On Pare Roldós street in Barcelona, on the corner of Maragall promenade, there is a fork breakfast bar that makes your mouth water when you read the menu, written on the blackboard with chalk. No QR codes. This is Bar Charly, a small place on the border between the Horta-Guinardó district and Sant Andreu.
The ‘callos’ and the cod with tin are their star dishes. “Many people say they are very good,” says Maria Teresa Eulàlia, who has run the business with her husband, Charly Paradela, for 23 years. He, however, was already working 47 years ago in another place in front of the Guinardó market.
A few days ago, an X user (formerly Twitter) said the following: “Breakfast at #BarCharly in #Guinardó is what the price standard for the best meal of the day should be. Excellent dishes, no frills: all homemade, popular prices, and top-notch service. The only downside is finding a table. The retirement they deserve is well earned.”
At AMIC Cultura we spoke with the couple from the bar who, despite confirming they would retire, assure that they still have fuel: "Our intention was to close this July, but I still have a few months to be able to collect the full pension, so it will be next year yes or yes," shares Eulàlia. Meanwhile, they are already pondering how difficult it will be to find the succession they desire: "The shame will be finding someone who nowadays wants to spend many hours in a bar with the sacrifice it entails."
You can now run to grab a table at Charly, since as this X user pointed out and the owner confirms, getting one is quite a challenge. However, many get up, as someone said, very early, very early to have breakfast there. For the owners, this is the best time of day: "The usuals come, with their familiarity, they say the first good morning to us... They are more than clients, they are family now." The establishment is open from Tuesday to Saturday from 7 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
“It is quite an art what he does in such a small kitchen”
Maria Teresa carries the bar, but in the engine room there is Charly. “You should see him cook, what he does in this tiny kitchen is an art. The key is his deep love,” says the wife of this cook from Galicia who transfers the essence of the north to the ‘callos’, very spicy and with chickpeas.
From the menu, the Galician-style octopus, pork shank, octopus, pickled sardines, garlic kidneys, and the Galician combo also stand out. “I think any dish that Charly cooks is liked, because he always does it with great care,” says the woman. The price range is between 7 and 20 euros.
"Few bars like ours remain"
Asked if they have ever thought about modernizing, they answer no. "Never, because we have a specific way of doing things and I think there is room for everyone." At a time when many bars are changing their menus, names, or concepts to adapt to new audiences, they remain firm in traditional cuisine: "It's a great shame to see how the cuisine of a lifetime is slowly dying. It's a pity, there are few bars left like ours."
The day will come when Bar Charly turns off the stoves and Maria Teresa serves for the last time. When that happens, the legacy she leaves to the neighborhood will be immense: “As his wife, I would like him to have some recognition, because he is a great worker, a man who came with nothing and with great effort and work has managed to make many people love him. I would like him to be remembered as the great cook and the good person that he is,” Eulàlia concludes.
