Coffee has been consumed around the world for hundreds of years, but it wasn’t until recently that it experienced an unprecedented boom. The coffee culture that we are immersed in today has emerged thanks to the various actors and different circumstances, depending on the place we are talking about. In Australia, for example, the lack of supply of roasted coffee meant that Australians had to try to roast their own coffee themselves. This is how the famous microroasteries began. At Café Leather Supply, we fell in love with this culture and all the processes associated with specialty coffee a long time ago. That is why our brand is highly identified and linked with this very special drink. At Café Leather Supply, we wanted to create a list which, in our opinion, is a compilation of the best coffee shops in Spain. This list of the best coffee shops in Spain was made according to different parameters that we consider to be important. It is based completely on subjective criteria, however we always try to be very fair in giving our assessment on something that matters to us. We are very lucky to know of many of the most outstanding coffee shops in the world, and our criteria when evaluating the best coffee shops in Spain, is based on our experiences in these outstanding coffee shops around the world. We hope you enjoy our list, and above all, that it will be useful for you. Any suggestions are welcome!
The Best Coffee Shops in Spain: Hanso Café, Madrid
We couldn’t start this list without our coffee shop fetish, Hanso Café; it is without a doubt one of the best coffee shops in Spain. Located on Calle Pez, 20 in Madrid, this coffee shop with an asian origin focuses on simply providing high quality, without pretension. Hanso first opened in the Usera district, but it didn’t take long before the coffee shop moved to the district of Malasaña. In addition to offering excellent specialty coffee coming from different parts of the world, at Hanso Café you can also find an excellent macha and a wonderful talo cake. This small lovely place, located in the heart of Malasaña, always manages to surprise its customers thanks to the good manners of Nico, Like and their entire team. Hanso is neither beautiful nor ugly, neither large nor small. Hanso is a family business specializing in specialty coffee, and nothing more. We invite you to visit this place, it won’t leave any coffee lover unimpressed.
The Best Coffee Shops in Spain: Thalys Coffee Shop, Villena
It may seem strange to some that one of the best coffee shops in Spain isn’t located in a big city. The truth is that, in our opinion, the best coffee shop in the Valencian Community isn’t in Valencia, nor in Alicante, but in Villena. Thalys Coffee Shop has become a point of reference of the coffee culture on a national spectrum. A large part of this is because of Javier Carrión, the current champion of Spain’s baristas, who leads this cafe with passion and affection. Technique is of the utmost importance at Thalys. They are specialized in manual brewing, a technique they try to perfect day after day. Javier says that high quality raw materials and the roasting process are fundamental in achieving the desired result. After that, the second part is missing, which the barista is in charge of. For that reason for Thalys, care and improvement are of the utmost importance in order to get an excellent broth. Is Villena worth visiting just to go to Thalys? If you consider yourself a coffee lover, then even doubting a visit would be offensive.
The Best Coffee Shops in Spain: Nomad Coffee, Barcelona
The coffee lovers of this country are perfectly aware of Nomad Coffee. A national benchmark for specialty coffee and one of the greatest Spanish models internationally. Jordi Mestre is the founder of this magnificent coffee shop, coming to Barcelona after spending some time in London working in food trucks and other coffee related businesses. Today, he is accompanied by Kim, a woman from Belgium with a great deal of knowledge about coffee. Aside from roasting, Nomad also offers a consultancy service for startup or private businesses, Kim is in charge of this portion of the business. Nomad is all about coffee, and in certain aspects, they have an advantage over other businesses due to their advanced expertise. A quick heads up – Nomad only offers coffee that is in season, so expect that when you visit! Nomad always succeeds in offering what the customer is looking for, no matter their background knowledge about coffee. Each cup from Nomad Coffee is a in it’s class master class. In our opinion, Nomad is a clear international benchmark in the world of specialty coffee, and it is for that reason that this is now the second appearance Nomad has made in our collection of Café Stories.
The Best Coffee Shops in Spain: Cafetería Don Manuel, La Palma
It’s always been said that the Canary Islands are a good place to go to disconnect. Its climate, its beaches and its people, make it an ideal place to get away. However, in all sincerity, when thinking of the best coffee shops in Spain, the Canary Islands aren’t one of the first places that come to mind. Rayco Paz founded Cafetería Don Manuel in honor of his grandfather, and since opening, decided it would become a special place, and not just another snack bar. Located on Calle Royal on the island of La Palma, Cafetería Don Manuel stands as the model of Canarian coffee, thanks to the unmatched espresso and barraquito the coffee shop offers. The shop even offers the recipe Rayco insists using in order to offer the highest quality coffee, selected by himself, and for his own brand, Don Manuel. The brand uses colombian coffee, which comes from a Supracafé farm, wovrking without only sustainable products and having respect for the environment and fair trade. They work, improving the different blends they offer, while always respecting truly untouchable parameters. The espressos are always made from origen coffee, and those that come with milk, use different blends. Rayco is well known amongst the different coffee competitors in Spain, and has even managed to grab international attention, appearing in The Guardian, a British newspaper who published an article stating that Cafetería Don Manuel was the best place in Spain to have coffee.
