A beloved Montjuïc kiosk bar has lost favour with Barcelona residents following a change in management, with reviews plummeting after a new operator took over in May 2025. Les Cascades, located on Passeig de Jean Forestier near the Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya, has faced sharp criticism over what customers describe as inflated prices and deteriorating service quality.

For five years under its previous operator, the kiosk maintained reasonable prices and offered panoramic views without requiring reservations or excessive costs. Locals regularly visited for vermouth during weekend strolls, seeking shade or using the publicly accessible toilet, one of few in the area. Google reviews reflected this popularity, with overwhelmingly positive five-star ratings until April 2025, when the concession ended.

Sharp Complaints Over Pricing and Service

Since Coffee Park Store SL took over operation around May 2025 after winning the public tender, customer ratings have collapsed dramatically. Residents and regular visitors report prices have doubled, with some claiming they were charged between seven and eight euros for a standard draught beer. One visitor stated they paid 14 euros for two orange juices, describing the experience as exorbitant.

The new operator has also eliminated complimentary water and food previously offered to dogs, a service that made the bar popular with pet owners. Service quality complaints feature prominently in recent reviews, with some customers alleging staff refused to provide receipts, citing unusually high prices.

One review stated: "The prices have multiplied by two. Service quality is poor. All to make quick money exploiting tourists and annoying Barcelona residents." Another noted: "This was our reference bar at Montjuïc for a long time. Now it has become a tourist trap." Residents from nearby Poble-sec neighbourhood expressed particular disappointment, recalling the venue as authentic and welcoming.

Controversial Bidding Process

The operator change stemmed from a contentious public tender process. The concession adjudication raised considerable concerns among competing bidders regarding how economic offers were weighted.

Under the tender specifications set by municipal company BSM, a minimum monthly canon of 3,900 euros was established. The two leading bidders proposed payments around 5,100 euros monthly. However, Coffee Park Store SL submitted an offer exceeding 22,800 euros monthly, far surpassing competitors.

This substantial difference proved decisive. In the third evaluation envelope assessing economic proposals, Coffee Park Store SL secured 40 points whilst other candidates received under three points each. This scoring reversed the entire ranking, as the second evaluation envelope had assessed business proposal quality, environment, and image, where Coffee Park Store SL had ranked third with 48 points. The previous successful operator, Laiettanus SLU, and competing company Lourdes Rosendo Moreno had scored 50 and 57 points respectively in that evaluation.

Coffee Park Store SL was awarded the concession on 23 April 2025 with a total score of 88 points, ahead of Lourdes Rosendo Moreno with 59.88 points and Laiettanus SLU with 52.43 points. Although the winning offer remained within legal parameters and complied with tender regulations, BSM subsequently established a price cap for future Montjuïc kiosk tenders to prevent similar situations.

Laiettanus SLU lodged a formal appeal alleging the winning offer was "reckless". The municipal company rejected this challenge entirely.

Of three kiosk concession tenders for Montjuïc mountain venues issued in the past year, only Les Cascades changed hands. The other two establishments, the historic Marcelino on Avenida Miramar and Els Cims near the Telefèric de Montjuïc, remained under their previous operators' management. Both achieved maximum scores in the second evaluation envelope assessing quality and environmental improvements.

Municipal sources consulted declined to comment further, referring enquiries to BSM tender documentation.