By Ashley Hearn
It’s nearly impossible to walk down a Barcelona street without a cafe in sight. The next cup of coffee or snack is often no more than a minute away in a city that boasts more than a thousand cafes.
Whether it’s a local chain or a historic landmark, cafes are an important part of Barcelona’s culture. Within a quick visit, you can not only satisfy your hunger but get a taste of the tradition and community that flourishes throughout the city.
A Sweet Start to the Day
Sugar and carbs are known to dominate Spain’s cafes. Before even stepping foot inside, you’ll likely see a window full of decorated pastries and simple sandwiches. Often, these displays serve as a what-you-see-is-what’s-available menu.
Between 10 and 11 a.m. lines in cafes are at their longest. With a typical breakfast in Spain being a coffee and pastry, these eateries are a bustling hub in the morning.
While coffee connoisseurs and sweet tooths will likely find Barcelona’s mid-morning options to be right up their alley, others may need more time to adjust. It can come as a surprise to see the food you've classified as desserts now being called socially acceptable to eat first thing in the morning.
Americans, especially, are used to having access to big, hearty breakfasts. After all, it’s often stressed as being the most important meal of the day. But in Spain, lunch holds this title.
Croissants are a popular option almost guaranteed to be found, ranging in selections from plain to chocolate-drizzled. If you’re looking for something more sustainable, bocadillos, or a 6- to 8-inch baguette sandwich, are a great option.
Beyond breakfast, another popular time at cafes is for a mid-afternoon snack, known as la merienda. Churros and chocolate is the typical snack for this time of day.
What to Drink
Almost nothing is as universally enjoyed as a cup of joe. Caffeine consumption is common around the world, with Barcelona being no exception. In the sense of coffee, Spain’s simple.
A majority of cafes only offer one drink size and don’t carry an array of sugary syrups. For iced coffee lovers, you may be disappointed to find that in Spain that usually means being served scalding coffee with a side of ice.
The coffee here is hot and bitter. Espresso has a chokehold on consumers, with coffee concoctions usually made with this brewing method.
Go-to morning favorites include café con leche and café cortado, which contain espresso and milk. The latter option is stronger and smaller in size.
Café manchado is a popular selection in the afternoon. Made with mostly milk, this selection will leave you with just enough kick to get through the rest of the day without keeping you up all night.
On average, you can expect to pay €2.25 for a cup of coffee in Barcelona.
While more cafes are beginning to offer to-go options, take advantage of eating in. Spaniards are known to take their time and make coffee drinking an experience.
The Writer’s Choice: Compliments to These Cafes
El Fornet
If you crave the comfort of having the same menu, don’t settle for Starbucks in Spain. Instead, venture to one of El Fornet’s 35 locations scattered throughout the city. This self-service café chain can only be found in Barcelona and its neighboring county, Vallès.
Its shop windows are decorated with the day’s fresh pastries and the ambiance creates an inviting place to work. On weekdays, locations close to Universidad de Barcelona bustle with students looking for a study space, social hour or snack.
While it may not have as much charm as a hole-in-the-wall place, it's not a tourist trap either.
An El Fornet croissant is delicious from the first, flaky bite. Perhaps, it’s thanks to the thin layer of butter coating its crisped, golden-brown exterior. Or maybe, it’s the pocket change price of €1.35 that makes this café’s pastry so enjoyable.
Granja M. Viader
A stroll through a narrow street off of Las Ramblas will bring you to the steps of Granja M. Viader.
Its vibrant, but worn, tile floor contrasts the memorabilia adorning the walls of what’s thought to be one of Barcelona's oldest cafes. What started as a dairy business in 1870 transitioned into a cafe frequented by both locals and tourists. With each glance around the cafe, you’ll find a new picture, award, or piece of history from the last 150 years.
Hui Yu and her friend, Terry, only had time to fit in one café during their three-day trip to Barcelona. They said Granja Viadar had to be the one.
“This is not what I imagined,” Yu said as she raved about the suís. “We searched online to try to find the best.”
Granja Viader is known for its charming atmosphere and sugary pastries.
On the right is suís, a local favorite.
The eclectic cafe is known for its hot chocolate, or suís, that the exchange students raved over. It’s not your typical hot cocoa, taking a thick consistency and rich flavor. Even Pablo Picasso was said to have frequented this restaurant because of this sweet "drink."
“I’ve liked it here because the food’s cheaper and the people are friendlier,” Hu said.
Meson del Cafe
It’s easy to miss the quaint Meson del Cafè 1909 if you aren’t careful. The historical gem is unsuspectingly nested between a Fro-Yo shop and an Asian take-out restaurant in the Gothic Quarter.
A stained glass chandelier fills the few-tabled cafe with a warm light. Its aged interior leaves visitors wondering about the stories these walls have to tell. A high-tech coffee machine stands out against the dark wood interior. It’s one of the few things that signifies a more modern time. From it comes a dark coffee used to make the cafe’s specialty “picardia,” which is condensed milk, coffee and whiskey.
Marie and Ray Yensen stumbled upon this cafe during the few hours they had to explore Barcelona. The Liverpool couple was in search of a snack before returning to the Barcelona port for their cruise.
“This is quite literally where the culture starts,” Ray said as he sipped a coffee. “This is the best, the old-fashioned way.”
Open your eyes, ears and tastebuds to the culture Barcelona has to offer through its cafes. Your stomach won’t be the only thing to thank you.
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