The Best Coffee Shops in Spain: Toma Café, Madrid
It’s impossible for us to put together this list of the best coffee shops in Spain without mentioning Toma Café, one of our favorite meeting spots in the capital of Madrid. Located on calle de la Palma de Madrid, Toma Café is most likely the first establishment in this city to offer high quality coffee. This coffee hub is a small, yet tremendously cozy place. If you were to walk along San Bernardo, and then take a left on calle Palma, making your way into Malasaña, the aroma of coffee from Toma Café can be savored from the streets making for an inviting welcome. At Toma Café they ask that you order their concoctions, and drink them, without sugar. More than just asking for it, they imply it, but in truth they say it well and clear. It’s a purely hipster type of place that couldn’t be more cool. Toma Café is the typical small coffee shop one would see in Melbourne. A few months ago, the owner, Santi Rigoni, invited us to see his roastery in Madrid, located in the neighborhood of Tetuán. Since then, we’ve loved this small coffee shop even more after seeing the special care and attention to detail they put into the roasting process – it drove us crazy. Toma Café will always be a must.
The Best Coffee Shops in Spain: OWL Coffee House, Sopelana
For those who love surfing. Sopelana is one of the best places in Spain to catch some waves. This is how we found this special coffee shop. On one of our trips in search of good surf in the north of Spain, we asked local surfers where we could find good coffee before we got on our boards. Everyone’s answer was the same, OWL Coffee House. The next morning, without an ounce of hesitation, we showed up to the small cafe, located on calle Enrike Urrutikoetxea, 5, before we got in the water. We quickly realized that this place had something special, and was a place that was difficult to describe. Accompanied by its careful selection of decorations, but above all it’s good work, makes this place an ideal place to taste coffee of origin. They offer full breakfasts, as well as different teas and excellent milkshakes. For all of this, and the atmosphere they have managed to create, OWL Coffee House is, for us, one of the best coffee shops in Spain. There was one thing that surprised us about this place, and that is despite being very focused on coffee, they also offer an impressive selection of craft beers.
The Best Coffee Shops in Spain: Retrogusto Coffeemates, Valencia
The girls of Retrogusto Coffeemates in Valencia, first fell in love with coffee, and after came the rest. This independent coffee shop located in the central market of Valencia has been open for just two years, and what a two years it has been. It’s become one of the most sought-after independent coffee shops in Spain, and that isn’t just by chance. They specialize in origen coffee, and although it’s just a small marketplace, it’s the best place in Valencia to enjoy a good coffee. On our first visit to this local coffee shop, the line was endless. We were surprised by the level headedness of the owners, whom we didn’t get the chance to talk to because it was so busy. They worked through the line with ease, not allowing the rush to affect the quality of their coffee – at least ours was exquisite. We were so surprised with how incredible this shop was that, the same afternoon we returned just a bit before they closed. This time for an espresso. Our second visit only confirmed that these two girls know a lot about coffee. However more than knowing a lot about coffee, they love coffee, which is reflected in each drink offered by this small shop. If you are in Valencia and are a lover of good coffee, this spot is a can’t miss. For us, Retrogusto Coffeemates is one of the best coffee shops in Spain.
The Best Coffee Shops in Spain: Cafés El Magnífico, Barcelona
It’s nothing new that we get the chance to talk about El Magnífico, located on calle Argenter´â fe Barcelona, 64, and is without a doubt one of the forefathers of specialty coffee in Spain. For many years, given their experience and know-how in the world of coffee and coffee roasting, standing among some of the most outstanding coffee jurors of the world. Cafés El Magnífico is characterized by its continuing work in improving their production processes; they are always in search of the perfect coffee. They are characterized as coffee vendors rather than a coffee shop. Even so, in our opinion this is one of the best coffee shops in Spain, because we love enjoying a cup of coffee, enjoying everything that surrounds this place. It’s definitely a place with a different type of charm. Visit them, fall in love, and you will be coming back for more.
The Best Coffee Shops in Spain: La Molienda, Palma de Mallorca
In the middle of a vacation in Palma de Mallorca, we coincidentally came across a coffee shop that has turned out to be the most surprising coffee shop we’ve recently come across in Spain. Strolling along Carrer del Bisbe Campins, we came across La Molienda, a coffee shop specializing in organic breakfasts and specialty coffee. We were surprised by their manners, the good atmosphere, and the quality of their products. Despite the fact that when we were there, the place was crowded, we watched the prevailing good vibes amongst the employees at all times, it seemed as though they were all good friends. In addition to their craft techniques, the coffee they work with comes from some of the best roasteries at the moment. La Molienda is a typical australian coffee shop based in Spain, rivaling the coffee shops in Australia giving them absolutely nothing to be jealous of. In our opinion, it is one of the best coffee shops in Spain because, in addition to it’s quality, the shop itself feels like home. We enjoyed a good breakfast with an excellent latte with milk from Menorca. Definitely worth a visit, La Molienda is special to say the very least.
