A coffee and cake crawl through Barcelona

This is a walkable coffee and cake crawl through Barcelona, running from El Born in the old city north through the Eixample grid to the streets of Gràcia. Six independent stops, with the roaster and the machine noted at each one where it is publicly known.

1. Cafes El Magnifico

Start on Carrer de l'Argenteria in El Born, where Salvador Sans runs the family roastery and bean shop that has stood on this street since 1919. The current business dates to 1962 and the shop now stocks more than forty single-origin and blended lots, all roasted on the premises. One of the earliest specialty roasters in Spain and one of the most useful places in Barcelona to browse beans before you go anywhere else on this crawl.

2. Hidden Coffee Roasters

A short walk brings you to Carrer dels Canvis Vells, where Hidden Coffee Roasters runs its El Born cafe. The production roastery is in Poblenou; this space serves Hidden's own seasonal single-origin espresso and filter in a relaxed room that works equally well for a quick stop or a longer sit. The company also runs social tours of Barcelona guided by people with lived experience of homelessness.

3. D·Origen Coffee Roasters

Head north from El Born to Carrer de Casp 48, where D·Origen Coffee Roasters occupies the ground floor of Casa Calvet, a residential building Antoni Gaudí completed in 1900. Michael Uhlig opened D·Origen here in 2012, making it one of the first specialty roasters in Spain; the company has won Best Espresso in Spain in 2014, 2016 and 2023 and sources part of its green coffee from its own farm in Panama.

4. Roast Club Cafe

Walk west across the Eixample grid to Carrer de València 190, where Italian barista Iker Zago's Roast Club Cafe roasts its own specialty lots and pulls them on a Victoria Arduino machine under a red striped canopy that opens onto the street. Good for a sit-down with brunch and pastries mid-afternoon, and a good point at which to decide whether to take the bus or walk north to Gràcia.

5. SlowMov

Continue north into Gràcia and make for Carrer de Neptú 36, where SlowMov has roasted its own coffee since François Justet and Carmen Callizo founded it in 2015. The Giesen drum roaster is visible from the shop floor; the bar pulls espresso on a La Marzocco and the filter menu and decaf espresso are both worth ordering. SlowMov supplies beans to several Gràcia neighbours including the next stop.

6. Origo Bakery

Finish a short walk deeper into Gràcia at Carrer de Milà i Fontanals 9, where François Halleux bakes sourdough from ancient slow-grown grains alongside handmade pastries daily. Halleux left a career at Google, inspired by a period living near Tartine in San Francisco, to open Origo in this neighbourhood. Queues form outside on weekend mornings. The coffee is from SlowMov and a pastry here is the right way to end the crawl.

All six are independent and the route runs south to north, from El Born through the Eixample to Gràcia. The whole walk is manageable in an afternoon; the L4 metro or any bus along the Eixample grid shortens the stretch between D·Origen and Roast Club if your legs need it.

Common questions

Which Barcelona cafe has been roasting coffee the longest?

Cafes El Magnifico on Carrer de l'Argenteria in El Born has been roasting on the premises since 1919, making it one of the oldest specialty coffee operations in Spain.

Which Barcelona cafe is inside a building by Gaudí?

D·Origen Coffee Roasters occupies the ground floor of Casa Calvet at Carrer de Casp 48, a residential building Antoni Gaudí completed in 1900.

Is the Barcelona coffee crawl walkable?

Mostly. From El Born to D·Origen is a 15 to 20 minute walk north; crossing the Eixample to Roast Club takes another 15 minutes west; and from there to SlowMov and Origo in Gràcia is another 15 to 20 minutes north. The L4 metro or a bus makes the Eixample stretch quicker if you prefer.

Where should I go for cake specifically in Barcelona?

Origo Bakery in Gràcia is the best dedicated stop for baked goods, with a daily run of sourdough and handmade pastries from ancient grains. Roast Club Cafe in the Eixample also serves pastries alongside its brunch menu.