Granada is a very walkable city, one of its very best qualities. All the fun stuff is just 5 minutes straight ahead, 10 minutes that way, 20 minutes this way, up that butt sculpting hill (You’ll know all about it if you head to The Alhambra on foot.) you get the idea. It’s wonderful. There’s a lot to do and see, unfolding right in front of you. The centre isn’t massively huge so trust me when I say that you’ll cover a lot of ground in a matter of hours.
While I very much delight in spending time in a cosy coffee shop corner (reading, working, people-watching…usually all three) or pausing for a cortado in a patch of sun on a bustling terraza, fueling my on-the-go activities around the city with a cup in hand is a ritual I never grow tired of. Never ever.
Reading back on my very much expired and tired original post, it’s a reminder of the level of turnover in Granada, and how much more cosmopolitan it has come in a few short years. It felt funny (and honestly, sounds funny) typing ‘cosmopolitan’ as a word to describe Granada as it still holds and lives up to so many deeply-rooted traditions, but honestly, since the original post, so much has changed in almost five years. From the types of cuisine accessible, the creativity and talent in the restaurant industry, and what this post is all about – the boom of specialty coffee. No more scouring the internet for something decent, and clutching to the good ones for dear life.
Below I share my favourites du jour, which we’ll get right into, I hope this post is as helpful as the last. It’s one of my most popular posts ever, with traffic coming from all over the world. Tourists and expats alike need their java. I get it. So here we go, as of Summer 2022, the very best coffee in Granada, Spain. It’s long, but it should cover all your needs.
My last post featured a lot of my own pictures – this time I’m linking the Instagram of each place so you can easily follow for trading hours, menus, prices…all the in-the-know info. Go forth and enjoy. Great coffee (sans UHT milk) is abundant.
Sur Coffee Corner – Plaza de la Romanilla/Calle San Jerónimo
Sur Coffee Corner is very tiny, but the coffee packs a punch. Flavour-wise, it’s consistently impressive, and yet to be beaten, even by newer kids on the block. The manila brown takeaway cup you’ll hold in your paw will be filled with notes of chocolate, hazelnuts, spices, dates, and sometimes fruit, depending on what roast they carry that week. Sur primarily uses NOMAD Coffee from Barcelona, which I use at home too.
I tend to go for a flat white, and their version is a silky smooth hug in a cup.
Sur Coffee Corner also stocks Oatly Barista, the only oat milk worth putting in coffee, in my opinion.* This is probably Granada’s smallest coffee shop with just one seat inside to the left, but most people tend to get it to go, Plaza de la Romanilla always has plenty going on, with benches nearby.
Coffee is on the menu however you like it, and matcha fixes are of course available here too. You can also order tostadas and sandwiches (bursting with colour from the freshest ingredients), cakes, cookies, and freshly made juices to go.
*it doesn’t curdle, leaving you with unpleasant textures that sink to the bottom of your cup. I hate that nasty surprise. Good surprises only around here, please.
Malamiga Pan & Café – Calle San Antón, 16
Malamiga, the triple threat. Coffee, insanely good baked things, and the best bread. Ever. All made with so much care and attention to detail. If you always take your coffee with a treat on the side, Malamiga is for you. It used to be further down my list, but the coffee has really improved as they now use Ineffable Coffee. This is definitely my most visited coffee shop at the moment as I love having a cup paired with a fresh, hot from the oven, crispy on the outside, chewy on the inside with just the right amount of chocolate croissant. They have all kinds of sweet and savoury croissants, single-serve desserts, and best of all, any type of bread you can think of including croipan, their amazing croissant bread. All of their bread is sourdough, by the way.
Malamiga is more of a takeaway spot (like most of Granada’s specialty coffee spots) but there are a couple of stools on both sides of the entrance. Most of the space is reserved for the kitchen and bakers, who you’ll see working away through the glass. Do not miss these croissants! Or their Instagram, for more mesmerising baking clips.
Side note: You will probably come across Minuit (the one on Calle Colcha near Plaza Nueva that gets the most footfall) another coffee shop and bakery that have three locations in the city. Minuit is pretty good, but the croissants aren’t replenished as quickly. They run out early in the morning and they’re not as fresh or hearty. And the coffee is only so-so. That’s my personal opinion, but I would suggest walking the extra 7 minutes to Puerta Real toward the superior Malamiga.
