staircase and two female statues that served as supports for two gas lamps, which have survived to this day.
Like this one, another 181 businesses make up the select list of emblematic shops in Barcelona. We review some of the oldest.
King's Herbalist Shop (1818)
If few businesses can boast longevity, even fewer can claim to be a “Royal Warrant holder”. That is the honorary title granted in 1857 by Queen Isabel II to this business, specialized in medicinal plants and founded in 1818. The first owner was Josep Vila, who would also be named the queen's Chamber herbalist, hence the name he eventually gave to the business.
The Herbalist Shop of the King is located next to the Royal Square and we can still find there more than 200 medicinal plants, as well as essential oils, candies, licorice, and organic and natural cosmetic products. Its current manager is Trinitat Sabatés, who also holds the recognition of 'artisan master herbalist', awarded by the Generalitat and held by only two people.
Although herbs are now collected by professional growers, at Herboristeria del Rei they are still processed in a traditional way, using old tools to crush and mix. It is also a good place to find natural remedies for minor ailments. Visiting the shop is an experience both olfactory and visual, thanks to the plant aromas and its nineteenth-century decor, among which we can see a marble fountain where leeches were once kept for healing. Those were different times.
Xancó Shirt Shop (1820)
Since 1820 in the hands of the same family. Founded by Antoni Cotchet, it had Josep Xancó as a clerk, a young man who did not want to study Medicine and was forced by his father to enter as a boy in this business located right in front of the Gran Teatre del Liceu. Upon the owner's death, he took over the business and since then it has always been in the hands of his descendants. Its strategic location in the Pla de la Boquería made this establishment the shirt shop for numerous tenors over these two centuries. Today, the regents are the fourth generation of Xancós who, far from being discouraged, look to the future with excitement and hope. And that is while they continue to serve in the old-fashioned way, with exquisite treatment towards the customer trying to find the best way to assist them with their selection. Here, unique garments are made, in the antithesis of what is prevalent in today's market.
From their display window in the heart of La Rambla, they have witnessed everything that happened on the Barcelona boulevard: the Liceu fire, the assassination attempt against Alfonso XIII, the Tragic Week... And it is that few businesses can boast about being on the verge of celebrating two centuries of existence.
7 Portes Restaurant
Parisian-style café located on the Paseo de Isabel II since 1836. It was that year when Josep Xifré had the so-called Xifré Porches built, inspired by the emblematic rue Rivoli in Paris. In addition to placing his residence and offices there, Xifré also constructed a luxurious café with seven doors for the general public and an eighth for goods and services. This would be the origin of the so-called Café de las 7 Puertas, a business that continued as a café until 1929, when it was elevated to the status of a restaurant. From that moment, it became a landmark of the city and a meeting place for journalists, intellectuals, politicians, and celebrities. Picasso, Miró, Dalí, Dr. Fleming, Robert De Niro... There was no celebrity who did not come to try traditional Catalan recipes such as the “guisantes ofegats”, zarzuelas, or the legendary “pijama”, conceived in its kitchens.
La Colmena Bakery (1849)
Sweetening Barcelona since 1849. That's quite something. 170 years since Rosendo Abella founded the pastry shop called Ca l’Abella in a premises on the current Bajada de la Llibreteria. It was a place where the star product was their artisanal candies, with which they perfumed the entire neighborhood. In 1868, the business was taken over by another family, the Costas, who renamed it La Colmena, although keeping both names on the facade, and moved to the current location in Plaza de l’Àngel.
After several changes of ownership, Francesc Roig acquired the property in 1927, and since then the family has been in charge to this day, with the great-grandchildren at the helm of such a tempting establishment. And it is that although it has passed through many hands, the essence of the place remains the same: buns, nougats, chocolates, coffees, sugars, teas... and the oldest handmade candies in all of Spain. Although the location has been the same for 150 years, the current setting of the place dates back to 1950, in a neo-Palladian style and was carried out by César Martinell, one of Gaudí's youngest collaborators.
Casa Gispert (1851)
The heart of Born, very close to the Basilica of Santa María del Mar, hides another one of those commercial gems that is worth visiting even if it's just for a few minutes. Casa Gispert, a family business that has been selling colonial products since 1851: nuts, dried fruits, coffee, tea, cocoa, vanilla, cinnamon, saffron... Along with these original products, you can also find organic products, chocolates, nougats, and other delicacies that will always make for a great gift. Entering the store and strolling among its sacks of spices is an experience in itself, as it is preserved in its original state. Like the wood-fired oven, unique in Europe and a perennial witness to the city's happenings, where they still roast their products today as the first Gispert did in the 19th century.
Viader Farm (1870)
This farm has managed to stand out amidst various trends, economic situations, and political events that have occurred over its more than 149 years of existence. Located on Xuclà street, next to another historic building such as the former Philippine Tobacco Company, which today has been transformed into the Hotel 1898, the farm owned by the Viader family started as a small dairy. Since then, it has always remained in the hands of the same family, passed down from generation to generation, with notable owners like Mr. Marc Viader, founder of the Letona society and creator of the famous Cacaolat. Among its most distinguished clients are names like Pablo Picasso or Santiago Rusiñol.
Among its varied selection, some artisanal products such as 'mató' and fresh cheese, Swiss chocolate, 'melindros' sponge cakes, and 'ensaimadas' pastries stand out, which are considered by many to be the best in Barcelona. In addition, its range includes other products like Mallorcan 'sobrasada', foie-gras 'bikinis', cheesecake, 'tarte Tatin', or various gluten-free items.
This is just a small sample of the century-old businesses that survive in our city. And although with less history, some others follow in their footsteps, like La Manual Alpargatera (1941), on Avinyó street, and many other historic businesses that add value to Barcelona. Let's take care of them!
