Sant Cugat del Vallès is looking back at La Bohèmia, the music bar that closed on Sant Esteve’s Day in 2015 after 23 years in business. The venue, on Avinguda de Catalunya, was a familiar part of the town’s nightlife until noise complaints led to its closure.
La Bohèmia opened in 1992, after the Olympic Games, in a building that had previously housed a decoration shop run by Mercè Muñoz and Eduardo de Riquer. Muñoz said a trip to the French Riviera helped inspire the move into a music bar, with the aim of bringing live music to the city from a stage on the ground floor.
That plan changed when karaoke became popular in Spain. Muñoz said: “It was a boom we didn’t expect. People would ask when the concert finished so they could go on stage and sing.” The repertoire ranged from Sau’s Boig per tu to Camilo Sesto’s Vivir así es morir de amor and Bon Jovi’s Always.
Staff and customers remembered the venue for its atmosphere, its decor and its intergenerational appeal. Waitress Cris Montes said the friendly service helped make it popular. Muñoz also said the look was meant to evoke an English greenhouse, not Barcelona’s El Bosc de les Fades, adding that the plants could not be kept alive.
Regulars described La Bohèmia as a meeting point for friends, with affordable prices and no need to drive. Dio Herrero and Carme Rodríguez said they even celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary there. Herrero also recalled helping Eduardo prepare the upstairs flat, which later opened to the public and brought in more visitors, followed by live music.
The venue also hosted local bands through the Toca’m els dijous series, along with Sunday afternoon jam sessions. Former Corcho member Manel Grau said Sant Cugat still lacks a dedicated space for live music. Eduardo de Riquer, known as Eduardo “del Bohèmia”, was remembered as the master of ceremonies and the “soul” of the venue. He died last year aged 89.
La Bohèmia’s closure came after the anti-smoking law changed how people used the space, with customers going outside to smoke and complaints increasing. Muñoz said it was difficult to reduce the noise, even with a doorman. The property later reached an agreement with the City Council to stop operating in exchange for €50,000 in compensation, and the building was demolished four years later to make way for housing.
Residents interviewed by Cugat Mèdia said the bar had been a gathering place for “the people of the town”. Some also compared it with other former venues, including Be Bop, El Punt, TD, Barcino and Terra Dolça. In 2023, former customer Jordi Portales opened Afònica on Avinguda de Torreblanca, saying he had not copied La Bohèmia but had brought together some of the same people who carried its spirit.