Feast your eyes on the best brunch in Barcelona

Best brunch in Barcelona @minkaguides Federal Sant Antoni omlette

When I first visited over a decade ago, Barcelona‘s brunch scene was only just emerging and cafes with a tasty breakfast menu were hard to find. Flash forward 10 years and I would now rate this city as one of the best in the world for tasty brunch places. In fact, you can easily kick-start your morning in Barcelona at a totally different and delicious cafe every day of the week and still have a few options to spare. Luckily for you, I have put in all the hard work to bring you my guide to the best brunch in Barcelona. So all you have to do now is pick which one you want to try.

📌 On the go? Use my Barcelona map to locate all the places below.

🍳 Brunch in El Raval & Sant Antoni
☕ Brunch in Poblenou & Llacuna
🍞 Brunch in El Born & Bari Gotic
🍊 Brunch in Eixample

🍳

Brunch in El Raval & Sant Antoni

Federal – Sant Antoni

Way back in 2014, I visited Federal’s original branch here in Sant Antoni and it stole the crown for the best breakfast in Barcelona on that trip. They since expanded to a second cafe in this city plus other outposts across Spain, including Madrid and Valencia. The success of this cafe is proof of why you shouldn’t miss it when visiting when in town.

Best brunch in Barcelona @minkaguides Federal Sant Antoni French Toast

Federal’s brunch menu is huge without being excessive, with loads of tasty options that suit everyone – matched with good service and a great vibe. Run by Australians, their menu is in English and has all dietary options/ingredients clearly marked on the menu. We opted for the French toast (with berries and mascarpone) and the smoked trout omelette (thankfully available with gluten-free bread), which were both fantastic. I also had the vegan magic monkey smoothie (with chia, dates and almond milk) which was delicious.

This cafe, situated on a sunny street corner, has 3 levels of seating: the breezy ground floor, an enclosed second level, and a top floor terrace that attracts lots of s sunshine and an additional 10% surcharge. I definitely recommend trying to get a table downstairs or on the terrace when the weather is nice.

✔️ Vegan options
✔️ Gluten-free options
📍 Federal – Sant Antoni, Carrer del Parlament, 39, 08015 Barcelona
➡️ federalcafe.es

Trópico

Hidden away in El Raval, you could easily walk past Tropico’s doorway without realising the foodie gem that lies inside. You might even mistake it for a kitsch furniture store, with the bamboo chairs and ferns adorning the entrance, but inside and you’ll discover one of the best cafes for brunch in Barcelona. It’s so popular that I’d recommend booking (online or over the phone) even just 1 hour in advance if you’re visiting for brunch Friday-Sunday or if you’re visiting in a group.

Best brunch in Barcelona @minkaguides Tropico smoothie

Head inside and you’ll discover a range of seating options for couples and solo diners at the front and a large dining room bathed in sunlight at the back. This room has a bunch of tables for small and large groups and has a feature wall where layers of plaster have been stripped back to look like a map of the world.

The menu is a mix of Caribbean/Central/South American, which means for brunch you have Huevos Rancheros (pictured, which were an excellent hangover cure) next to Cerviche and lots of plantains. I can also highly recommend the Arepas Con Perico, which are delicious, and the smoothies – they are INSANELY good. The menu is available in English and all dietary options are clearly marked. It’s probably one of the pricier breakfasts in Barcelona, but I think the food, service and style of this cafe make it worth it.

✔️ Vegan options
✔️ Gluten-free options
📍 Trópico, Carrer del Marquès de Barberà, 24, 08001 Barcelona
➡️ tropicobcn.com

The Juice House

Having enjoyed an amazing dinner with friends here on my last trip to Barcelona, I was very keen to check out The Juice House’s brunch menu. It’s another cafe that doesn’t look like much from the outside, but venture into its back room and you’ll discover a really charming healthy cafe in Sant Antoni. There’s even a large table suitable for groups if you’re visiting with friends.

