When it comes to breakfast, Barcelona is a rising star. If you’d said the word breakfast to anyone here years back, they would have answered: coffee & croissants. And while coffee & croissants definitely are some of the best things I know in this world, we’re in a whole new breakfast era now. Many travellers think açai bowls, chia puddings, pancakes, granola, eggs Benedict’s and avocado toasts when they think of breakfast. At least that’s what comes to my mind. The croissants have gone from being the breakfast to being the breakfast side order.
Now, you can still get the 2,5€ deal at the local bars with a coffee & a croissant, but over the past years some really good breakfast spots have been popping up. And hurray for that, because breakfast is and will always be my favourite meal of the day.
So, let’s dig in, shall we?
Where to have breakfast in Barcelona
Granja Petitbo
Granja Petitbo is a real local’s favourite and always full on weekends. It is located on the Paseo Sant Joan boulevard in the Example area, which is close enough to walk to the city center, but far enough away to avoid the tourist crowds. The atmosphere here is homey and relaxed. They serve some killer pancakes with banana and chocolate. If you’re not into pancakes, they also serve chia/açai bowls, eggs Benedict and fresh pressed juices.
Try to go on a week day, which will be less crowded.
Flax & Kale
You cannot mention Barcelona without mentioning Flax & Kale (at least not if you’re into healthy lifestyle and Instagram worthy breakfast, and who isn’t these days?). Flax & Kale might be the flagship in Barcelona when it comes to healthy eating. It’s a huge, yet very cosy, flexitarian restaurant (flexi-what? Flexitarian is plant-based food containing oily fish as the only non-vegan element). Everything they serve is delicious, colorful, fresh…and quite expensive… 9€ for a bowl. Even for a Dane that’s quite expensive, but the quality is very very good, so I recommend.
Caravelle
Ohh Caravelle, that’s a new favourite of mine when it comes to breakfast in Barcelona. The menu is like the place, trendy, (Moroccan style eggs with lots of spices, corn fritters or coconut French Toast with mascarpone and berries just to mentions a few dishes). The interior has an industrial feeling and there’s just an overall trendy atmosphere to the place.
We went there with our son once, which we might would rethink another time. They were helpful and all went well (he fell asleep in his stroller, YES!), but the place just really isn’t for small kids. The space can be a little cramped, no place for a stroller etc. So if you have small kids, I would recommend going to a place like Flax & Kale instead.
Baluard Bakery
Living in Copenhagen it’s not really fair to review bread abroad. We have some of the best bread in the world and we’re really spoiled bread-wise!
However, Baluard Bakery is one of the few bakeries in Barcelona that makes this full-bodied, heavy yet spongy bread we know from Denmark. It’s good, really good. And I’m not the only one thinking this way, because it’s grown to become one of the most popular bakeries in Barcelona.
The pastries are also extraordinary good (they have a kind of soft dough with cream and berries on the top, that’s just WOW!).
In Eixample there’s one at Hotel Praktik Bakery, where you can sit and enjoy your breakfast inside, BUT if there’re too many hotel guests they close for everyone else. As an alternative there’s a take-away outlet just around the corner from the hotel, where we would go to pick up our breakfast to enjoy on the balcony at home.
The original shop is located at La Barceloneta, but there’s often a line to get in and buy bread/breakfast.
Satan’s Coffee at Casa Bonay
Despite the name, there’s not much harm about this place. Satan’s Coffee is among the trendiest specialty coffee shops in Barcelona at the moment. I must confess though, that the coffee is a bit too bitter for my liking, but that’s very individual, so maybe you would love the coffee here!
So why would I recommend? It has clean lines, is nice a bright and perfect if you’re in the neighbourhood of Paseo Sant Joan or if you need to sit with your laptop and work a bit. The breakfast options are limited, but very delicious. Good for a simple working breakfast.
There’s another outlet in Barrio Gótico, which I believe has a more cosy café vibe to it.
Casa Bonay
Casa Bonay is a hotel (read about our previous stay there here). The breakfast is served in the large beautiful lobby by the people at Satan’s Coffee. Now, don’t get confused: In the Satan’s Coffee shop, which is located in connection to the hotel, you can get simple breakfast as mentioned above. Inside the hotel, they serve an exclusive buffet breakfast including a choice of innovative warm breakfast dishes (black rice in coconut cream e.g. – delicious!!). The breakfast here is for hotel guests, but you can get in by paying aprox. 17€ (very cheap for what you get!).
Other good places to have breakfast in Barcelona
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