Ash
Written by Ash

The 11 Best Cafes in Barcelona for Coffee Lovers & Work

| 10 comments

Coffee is nature’s drinkable on-switch, so getting to the best cafes in Barcelona is essential for keeping holiday mode on full blast.

Unfortunately, the Barcelona café scene is famous for two things: poor roasts and too much milk.

Given that, does our city actually have an answer to Rome, Melbourne, or Vienna? Let’s go through Barcelona’s top cafes:

The Best Cafes in Barcelona

Satan’s Coffee Corner

Area: El Gotico | L‘Arc de Sant Ramon del Call 11 | Metro: Jaume I (yellow L4) | Website

The best coffee in Barcelona by sheer popularity with locals was originally a take away window in a stationary shop steps from the Barcelona Cathedral. Owner Marcos Bartolomé creates his own seasonal blends and names them after rock stars – you won’t find coffee like this anywhere else.

You can now sit down and enjoy the best coffee with a delicious homemade pastry and sift through their stock of indie magazines.

🥘 Looking for food + history + wine + fun? Take one of Barcelona’s best food tours.

Onna Coffee

Area: Gracia | Calle Santa Teresa 1 | Metro: Diagonal (various lines) | Website

Whether you want cutesy tables in a simplistic and cosy cafe with wifi up front or a big working space in the back it’s here. A classic spot that’s famous for its attention to detail and its flat whites and cold brew coffee made with roasted in house coffee.

The snack offerings also put up some of the city’s best chocolate cake and almond croissants. You’ll also be happy to know they have gluten-free options.

Nomad Coffee

Area: Eixample | Passatge Sert 12 | Metro: Urquinaona (various lines) | Website

A coffee-lover’s cafe right off the Catalan Music Palace. London-trained owner Jordi has won multiple Spanish Barista Championships. The beans are roasted weekly on site and the staff are finicky as hell about their perfectly pulled espresso and micro-foamed milk.

The 24-hour cold brewed coffee is so delicious (this apparently lowers the acidity) you won’t even need any sugar – and they don’t have sugar anyway! No word of a lie. The best cafe in Barcelona for coffee purists.

Granja M. Viader

Area: El Raval | Carrer d’en Xuclà 4-6 | Metro: Liceu (green L3) | Website

If we could gear down from all the fancy modern coffee jargon and get back to tradition and atmosphere for a second? You’ll find this decadent cafe has been steps from the famous La Rambla since 1870.

If you love coffee and have a sweet tooth this is the ticket so try the famous churros con chocolate or crema catalana (a type of Catalan creme brule) and don’t look back.

Sandwichez

Area: Raval, Eixample, Gothic Quarter | Various Locations | Metro: Various | Website

This is the best cafe in Barcelona to work, hands down.

The coffee is OK, the flautas de jamon (small ham sandwiches) are amazing, and they’ve got a good variety of smoothies and other drinks if you’ve already had too many espresso on the day.

I’ve written much of this blog at their many city locations. The Raval location has a huge basement full of students and freelancers hard at work, Good internet, good coffee, what else do you need?

SKYE Coffee Co.

Area: Poble Nou | Carrer de Pamplona 88 | Metro: Bogatell (yellow L4) | Website

A sleek espresso bar that might have you reaching for your cameras. The spacious, warehouse-like confines and bench seating are almost too inviting.

Here you’ll find high quality artisan roasts and organic teas served from their coffee bar… which just so happens to be a refurbished 1972 Citroën H Van! Damn.

a pan of seafood paella at bodega joan restaurant in barcelona spain a pan of seafood paella at bodega joan restaurant in barcelona spain
Get 25% off a paella tasting menu at the legendary Bodega Joan!

Café El Magnífico

Area: El Gotico | Carrer de l’Argenteria 64 | Metro: Jaume I (yellow L4) | Website

How can you go wrong with a name like that? Visible from the entrance of the Picasso Museum is the biggest high-end coffee wholesaler in Barcelona. El Magnifico sources and roasts their own beans but this ain’t no one trick pony.

The bar serves 40 varieties of coffee from all over the world to a standard rarely seen around these parts.

Roast Club Cafe

Area: Eixample | Carrer Casanova 103 | Metro: Hospital Clinic (blue L5) | Website

You’ll be happy that the staff at this Barcelona cafe takes your coffee seriously much like you do. For personalized coffee and out of this world suggestions by straight up coffee freaks like owner Iker this is your place.

