Cafeography
Barcelona · El Raval

Cafés in El Raval

The marble tables where Cacaolat began, roasters around MACBA, Uruguayan medialunas on Carrer de la Unió and an 1879 bakery.

Photo: Enrico Perini, Pexels License

El Raval runs from Carrer de Pelai to the port, between La Rambla and the Rondes, and packs 45,671 residents (2023) into about 110 hectares, the densest barri of the old city.1 It began in the 14th century as land inside a new wall, kept for market gardens, hospitals and convents, and later filled with factory workers.1

The old nickname, barri xinès, referred to its brothels, and the name Raval came back only with the redevelopment of the 1980s.1 For coffee, that history leaves an unusual spread: a 19th-century dairy, young specialty bars north of the Hospital and bakers and tea rooms in between, all within about ten minutes of each other on foot.

Local tip: Granja Viader closes from 13:15 to 17:00 and all day Sunday, so plan on a morning or a merienda (late-afternoon snack) rather than lunch.

At a glance

52Cafés listed
11With opening hours
07:30Earliest opening
03:00Latest closing
  • Opens earliest: Forn Mistral, from 07:30 (Mon–Sat 07:30–14:30, 16:30–20:30).
  • Closes latest: El cafè de les delícies, until 03:00 (Mon–Thu 12:00–01:00 · Fri–Sat 12:00–03:00 · Sun 12:00–01:00).
  • Most listed streets: Carrer dels Tallers (2).
  • Most common features: indoor seating (13%), outdoor seating (13%), wheelchair access (10%).

Nothing matches those filters here. See all cafés in Barcelona.

Coffee chains in El Raval

Whipped cream on Carrer d'en Xuclà

Rafaela Coma started the milk shop that became Granja Viader in 1870.2 Marc Viader turned it into a granja in 1925, serving its own whipped cream, flan and crema catalana at table, and his son Joan created Cacaolat there in 1931, which the family calls the world's first bottled cocoa milk.2 Joan's idea came from a drink tasted at a wedding in Hungary, and the concentrate was made on this street until 1970; the brand now belongs to Damm.3

Order the suís, hot chocolate under cream whipped to order, with melindros (sponge fingers).2 The mató (fresh curd cheese) is made in Cardedeu by the same methods as ever.2

Roasters between MACBA and the Ramelleres

The specialty bars gather at the northern end. ÖSSkaffe stands on a busy street near the MACBA square, and Lodetto is an open corner with a cycling theme.4 Departure Coffee Co. has staff who suggest beans according to how you brew at home, and Dalston Coffee, behind a small door on Carrer de les Ramelleres, roasts its own.4

Those descriptions date from a 2023 roundup by Nomad, itself a Barcelona roaster, so treat them as a colleague's view.4 ÖSSkaffe opens at 08:30 on weekdays and 10:00 at weekends and has vegan options.

Uruguayan pastry on Carrer de la Unió

Bandido opened in 2025 at Carrer de la Unió 22, run by two partners and built on Uruguayan recipes: medialunas (small croissants), alfajores de maicena (cornstarch sandwich cookies) and a stuffed cookie.5 Coffee comes off a La Marzocco machine, focaccia sandwiches cover lunch, and once a month the bar holds a free Coffee Rave, with music for neighbors and anyone passing.5 It stays open until 18:00 on weekdays and 18:30 at weekends.

A bakery since 1879

Forn Mistral, on Carrer de Torres i Amat, traces its shop to 1879; the Bertran family took it over in 1977 under the current name.6 It won the contest for Catalonia's best pa de pagès (country loaf) in 2019–2020.8 Morning is the moment to come, from 07:30, because it closes from 14:30 to 16:30.

Coffee after dark, near the Filmoteca

Most specialty counters here shut by 19:00. La Monroe, inside the Filmoteca de Catalunya on the Plaça de Salvador Seguí, keeps going with tapas, vermouth and cocktails, opening at about midday from Tuesday to Sunday.7 Tetería Mailuna and Nūn - Cultural Café, neighbors on Carrer de Valldonzella, are the quieter choice: Mailuna pours tea until 22:00 and Nūn serves until 23:00 from Monday to Saturday.

Sources

  1. El Raval, Viquipèdia, accessed November 2026
  2. La història de Granja Viader, Granja Viader, accessed November 2026
  3. Viader (January 29, 2025), Time Out Barcelona, accessed November 2026
  4. Where to buy specialty coffee in Barcelona (October 18, 2023), Nomad Coffee, accessed November 2026
  5. Bandido Specialty Coffee, Bandido, accessed November 2026
  6. Qui som, Forn Mistral, accessed November 2026
  7. Casa de menjars i cinema al Raval, La Monroe, accessed November 2026
  8. Forn Mistral, Forn Mistral, accessed November 2026
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In El Raval, also browse: Specialty coffee Terraces Brunch Bakery cafés Open late

FAQ

El Raval cafés: questions

Where was Cacaolat invented in Barcelona's Raval?

At Granja Viader on Carrer d'en Xuclà. Rafaela Coma opened the milk shop in 1870, Marc Viader made it a granja in 1925, and his son Joan created Cacaolat there in 1931. The concentrate was made on the street until 1970, and the brand now belongs to Damm.

Which specialty coffee bars are near MACBA in Barcelona's Raval?

ÖSSkaffe stands on a busy street close to the MACBA square, and Lodetto is an open corner with a cycling theme. Departure Coffee Co. helps you choose beans according to how you brew at home, and Dalston Coffee on Carrer de les Ramelleres roasts its own.

Where can you find Uruguayan pastries in El Raval, Barcelona?

Bandido, opened in 2025 at Carrer de la Unió 22, bakes Uruguayan recipes including medialunas and cornstarch alfajores. It pairs them with specialty coffee from a La Marzocco machine and focaccia sandwiches, and holds a free Coffee Rave with music once a month.

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