You’ll never go hungry in Barcelona, but one of our favorite delicacies is the humble churro (or xurro in Catalan). The Spanish version of doughnuts, churros are deep-fried lengths of choux pastry. We don’t discriminate – sweet or savoury, long or short, served with thick hot chocolate or rolled in sugar – churros are always the answer. Here are our nine picks for the best spots in town.
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If you think a churro’s only friend is chocolate, you’re about to have your mind changed. This churrería offers many takes on the classic pastry, including a churrito bravo (churros with patatas bravas sauce), churros with ham and salmorejo (cold bread-and-tomato soup), churros with sobrassada (cured pork with paprika) and churros with honey and cheese. If you’re looking to expand your churro horizons, Comaxurros is the place to do it.
The artisanal, additive-free churros served at Chok are a bit on the chunky side and won’t leave your fingers grease-stained. Pair a stack of fresh churros with a cup of 100-percent-natural hot chocolate and you have yourself one of the best snacks in the city.
This extremely kid-friendly café serves some of the most delicate, delicious churros in Gràcia. Crispy and drizzled in rich chocolate, the churros make this bakery a must on any churro connoisseur’s route.
After five decades in the churro biz, this Eixample staple knows what’s up. The churros here are handmade daily and carefully fried to perfection in peanut oil. Top tip: Try one of the chocolate-covered confections in addition to the classic plain churros.
This churrería shines like a beacon of light to anyone drunkenly stumbling home from a night out in Gràcia. You’ll find churros of every shape and size available, some filled with delicious creams, chocolate or caramel. Trébol also boasts tons of savory offerings if you want to chase down your churro with a croquette, fritter or crisps.
Carrer de Petritxol is to churros what Carrer del Parlament is to vermouth. We could hardly discuss this jewel of popular gastronomy without mentioning one of the several legendary establishments on Petritxol, a narrow street in the old city, where hot chocolate with churros has been the classic pre- or post-shopping treat for generations of kids dragged along behind parents or grandparents. Everyone knows that serious retail therapy is best served with a side of chocolate with churros or sponge fingers in a café that’s been open for more than half a century.
If modernist architecture makes you hungry, this churro spot is ideally located near Gaudí’s Sagrada Família. Choose from classic snacks like crisps and pork scratchings and churros of all sorts at this family-run churrería.
Don’t be fooled by this neighborhood café’s plain facade – here you’ll find some of our favourite hot chocolate in town. On a nice day, be sure to snag one of the outdoor tables to watch the bustle of Poble-sec while you nibble on churros or other classic snacks.
This classic café is usually overrun by mobs of older ladies. It’s a noted Raval landmark, because it was where ubiquitous Catalan hot chocolate brand Cacaolat was invented. Granja Viader opened in 1870, and since then five generations of the same family have stubbornly and successfully preserved its original appearance and spirit. They serve delicious churros in addition to excellent hot chocolate with cream (the suizo), pastries, and crema catalana in a charming space premises that’s always packed.
You can find all kinds of cafés in Barcelona, from the most popular to temples where coffee is practically worshipped. Nowadays there’s a more recent crop of coffee shops in Barcelona that have revolutionised the world of coffee with a first-class product and comprehensive traceability throughout the process that brings the good stuff to us. Whether that’s what you’re into or you just want a damn good cup of coffee, we’ll show you the best places to go in the city for just that.
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