The matcha lattes and teas are executed to perfection and it doesn’t stop there! Morning staples like avocado toast, muesli and acai bowls, and pastries also really shine in this cosy coffee cavern.

And don’t get me started on the enthusiastic service latte art. Just the best local cafe you could ask for.

El Petit Princep

Area: Eixample | Gran Via de les Corts Catalanes 677 | Metro: Girona (yellow L4) | Website

If you’re looking to combine great Ethiopian coffee with one of Barcelona’s best breakfasts go here. The Nutella pancakes, omelettes, and toasted bread with homemade jam are will get your Barcelona itinerary off on the right foot.

Another plus is it’s walking distance to Sagrada Familia church but somehow finds itself in a less touristy pocket. You’ll also be happy to know that the cafe has WiFi.

La Roseta

Area: Barceloneta | Carrer Meer 37 | Metro: Barceloneta (yellow L4) | Website

The best coffee in Barcelona near the beach and it doesn’t charge an arm and a leg! This luminous hole in the wall with wifi serves up delicious coffee and its mother-daughter-grandmother team offer some of the friendliest service around.

The homemade baked goods and sandwiches are top notch but the crowds really go wild for the milkshakes and the white chocolate cronut: two of both please!

a tourist makes paella at a cooking workshop in barcelona a client participates in a paella cooking class in barcelona
Reserve your apron at Barcelona’s five star paella cooking class with no money down.

Spice Cafe

Area: Poble Sec | Carrer Margarit 13 | Metro: Paral-lel (various lines) | Website

Another cutesy alternative cafe with friendly multi-lingual service. A friend of mine told me they have the best carrot cake in the Western world, whatever that means.

By the looks of their online reviews this seems to be true. All the baked goods are pure deliciousness but the no-bake cheesecake might just take the cake! Say that three times fast.

Careful: Spice Cafe is closed Mondays and only opens at 4 pm Tues-Thurs (Fri-Sun 11 am – 9 pm).

Still on the Lookout for the Best Cafe in Barcelona Spain?

I’ve simmered down the best cafes in Barcelona but maybe I’ve missed something? Make sure you get at me in the comment section below so we can help improve this resource.

And as always make sure that if you have any question at all relating to your Barcelona holiday that you get in touch with me ASAP for custom advice. All it takes is a few seconds.

Have a nice cuppa 🙂

10 comments
  • February 1, 2020 at 9:15 pm
    Yvon
    Il Forno was closed at around 7 pm, despite the opening hours stated to be until 9 pm. Perhaps one had to call them up to see if they are open, I did not.
    • February 3, 2020 at 10:47 am
      ashley
      Team Member
      Ash
      Ouch! Were these hours on Google? Not sure how to go about making the correction, I think the ball is in their court.
      • February 3, 2020 at 3:50 pm
        Yvon
        actually both their FB page and Google say they are open everyday untill 8 pm and 9 pm respectively. Could have been a one-time off event though.
  • September 23, 2019 at 3:47 pm
    KT
    First of all thanks a ton for this amazing page. It has helped me a lot in planning my trip to Barcelona. I get there tomorrow. One request, please can you tell me the best places for ice cream :) around Exiampleor La Ramlas. Thanks in advance
    • September 23, 2019 at 5:24 pm
      ashley
      Team Member
      Ash
      Hola KT, Thanks for the very kind words, always glad to help :) I may be a bit picky so don't take my word... but I only go to Gelaati di Marco because it's authentic Italian gelato. It's about a 10 minute walk from Las Ramblas. I've also heard good things about Delacrem and Gocci di Latte. Let me know how it turns out :) Ash
      • September 23, 2019 at 5:33 pm
        KT
        thanks ! you are the best.. will keep you posted
        • September 24, 2019 at 10:51 am
          ashley
          Team Member
          Ash
          Thanks, and no problem :)
  • August 14, 2019 at 10:17 pm
    Stephen A
    My wife and I will be staying at the Catelonia Port hotel in early September. Can anyone advise the best place to eat for breakfast?
    • August 15, 2019 at 10:39 am
      ashley
      Team Member
      Ash
      Best place nearby for me is Milk :)
      • August 18, 2019 at 9:56 am
        Stephen A
        Thanks for the recommendation
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