With a specialty-coffee scene pioneered by roasters like Nomad & Right Side Coffee, Barcelona is earning its place as a top coffee destination.
BY MICHAELA TOMCHEK
BARISTA MAGAZINE ONLINE
Photos courtesy of Michaela Tomchek unless otherwise noted
When one arrives in Barcelona, the grandeur of the city is felt almost immediately: the warmness of the people, the eclectic nature of the culture, and the proximity to the sea. Coffee lovers, in particular, will find this Spanish coastal city to be a treat. Exquisite shops are dotted all throughout the trendy neighborhoods of El Poblenou and Gràcia, and the stylish Sant Antoni with its vibrant alleyways—and, of course, the Gothic Quarter, the historic heart of the city.
Barcelona is a place where specialty coffee has firmly planted itself into the culture and grown into a vast world to explore. Today, we’ll venture to this Catalonian hub, discuss the growth of specialty-coffee culture in the city, and highlight two cafés worth a visit.
Coffee in Spain: A brief history
For quite some time, Spain didn’t have the best reputation when it comes to coffee. Coffee first arrived in the country back in the 1700s, with the first coffee shop opening in the country’s capital, Madrid. The Spanish Civil War, which lasted from 1936 to 1939, halted any development in the coffee sector. Yet, this was also when the Torrefacto emerged, the practice of adding sugar to roasting coffee as it reaches its final stages in the roaster. The process cloaked the beans in a shiny dark coating, and gave them a bitter taste. Most perceived this as “low-quality” and yet, it became the norm in Spain.
This is one of the reasons why Spain had a slow start in the specialty-coffee scene compared to the other major cities in Europe—but in major cities like Barcelona, the desire for specialty coffee is growing, with more craft cafés opening up every year.
Barcelona’s modern specialty-coffee culture
So when did specialty coffee first reach Barcelona? It’s difficult to say, but many argue that it was Nomad Coffee that really made the push and shifted the scene. In 2011, Jordi Mestre Ramentol left his home in Spain and ventured to London to learn more about coffee. He then went on to open his own coffee cart in his hometown of Barcelona, calling it Nomad, with the intention of serving coffee that was “the cream of the crop.”
Jordi boasts several titles in the coffee competition scene: In 2012, he took home the top spot at Spain’s National Barista Championship in Madrid and placed 15th at the World Barista Championship (WBC) in Vienna. This would be the stepping stone for Jordi to begin roasting at London’s Nude Espresso, where he would go on to begin training the team.
Jordi would once again win Spain’s Barista Championship in 2013, progressing to the WBC in Melbourne where he began to create a name for Nomad Coffee—and Barcelona as a whole. This gave him the momentum to travel back to Barcelona and open up the Nomad roastery in 2014. It was here he really explored his zeal for coffee, opening a showroom to showcase specialty coffee, new origins, tasting notes, and brewing methods.
From a dream, to a coffee cart, to competitions, Nomad has had an extraordinary journey thus far and is now known worldwide for putting Barcelona specialty-coffee culture on the map. Any one of their three Barcelona storefronts is a must-visit when in the city, and many other coffee shops in the area sell their beans as well.
Another pivotal player in Barcelona’s specialty-coffee scene, Right Side Coffee began operations in 2012. Owner and founder Joaquín Parra started the roastery in a lot just outside his home, eager to deliver high-quality beans to the city and change people’s perspective on how to drink coffee. His family already had a history of importing green coffee, so it was natural for Joaquín to follow suit, until he finally opened his own coffee bar in 2023 in Barcelona’s Gothic Quarter. The café-roastery now works closely with producers throughout the world, having a remarkable impact on not only the local scene in Barcelona, but throughout the producing regions it works with as well.
Following the work of Nomad and Right Side, many in Barcelona have helped expand the city’s specialty-coffee scene even further, opening their own shops and roasteries, and helping Barcelona shape its identity as a specialty-coffee destination.
SlowMov
Originally focused on a blog about specialty coffee in Paris, duo Carmen Callizo and François Justet moved to Barcelona in 2015, where they would put their own coffee skills to the test by opening SlowMov.
In launching the café, Carmen and François’ main focuses were sustainability, traceability, and building a community space for locals and tourists alike to gather. The name “SlowMov” is short for “Slow Movement,” meant to represent the changing aspects of life, that can happen in a slow yet powerful way—indicative of the evolution of the specialty-coffee community in Barcelona.
“The specialty-coffee scene in Barcelona is now catering to a much wider audience than it did years ago,” says Carmen. “You can currently find specialty coffee in ‘traditionally renovated’ spots (buildings that have updated while preserving their original architectural character), which is the new trend in the city.”
Carmen also adds that in the past five years, the number of specialty-coffee roasters and coffee bars in Barcelona has increased significantly, which she says has lead to much higher competition—and higher standards overall.
Some numbers report there being over 150 specialty shops in the city, and SlowMov has made it a part of their mission to help new ones find their footing in the city. Apart from being a café and roastery, SlowMov also offers training services to help coffee shops get off the ground and directed towards success: a truly community-focused project.
Three Marks Coffee
Another essential coffee roaster in Barcelona is Three Marks Coffee, which began roasting back in 2018. Notes co-founder Marco de Rebotti: “We wanted to create a place where we could share our passion for coffee, focusing on quality, transparency, and the people behind each cup.”
“Over the years, we’ve grown a lot. We started with (a single) location and roastery, and today, we have two coffee shops and our own roasting operation in Barcelona,” adds Marco. “We’ve learned so much through traveling, meeting producers, building relationships at origin, and working closely with our team. Today, we’re much more focused on sourcing, roasting, and developing long-term relationships with producers. But the philosophy is still the same: Serve great coffee and make people feel welcome.”
When visiting Three Marks in the Fort Pienc neighborhood, part of the historic Eixample district, there is ample space to sit outside, feel the breeze, and sip coffee. The chic interior offers two levels of seating, unique architecture, and friendly baristas to guide you through the many bean options. Barcelona knows hospitality, and Three Marks caters to those looking for that.
“Traditionally, in Spain, coffee is something very social and part of everyday life,” says Marco. “People usually drink espresso or café con leche, often quickly at the bar, and coffee has always been quite affordable. Barcelona is a little different because it’s such an international city. People are more open to trying new things, like filter coffee, different origins, and lighter roasts.”
“But I don’t think specialty coffee should replace traditional coffee culture,” Marco continues. “For me, it’s more about adding something new to it—showing people that coffee can (bring) different flavors and experiences while keeping that social connection.”
The future of specialty coffee in Barcelona
The coffee world in Barcelona is continuing to change every day and has shifted significantly in just the past five years. Today, you can find a number of coffee establishments throughout the city offering unique experiences, including cafés that double as record shops, ceramics studios, flower shops, and more. Innovative ideas are sprouting all throughout the intertwined streets that Pablo Picasso once roamed through, as he himself envisioned art, life, and society from an innovative perspective.
As time goes on, Barcelona is claiming its place as one of the world’s top specialty-coffee destinations. Concludes Marco of Three Marks Coffee: “For me, the next step is focusing more on consistency, hospitality, and building real relationships with producers. It’s not just about having an amazing coffee on the menu, but about being able to deliver a great experience every single day.”
Michaela Tomchek finds coffee an important part of life and the world. She is an appreciator of the crop, the producer, and the many cafés throughout the world serving beautiful beverages. Currently, she writes about coffee, hoping to spread her joy across the globe.
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