Coffee Diaries: Barcelona - 02
One of my favourite activities when travelling (and even when I’m not travelling) is trying out new coffee shops and specialty roasters. If you know me, then it will come as no surprise that I put a lot of time and effort into planning which coffee shops and roasteries I’m going to visit.
This trip is a little different, as I’m here for a few months so I’ve really been able to expand my list and also visit a lot more coffee shops than I normally would.
As always, I like to say “diary” as opposed to review for a few reasons: taste is subjective, not all coffee shops have for a purpose to be “coffee educators”, and not all coffee shops roast their own beans. Sometimes, I just want a cup of coffee, be it filter or a cortado, and I don’t want to think about tasting notes, extraction, or process. Some of these coffee shops I visited for their specialty roasts, others simply because I wanted a hot first cup in the morning. That said, they weren’t all rated equally.
Similarly to my first Coffee Diaries: Barcelona, I’ve included only specialty coffee shops and not all the coffees I drink from little cafeterias or bars.
A whole second month in Barcelona, and many any coffees later, here we go:
Cafés Él Magnifico
I LOVED it here. First off, the inside of Cafés Él Magnifico was super cool and the staff were incredibly nice. I got a cortado with the Blend Virtuoso, and it is one of the best coffees I’ve had in Barcelona, so far. Perfect, texture, well-balanced, slightly sweet but still rich from the chocolatey/cocoa flavor.
A bag of coffee from Cafés Él Magnifico is definitely on my list of things to bring back home! I only just wish you were able to sit in and enjoy your coffee. There is no seating or “for here” cups; to me, a ceramic cup or glass just enhances my coffee experience!
Sitio
Situated in Gràcia, Sitio is a labour of love. Part coffee shop, part artists’ workshop, you can just tell that the owners are passionate about what they do. The concept is super, the coffee was good, and the people working there (I’m assuming owners) were so friendly and took the time to explain their whole idea to me.
Definitely someplace worth stopping by if you like local artists, independent coffee, and recycled fashion.
CHROMATIC Cafe
CHROMATIC Café is hidden in the residential streets of Gràcia. The interior is super welcoming and cozy, and the barista was SO friendly. This may have been one of my best employee/customer interactions since being in Barcelona. I had a cortado with Three Marks Santa Clara, Brazil, which further pushed me to visit Three Marks.
ONIS COFFEE
This shop had been on my list and I happened to pass by it one day, so I went in even though I hadn’t planned to. I’m so happy I did. ONIS has been one of my favourite cafe experiences. The staff were great, the ambiance was calm, and the pastry was to die for. I had a cortado with Three Marks Santa Clara, a Brazilian coffee.
I also had the most delectable raspberry mascarpone pastry. The texture was similar to a croissant, maybe a little fluffier, and it was filled with a mascarpone cream with vanilla bean. The top was dusted with dehydrated raspberry powder, which added a touch of sweetness and acidity, in contrast with the rich, cream filling. Almost a month later, I still think about this coffee-pastry-combo.
sin amor, no | morning bar
Sin amor, no | morning bar had been on my list, so I was super happy to pass by it, post-run one day. I had a cortado with Toma, a Madrid-based coffee roaster. However, I don’t know which beans exactly. I didn’t ask for the name because, to be honest, the employee working the bar was very attitude-y, and it threw me off.
It’s too bad because the chocolate pastry and cortado were absolutely amazing and I enjoyed every second of it. The cortado was super well-balanced, had a good body, was rich and chocolatey, and accompanied the fluffy pastry perfectly.
Super Onda
Super Onda is another one of the coffee shops that motivated me to visit Three Marks. I had a cortado with Daye Bensa and, having already tasted this espresso before, I was actually kind of disappointed in this experience. The texture of my cortado wasn’t great (as you can see in the picture) and it also tasted under-extracted.
I really liked the space and the interior, so I was honestly let down by the coffee, especially having read such amazing reviews. I’m still hesitant as to whether I should give them a second chance.
Yako Coffee Bar
I ended up stopping at Yako Coffee Bar because it was in the square where I ended my morning run one day and, naturally, I’m always interested in the idea of a post-run sweet treat. I had a cortado with a Colombian coffee from Nomad and a slice of banana bread. Both were excellent and the staff were very friendly.
Three Marks Coffee
After trying Three Marks at many cafes around the city, I thought it was finally time I make it to their actual location. Situated in l’Eixample, they have a outdoor seating (!!!) and indoor seating. I had a cortado made with Daye Bensa, an Ethiopian coffee. It was smooth, rich, and well-balanced… and I enjoyed every second of it.
The whole experience was also made better due to the fact that I got to sit and enjoy outside, without feeling rushed!
If you haven’t already, check out my first post in my Coffee Diaries: Barcelona series!