Magia Arábica – Calle Salamanca, 9
I realised I’m writing essays. Time to make things more concise! I can’t help that I’m passionate, but I’ll do my darndest. Just off Calle Reyes Católicos on your way to Bib Rambla square, you’ll most likely pass Magica Arábica. It’s teeny-tiny, but the coffee is great and all the pricing and types of coffee are on a chart outside to inspire your order. Prices in Granada these days are about €1.50 for an espresso, €1.60-€1.80 for a cafe con leche, and between €2.10 – €2.30 for a cappuccino or flat white. You’ll pick up an iced coffee from anywhere between €3.20 and €3.60. My personal favourite iced coffee is actually from Dunkin’ Coffee – a medium is just €2.30 or deliciously chilled iced latte the size of your head is just €2.80)
Treats at Magia Arábica are gluten-free, vegan, they stock kombucha and Fritz-Cola. You can also take your KeepCup along or buy one while you’re there, along with a bunch of other coffee accessories. They stock Milola cookies which I’m obsessed with. Gluten, dairy, palm oil, and soy free. Lemon and Chia is my fave.
The owner of Magia Arábica is Yasmina, who went out on her own just over two years ago after previously working at La Finca. This moves us on to…
La Finca – Calle Colegio Catalino, 3
La Finca, of course!
A long-standing and firm favourite with locals, students, and tourists, La Finca is located on a narrow little street between Catedral de Granada and Plaza Romanilla. After you’ve recovered from the incredible awe-inspiring beauty and imposing presence of Granada’s cathedral (just kidding, it’s not something you ever get over!) you can pause at La Finca and let it all sink in.
La Finca used to be tiny, it was hard to judge the best time to get a seat in the window. It was mostly luck. Then they branched out to another location, now that’s closed, but the original remains and they have knocked out the wall to create a larger seating area. This has made all the difference, but it still doesn’t stop the odd queue. Alternatively, you can get your coffee to go and sit on the steps in front of the cathedral and people-watch. Coffee is made with great care at La Finca, and they roast their own which you can buy on-site and across plenty of locations across the city. The food at La Finca is similar to most coffee shops around Granada. Toasts, cakes, yoghurt, and fruit bowls. Personally, I’m not a massive fan, I used to go quite a bit but service these days is quite slow (prepare to wait at least 15 minutes for a coffee, even when it’s quiet) and the coffee tends to be lukewarm, and a little too on the milky side. Points for location, but definitely last for me on the list. Style over substance comes to mind.
Noat – Plaza de Los Girones, 4
Noat (run by two sisters is located in a quieter part of town, in Realejo. It’s still very central, not too far from Plaza Nueva and Gran Vía, but you’re far enough away that you’ll feel like you have the place to yourself. It’s also located beside Granada’s best vegan restaurant, Hicuri, and across from Noat is Palacio de los Condes de Gabia, where there’s always some kind of art exhibition which is almost always free.
Coffee is good, usually Right Side Coffee from Barcelona. The usual stuff is available: juice, toasts, cakes and pastries, gluten-free and vegan options. Their cakes and pastries come from Pasteleria Andalusi Nujaila, a great little artisanal bakery on Calle Calderería Nueva, the lower part of the Albaicín, Granada’s old Arabic quarter.
The sisters truly know how to make an excellent cup of coffee. The quality for me personally is not too far behind Sur Coffee Corner. I do find the service a little impersonal though, I always get my coffee to go. Prices are quite good, and they really have put their own stamp on the place. There are a lot of plants, frames, and books around and often an issue of Standart.
Dulcimena Coffee & Go – Calle Molinos, 19
Next up is Dulcimena Coffee & Co, another small space, big coffee spot. You most likely won’t pass Dulcimena, you’ll need to seek it out, but it’s worth it, I assure you. Located in a quieter area of Realejo, you won’t find many tourists but you’ll come across plenty of locals. Calle Molinos has a real neighbourhood feel. Think fruiterías, panaderías, bike repair shops, eco shops, and stationery stores. Admittedly, I haven’t stopped by in a while. They close open in the mornings from 8am, close at 1pm and reopen from 3pm to 18.30pm, and I tend to make coffee at home and then grab one in the early afternoon. However, the coffee was always good (the Dulcimena duo try out all kinds of coffee beans, they’re not afraid to change it up) prices were always good, you can pick up fancy chocolate and coffee accessories too. You could always get a coffee to go in this part of town before you (bravely) walk the Cuesta del Realejo, which will take you to The Alhambra Palace Hotel and La Alhambra herself. It’s no easy feat, but the caffeine is sure to give you a kick in the pants.
