Where to Eat Breakfast in Barcelona – Devour Tours
This blog post was originally posted on August 18, 2014 and was updated on January 31, 2023.
Breakfast in Barcelona is a beautiful thing! From the perfect savory toast drizzled with olive oil to the rich hot chocolate and churros, use our guide on where to eat breakfast in Barcelona for your most important meal of the day!
What’s Included
Granja Viader
Since 1910, the Viader family has been running this dairy-turned-cafe in the heart of Barcelona’s historic center, and not much has changed in all that time. While Granja Viader itself makes a perfect spot for breakfast in Barcelona, a lot goes on behind the scenes to ensure quality and perfection—they still manage an offsite workshop where they pasteurize the fresh milk that accompanies their perfectly brewed coffee. Onsite, you’ll find the passionate team whipping up traditional Catalan favorites such as flan, cottage cheese, queso mató (Catalan goat milk cheese) and, of course, crema catalana.
Address: Carrer d’en Xuclà, 6
Putting the finishing touch on crema catalana: that perfectly caramelized outer crust!
Granja Petit Bo
Located a stones throw from the Sagrada Famila and also in the Eixample district, Granja Petitbo is an absolute gem. Like the name implies, the dining room of these corner cafes is very reminiscent of a farmhouse kitchen with rustic tables and mismatched chairs. Not your most typical concept in Spain, you can also sit at the communal table and chat with strangers. As far as breakfast goes, they offer everything from Spanish and Catalan classics (pa amb tomàquet, anyone?) to pancakes, porridge and more.
Address: Passeig de Sant Joan, 82 / Mallorca, 194
Cafe del Born
With high airy ceilings and dozens of cozy wooden tables, the Cafe del Born wins for the best spot to sip on coffee and leaf through the newspaper. Locals usually order one of their entrepans, Catalan for sandwiches, and though nothing out of the ordinary, they just are plain delicious coming on freshly baked French bread rubbed with tomato and drizzled in olive oil.
They also offer up several brunch options for those who need something heartier.
Address: Plaça Comercial, 10
Was there ever anything as delicious as Catalan pa amb tomaquet?
La Donuteria
Who said you can’t eat donuts in Spain? On one of the most emblematic streets of Barcelona sits the lovely La donuteria, a cafe and donut house offering up a variety of sweet and salty and even Catalan treats (try the crema catalana donut, similar to creme brûlée). Your sugar levels might spike but you won’t regret it after this memorable and modern experience of breakfast in Barcelona.
Address: Carrer Parlament, 20
Why not start off the day in the Spanish way with a sweet treat? Photo credit: Patrick Fore
Xurreria el Trebol
Best churros in Barcelona? That’s easy! Xurrería el Trebol fries them fresh all day long, along with a handful of other tasty treats. If you’re a real sweet tooth, go for the xuxo, a custard-filled, fried pastry, rolled in sugar no less!
Address: Carrer de Corsega, 341
La Pubilla
Looking for a hearty breakfast, Catalan style? There’s no one that does the esmorzar de forquilla, or “fork breakfast”, better than La Pubilla in Gracia.
The esmorzar de forquilla is a traditional countryside breakfast and much heavier than what urban dwellers typically eat. From Catalan pork sausages and beans to rich, hearty stews, it’s certainly an interesting way to start the day!
Address: Plaça de la Llibertat, 23
Any breakfast that includes the famous catalan butifarras is guaranteed to be a winner. Photo credit: Mali Maeder
While we all would appreciate a few extra minutes in bed in the morning, the idea of chowing down in any of our selected spots is certainly enough to get us excited about being up bright and early! But we all know what the next question should be when breakfast in Barcelona is done right.
“Where are we having lunch?”
If you want to be just as up to speed on Spain’s main meal as you now are on breakfast be sure to read our post on the best places to have lunch in Barcelona!
Comments (4)
Eat Breakfast Like a Local in Barcelona
If you found this post whilst searching for a list of the best places to eat brunch in Barcelona, you may want to click the back button now! Let’s face it, as much as I enjoy hash browns, French toast, huevos rancheros or broccoli and cheese frittata.
The truth is, the majority of Barcelona residents don’t do brunch.
Typical breakfast in Barcelona
How to Eat Breakfast Like a Local in Barcelona
Most people start the day with a cup of coffee, either at home or in a bar on the way to work. Later in the morning, at around 10 o’clock, they stop whatever they’re doing to eat a second more substantial breakfast.
This second breakfast typically consists of a pastry or a small baguette sandwich accompanied by coffee and perhaps a glass of freshly squeezed orange juice. Other popular breakfast items include bikini (a toasted cheese and ham sandwich), pa amb tomàquet (bread rubbed with tomato, garlic and a drizzle of olive oil) or a slice of Spanish omelette.
At the weekend, you might go to a Granja or Xocolateria and have a cup of thick hot chocolate (xocolata desfeta) accompanied by melindros (sponge fingers) or churros.
