La Cava Universal — Restaurant in Barcelona

We recently enjoyed a 10-night Western Mediterranean Cruise on the MSC Lirica sailing from Alicante (cost £420 each in January).  The third stop was Barcelona and we caught the local shuttle bus for 4.50€ to the bus station opposite the La Rambla (walking the same route would take about 30 minutes).  Whilst waiting for the 'hop on hop off tourist bus' we visited La Cava Universal Cafe for hot drinks.

We sat outside on the comfortable terrace and our visit was made memorable by a comical heron (Egret) who entertained us. The bird hid every time it saw the waiter and then posed for pictures with tourists once the coast was clear.  The terrace was immaculate and the cafe was located in a busy area of the city.  We received a very warm welcome and our order was taken quickly.  Our drinks arrived promptly and were very reasonably priced. This was a busy cafe with lots of people enjoying croissants...

Update: went up the block to Flaherty's and let me tell you, welcoming to all kinds. Unfortunately, La Cava Universal doesn't take kindly to the precise kinds of people that their restaurant targets, aka their customers. Perhaps their staff would rather serve those like themselves: everyone who is an angry, disgruntled, frustrated person who works there. Openly mocking of clientele and non-realization of Spanish fluency don't go hand in hand. Worst treatment ever. Don't ever go here unless you want to apply for a job and hate your life.

Hate to say it, and rarely say it like this, but this place blows. Why? The staff are a**holes and could care less about whether they work here or wear lead shoes at the bottom of the Mediterranean. Don't bother spending your time or money here unless you are in dire need of a restroom. Repeat: dire. Negative...

I had a very disappointing experience at this place. The toilet is supposed to be free for customers, but my mom had to pay to use it. When I approached to explain that we were customers, the lady at the counter didn’t speak English. She found a waiter who did speak English, but he told us that the payment was voluntary and that we couldn’t get a refund. I mentioned that we would leave a bad review, and he simply responded with “okay.”

I pointed out that the lady couldn't have informed us about the voluntary payment because she didn't speak English, and he rudely replied, “and you don't speak Spanish so what.”

This kind of customer service is unacceptable, and I would not recommend this...