Customer reports linguistic discrimination at Barcelona restaurant

A diner at El Ñaño Balmes claims staff mocked and pressured him for ordering his meal in Catalan.

Generic image of an official complaint form on a restaurant table.
IA

Generic image of an official complaint form on a restaurant table.

A customer has reported an incident of linguistic discrimination that took place last Saturday night at the Ecuadorian restaurant El Ñaño Balmes, in central Barcelona, after being harassed for speaking Catalan.

The incident began when the customer ordered his meal in Catalan. Although the staff understood the request, a waiter loudly demanded he speak in Spanish. According to the witness, the situation escalated as the restaurant managers joined in mocking the use of the Catalan language.

"At no point did I demand that they speak to me in Catalan. I just spoke my language naturally as I usually do."

Affected customer · Complainant
The diner reported significant delays in receiving the official complaint form, waiting nearly forty minutes. He has filed a formal complaint with Plataforma per la Llengua, noting that the establishment also lacks menus and signage in Catalan, violating local regulations.