Kona Speciality Coffee – Plaza Bibataubin
Kona coffee is situated on a little square not far from Puerta Real, which to me is the point that connects all the main shopping streets (it’s got a Burger King and Dunkin’ Coffee. You’ve definitely seen it!) it’s also not too far from the river, but far enough away from both so you can enjoy your coffee in peace.
Just like the majority of specialty coffee shops in Granada, it’s tiny. So, sitting on their terrace is the best place to be. The coffee is good, they offer toasts and pastries (the latter tend to sell out quickly as a lot of cyclists fuel up here) as well as a healthy weekend brunch of toasts with avocado, tomato, scrambled eggs, fresh juice, granola, fruit, and yogurt bowls. It’s ideal if you want to sit alone with a book or visit with a friend, or with your fellow travellers when you don’t feel like having good coffee to go. The coffee experience itself is also a bit extra, as it’s served in the nicest cups designed by Dutch ceramist Laura Martens (@lau.label). Sometimes you’ll find them stocked at Kona and you can purchase one for home.
Oteiza Coffee – Carrera del Darro, 25
Oteiza Coffee is situated along the Darro river, so you’ll most likely come across it on your own. It’s a minimalistic modern coffee shop in the historic neighbourhood of the Albaicín (Albaicín lower) and Oteiza also roast their own coffee, just like our aforementioned pals at La Finca. The cafe is pleasant, and the patio is even nicer. Don’t miss out on the latter if you need a few minutes to yourself; Carrera del Darro can get pretty busy. If you’re around Plaza Nueva and Plaza Santa Ana, you’ll follow along this river bank toward Paseo de Los Tristes, where you’ll get a wonderful view of the Alhambra, and if you keep going, you’ll end up in Sacromonte and the Albaicín, where you’ll discover even better views of the Alhambra (go to Mirador de San Nicolas and thank me later.) Along your journey you’ll come across Oteiza coffee, painted a cool grey, located right in front of a bridge. Oteiza offers your usual run-of-the-mill coffee options, breakfasts, and cakes. The coffee is good, the prices a little higher than the rest of Granada. Everything is excellent value in Granada, that goes without saying, but expect to pay anywhere between €0.40-€0.70 more for things when it comes to Carrera del Darro.
You can also order black, pink, and blue lattes at Oteiza, if you’re into that wacky stuff.
Looking for somewhere with plenty of seating for bigger groups, or students, or somewhere to do a few hours of work? The next two spots are for you!
Atypica Coffee – Calle San Juan de Dios, 48
Atypica Coffee isn’t quite in the centre-centre, but it depends on what you consider the centre. This coffee shop location is just off Gran Vía, about a 10-minute walk from the cathedral. The further out places have that bit more space, perfect for taking your laptop, book, or extra along. The specialty coffee shops in the centre-centre (there we go again) are great, but the majority are tiny, and sometimes you want something more. Atypica also serves Ineffable Coffee (Sevilla) and Puchero Coffee (Valladolid) as well as teas, lemonades, juices, desserts, and a little something the others don’t – empanadas.
The staff are friendly, the WIFI is reliable, and the bathrooms are clean. It’s a comfortable place to spend an hour or two.
MOLA Cafe – Calle Tejeiro, 21
Have you ever drank your own face?! If you haven’t, you can! Allow your lifelong dream to come to life at Mola Cafe. It is actually true though. Aside from being a cute place to work, you can have your face (or indeed, any image you like) printed on the top of your coffee. Just like this:
How exciting! It’s called a selfieccino. The menu is quite extensive here, to cover your breakfast, lunch and weekend brunch need.
You can expect smoothies, smoothie bowls, freshly made juices, milkshakes, cakes, and any kind of coffee you can think of. Mola is still very central, it’s located on a quieter street just off one of Granada’s busiest, Recogidas. Another thing I like about Mola is that you order at the bar and pay immediately. You’ll get a number and they’ll come to you when your order is ready. It simply means that if you need to run or have someplace to be tout-suite, you don’t have to wait around for the bill…something that can take a while to appear in Spain. “What’s the hurry?”is the attitude here. This is wonderful of course, but sometimes you simply have to skidaddle.
And that concludes my long-winded list of places to enjoy great coffee in Granada. Other places I have found on Instagram (but have yet to visit!) are listed below. They look like they know their stuff.
I told you there was an explosion of caffeine-y goodness around the city! You just need to know where to look.
There has truly never been a better time to enjoy Granada java.
Happy caffeinating, and if you come across this post and find any that aren’t mentioned, please do let me know and I’ll add them!
Emma
x