You could also try a suís, which is hot chocolate topped with a generous cap of whipped cream.
The best known granjas in Barcelona are Dulcinea, Xocoa and Granja la Pallaresa, all located on Carrer de Petrixol.
Alcohol at breakfast time is also perfectly acceptable in Barcelona. While not exactly the norm, it’s not uncommon to see someone enjoying a glass of beer, a cigaló (coffee with brandy) or a shot of anís for breakfast.
A selection of omelettes
Know your coffee
Coffee is the mainstay of any Spanish breakfast and comes in several varieties. Most visitors are familiar with café con leche, which is the milky white coffee commonly drunk at breakfast. In fact, there are half a dozen different ways to get your daily dose of caffeine:
1. Cafè Sol (Spanish: Café Solo)
A cafè sol (or simply cafè) is a single espresso coffee, which is commonly consumed at any time of day and in all situations. Coffee in Spain is of good quality and quite strong.
2. Tallat (Spanish: Cortado)
A tallat is an espresso with a dash of milk and is commonly drunk after meals or in the afternoon.
3. Cafè amb Llet (Spanish: Café con Leche)
Cafè amb llet is white coffee made with a double dose of coffee and an equal quantity of milk. Commonly drunk for breakfast, the waiter will generally ask you whether you want the milk hot or at room temperature. As you travel around Spain, you will discover that the amount of milk added varies from region to region.
Coffee and a pastry, a popular choice for breakfast in Barcelona
4. Cafè bombó (Spanish: Café bombón)
Sometimes called simply coffee with condensed milk, Café Bombón is just that. Too sweet and sickly for some, it’s typically served in a small glass so that you can see the condensed milk, which settles to the bottom of the glass. You stir the two parts together before drinking.
5. Cafè amb Gel (Spanish: Café con Hielo)
Popular during the hot and humid months of summer, and best enjoyed sat in one of Barcelona’s charming plazas.
Cafè amb gel is served in two glasses, a small glass with a hot cafè sol and a second larger glass with one or two ice cubes.
The idea is that you stir the sugar into the hot coffee before pouring it over the ice in the larger glass. You might expect the ice to melt, leaving a tepid and insipid mess but, due to the laws of physics, the coffee gets very cold while the ice cube(s) remain almost intact.
6. Cigaló (Spanish: Carajillo)
Cigaló is an espresso topped up with alcohol, usually brandy, commonly drunk for breakfast, although it can be ordered at any time of day. Not for the faint-hearted; it’s typically drunk by old men sitting at the bar.
Breakfast in a sunny plaza in Barcelona
Where to Eat Breakfast Like a Local in Barcelona
The best way to enjoy breakfast like a local is to eat breakfast with the locals.
For this reason, instead of listing my favourite places, I’m going to recommend that you eat breakfast in one of the small bars or restaurants close to your hotel or apartment.
If you see that one of them is frequented by locals – go there!
Alternatively, you could head to one of Barcelona’s many charming plazas and enjoy an alfresco breakfast as you watch the world go by.
Best Brunch Spots in Barcelona
Not convinced? If you prefer a more gourmet or gastronomically extensive breakfast, check out these lists of the best places to eat brunch in Barcelona, compiled by some of my favourite Barcelona foodie and travel blogs.
- Best brunch spots in Barcelona, a carousers guide by Ben of Driftwood Journals
- 10 best brunches in Barcelona as per fellow expats by Claudia of Coffee & Brunch BCN
- My top best spots for brunch in Barcelona by Claire of Tales of a Backpacker
- Where to eat brunch in Barcelona, by Renee from Devour Barcelona Food Tours
- Barcelona’s best brunches, food for slow starters by Melissa from The Culture Trip
- Barcelona’s best brunch spots, by Barcelona Metropolitan
- Brunch in Barcelona, by Miniguide.
co - Blissful Brunch Spots in Barcelona by Dan from Barcelona Navigator
coFive of the best breakfast spots in Barcelona
Travel
Where to start your day in the Catalan capital
Anton Kopylov
Brunch & Cake0
Narrow streets of the Old Town, the bustling La Rambla and the shopping artery Passeig de Gracia, a ghetto of culinary disappointment that can only be avoided by turning off the beaten path.
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Brunch & Cake
The owners of the famous Cup & Cake project in Barcelona, inspired by the success of their bakery, have opened a new establishment with hearty breakfasts. Brunch & Cake is reminiscent of Williamsburg coffee shops in Brooklyn or cozy eateries in Stockholm’s Södermalm district.
They serve wonderful omelettes, scrambles, eggs benedict and pancakes with syrup and berries. Special thanks for the fruity oatmeal and quinoa burger, a hit that tends to run out quickly.
Carrer Enric Granados, 19
Brunch & Cake
Brunch & Cake
Cosmo
A café-bar that literally attracts colorful characters from all over the city. In the evening, students of creative universities go to the “drink”, during the day bearded employees of tattoo parlors and barber shops drink lemonade, and in the morning they both meet for a cup of coffee with homemade cakes. In addition to a friendly atmosphere, honest drinks and good sandwiches, you can get acquainted with contemporary art in Cosmo. Regular exhibitions of young artists are a tradition of the institution.
