This cafe is now CLOSED.
I love getting back to London during the year. I marvel at all the new concepts that have popped up and taken over in the few months I have been absent. My palate is partial to strong flavour combinations and London always delivers.
The second reason I love London are bookshops. My hunger for food is secondary to my hunger for knowledge. I consume podcasts on Heritage Radio or Eater Upsell daily but I miss print. Amazon is practically instant these days, especially with their premium service. But I find it hard to commit to a book without having a look and I can’t get a feel for the content by swiping through a few allocated pages. Nothing compares thumbing through the real thing. Then plopping down on a chair for a coffee from the bookshop cafe.
That’s a perfect afternoon right there – except I had to wait for my trips to London to have one.
Until now.
Because La Central’s Eixample branch now has a Cosmo Cafe outpost in the pretty light-filled alcove on the 1st floor called El Café de la Central
La Central is a local bookstore mind you, so most of its collection is in Catalan & Spanish. But there are a few English titles, even in the cookbook section (and not just Jamie Olivers). I spot an Our Korean Kitchen which I have at home and have my eye on Sirroco.
Happily, the coffee is infinitely better than the Costa Coffee / Coffee Nero branches that seem to populate London bookshops.
A neat white-tiled bar with a glass display of cookies and butter croissants. The coffee comes in a thick-lipped black cup. You can enjoy it inside or at one of the tables on the terrace. All this just off the busy shopping street of Rambla de Catalunya.
El Café de la Central
Carrer de Mallorca, 237,
Eixample 08008
lacentral.com/librerias/cafeteria
Hello! My name is Suzy. This blog is about discovering Barcelona through its eateries. I take it one restaurant or shop at a time and post on the blog once a week. I vary where I eat to have a have a mix of high and low end places. My goal is to find the special places, the ones worth seeking out and show and tell you all about them. 
I can’t wait to check it out when we visit in July, I order my books from UK based The Book Depository and it is free shipping world wide. I’ve just got my shipment and usually during our Summer break .. I am found on the top of my stairs ( in a sunny spot)with a cup of hot chocolate. Speaking of.. any recommendations for good hot chocolate in Barcelona?
Spanish hot chocolate? I like the one at Granja M Viader