The other day, I was at Casa Ametller (which I know is a fruit and vegetable shop but still) and I ordered a coffee. Café con leche would do, whatever, I just needed the caffeine and fast. This is what happened; a gauze-wrapped Novell pod was loaded into a machine, a switch – like a light switch – was flipped on and then the woman walked away to have a (long) chat with a colleague. What seemed like eons later, she returned, at that point I was on the counter peering into the cup trying to figure out if there was any room for milk. She then opened the fridge, took out some abomination tetrapak milk, the kind that I could put away and give to the twins for their graduation and it would still taste vaguely, like milk. She poured that 4ºC milk into my coffee. I thought: “well now my coffee is cold?”.
And then she put the whole thing into the microwave and zapped it for 40 seconds. Honest to god truth, this happened. 
Crazy! That’s crazy right? But here is the thing, the coffee culture here is largely, non-existent. When I ask local friends, they point me in the direction of someplace that uses Illy.
I spent some serious time researching coffee shops on the internet and came up with about 5 contenders. The most important player being El Magnifico (How can you go wrong with a name like that?). They source and roast their own beans. They have 40 different types available and they wholesale to most of the high-end shops and restaurants in Barcelona. (A better-researched blog post by Bean on a Bike)
I order a cappuccino. And as I take my first sip. I want to drop to my knees in gratitude. It is only upon (finally) drinking a good cappuccino that I am able to fully appreciate the awful quality of most of the coffee around here. And you know what else? Unlike every single place in Barcelona, at Cafes El Magnifico, they’ve managed to find a small artisanal producer (Granja el Prat) to supply them with milk to complement their beans. If anyone reading this is considering embarking on a business in Barcelona – coffee shop, this place needs good coffee.
Cafes El Magnifico
Argenteria 64
08003 Barcelona
T. 933 193 975
www.cafeselmagnifico.com
Other Coffee Roasters on Foodie in Barcelona:
SlowMov
So hard to believe! And here I thought Spain was the king of good coffee. Oh, and those dairy bottles are so precious.
I kind of did too but no? Crazy and actually, Berlin’s coffee scene is exceptional in comparison. Even the roast beans at the supermarkets are good!
I truly understand what a good coffee means. When I was at the MAD symposium in Copenhagen, during the whole day you could drink as much coffee as you possibly could, and with every cup you will get the description what kind of coffee you’re drinking, how it was roasted, etc. barista would describe it to you like sommelier the wine. And the coffee was exceptional. I drunk coffee with complex citrus notes, I would normally choose, and it was amazing.
Wow, sounds super sophisticated. I am not really at the ‘detecting citrus notes’ stage but I can appreciate a good cup of coffee.
Guys check this list as well, helped me find some good cups yesterday http://baristique.com/post/128349698225/top-5-best-coffee-barcelona-baristique
Love this cafe! Spoke to the owner and was privileged to receive a tour of the place!
We were on an American cruise ship (Royal Caribbean) and their coffee is CRAP! I’m from Australia and we also have a great coffee scene here ‘downunder’. My son is a barista so I guess I’m spoiled….was lovely to get a good cup of coffee whenever we disembarked. Bringing my own for on board next time 🙂