Carrer Enric Granados, 3
Cosmo. But in vain. There are cozy restaurants, curious galleries, and in the evenings – sangria by the river and fun is no worse than in the famous bars of the Born district.
Breakfast in Gracia is a pleasure. Especially if you are lucky enough to take a table on the terrace of Mama’s Café. Regulars claim that this is where the best coffee in town is prepared, and even guests on a low-calorie diet cannot refuse carrot cake and muffins.
Carrer de Torrijos, 26
Mama’s Café
Taranna café
The Raval of Barcelona has long been considered the criminal heart of the city. About ten years ago, local authorities began a large-scale cleansing of the territory from crime, in which they succeeded a lot. On the site of drug dens, shops with designer gizmos are opening, industrial warehouses are being converted into galleries, and promising chefs are creating in the basement floors of ancient buildings. On the outskirts of Raval there is a pleasant establishment, as if transferred here from Saint-Germain in Paris, – Taranna café. Local cappuccino can be considered a reference, as well as Florentine eggs.
Carrer de Viladomat, 23
Taranna café
Jaime Berenstain
The Jaime Berenstain concept store and restaurant has opened near La Pedrera.
Employees of nearby offices and government agencies and pretty old women with small dogs visit here. The small breakfast menu includes sandwiches, fresh juices and egg-themed fantasies. Local eggs benedict do not reach the level of “excellent”, but the omelette can compete for the title of the best in Eixample.
Carrer de Pau Claris, 167
Jaime Berenstain
Jaime Berenstain
Photo: Anton Kopylov / Press Service Archives
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Breakfast in Barcelona: TOP 3 best places
Home Where to go Where to eat Breakfast in Barcelona: TOP 3 best places
Breakfast in Barcelona is always delicious and varied. Where to start the day in the capital of Catalonia? We present the TOP 3 best places for breakfast in the Catalan capital.
The narrow streets of the Old Town, the bustling La Rambla and the shopping artery Passeig de Gracia are a ghetto of culinary disappointments that can only be avoided by turning off the beaten track.
1Cup & Cake offers breakfast in Barcelona for the sweet tooth
Great breakfast spot in Barcelona. Cup & Cake has arguably the best cupcakes in town. They also serve:
- wonderful omelettes;
- scrambles;
- eggs benedict;
- pancakes with syrup and berries.
Breakfast in the Catalan capital can be started with oatmeal with fruit. Here it is in no way inferior to home.
Cup & Cake has the sweetest atmosphere: it’s like visiting your grandma in the suburbs of Paris.
A plus point is the cozy terrace decorated in Scandinavian style.
Opening hours: daily, 10:00-20:30
Address: Carrer Enric Granados, 145, Metro Diagonal (L3,L5)
2Breakfast at Granja PetitBo
It’s not for nothing that the people of Barcelona choose this place for the perfect start to the day. Here:
- Stunning vintage-Nordic design;
- healthy cuisine;
- delicious lunches and brunches;
- good music;
- fresh newspapers and magazines;
- low prices.
The local eggs benedict fall short of the “excellent” level, but the omelette can compete for the title of best in the Eixample. The breakfast menu is quite varied. Those who are used to starting the day with porridge can choose rice or oatmeal with fresh fruit and order a glass of freshly squeezed fresh juice for it.
Opening hours: Mon-Wed 08:30-22:30, Thu-Fri 08:30-00:00, Sat 10:00-00:00, Sun 10:00-17:00
Address: Passeig Sant Joan, 82, Metro Tetuan (L2), Girona (L4), Verdaguer (L4,L5)
3Breakfast in Barcelona at The Benedict Barcelona
Perhaps the best place for breakfast, located in the heart of the Gothic Quarter.
You can see the best hotels nearby using the link on Booking.com.
The Benedict Barcelona is located next to Jaume I metro station. Unforgettably delicious cuisine awaits you here:
- omelettes;
- smoothies;
- burgers;
- salads;
- pancakes, project
The institution was opened in 2013.
Its owners are siblings. They managed to create a menu in which there is something tasty even for the most sophisticated gourmet.
The most popular dish at The Benedict Barcelona for breakfast is eggs Benedict.
Website: https://www.facebook.com/BenedictBcn
Address: Gignás Street 23, metro Jaume I (Gothic Quarter).
Opening hours (March 2021):
- from Friday to Monday – from 9.00 to 16.00.
- How to avoid queues at Barcelona attractions. Tickets for Sagrada Familia and Park Güell skip the line.
- How not to be deceived by local taxi drivers. Order a taxi in advance with fixed rates online. The most reliable service for ordering a taxi – KiwiTaxi .
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Excursions in Barcelona with locals will help you get to know this city for real. The best way to get comfortable in an unfamiliar city is to walk around it with a person who has lived here for many years.