Best brunch in Barcelona @minkaguides The Juice House interior

Their breakfast options include the standard ‘clean eating’ options, such as an Acai bowl and avocado on toast, plus sweet and savoury pancakes and Eggs Florentine. I opted for the sweet pancakes with the optional toppings of yoghurt, berries and honey plus the cocoa smoothie, which were both really tasty. The pancakes were a little on the small side so don’t come here if you’re after a big, filling breakfast – or perhaps order three dishes between two.

✔️ Vegan options
✔️ Gluten-free options
📍 The Juice House, Carrer del Parlament, 12, 08015 Barcelona
➡️ thejuicehouse.es

Flax and Kale

During my 2014 trip to the Catalan capital (I love Barcelona so much I visit every second summer), I brunched one morning at veggie institution Teresa Carle, which I sadly found to be a pretty disappointing (our food, when it finally arrived after a long wait, was cold). However, I’d heard rave reviews about their new venture, Flax and Kale, so I headed there one morning in 2016 without trepidation. F&K is a very snazzy “clean eating” restaurant (the newer incarnation of healthy/veggie eating) which has a gigantic fridge/chilled room visible to all diners so you can admire their epic stock of fruit and vegetables.

Gluten-free Barcelona Flax-and-Kale-smoothie-bowl CREDIT Minka Guides

The brunch menu is bigger on the weekends, so it’s worth waiting for a Saturday or Sunday before checking it out. It’s also VERY healthy (even their so-called doughnut was way too pure at heart to suit my sugary needs) so if you’re in need of something fried to cure a hangover, you should probably avoid this place. Alternatively, if you’re the type to fight the effects of a big night out with coconut water, then this place is definitely your style. F&K has since expanded to three cafes in central Barcelona now so you have your choice of ‘flexitarian’ brunch spots.

I balanced my doughnut with the Green Apple Amazonia bowl, which was basically a smoothie covered in super tasty toppings. I was sitting at the bar so I got to see all the smoothies that they were putting together, and there was some epic looking chocolate sundaes being put together. These must have been the Healthy Indulgences and I would definitely order one of these on my next trip. The menu is available in English and dietary options are clearly marked. Head here for a special brunch when you’re feeling fresh and adventurous!

✔️ Vegan options
✔️ Gluten-free options
📍 Flax & Kale, Carrer dels Tallers, 74b, 08001 Barcelona
➡️ teresacarles.com

Caravelle

Run by chef Zim Sutton (formerly of East London gastro-pub Princess of Shoreditch) and his wife Poppy, Caravelle is another example of how Australian’s have bought so much to the Barcelona’s brunch scene over the last decade. This cafe/restaurant fits well with this cosmopolitan beachy vibes and Caravelle’s breezy open-fronted interiors reminded me of Sydney in a way.

Best brunch in Barcelona @minkaguides Carvelle

When I visited in 2014, my brunch consisted of delicious baked egg and great coffee; since then, their menu has grown to include coconut French toast, Mexican meatballs and desserts. The menu isn’t available online but it is in English on their door when you arrive. The best thing is: they serve brunch-ish menu until mid-afternoon.

❌ Vegan options (not listed on the menu but I’m sure they would adapt a dish for you)
❌ Gluten-free options (I had the baked eggs without toast)
📍 Carvelle, Carrer del Pintor Fortuny, 31, 08001 Barcelona
➡️ caravelle.es

You should also try:

  • Tarana: I always walk past this place and mean to stop by as it looks so great. Maybe next time.
  • Cafe Cometa: directly opposite Tarana, this is another cute Sant Antoni cafe.
  • Rosa de Raval: this cheap and cheerful Tex Mex restaurant does brunch on weekends, which can be a great hangover cure

Brunch in Poblenou & Llacuna

Little Fern

This newly-opened cafe near Poblenou’s main street was by far the best new find on my recent trip to Barcelona. I loved everything about this cafe, including its location – just a short walk from my favourite Barcelona beach, Playa de la Mar Bella. It’s so great to see some wonderful new brunch spots opening up in this breezy, away from the crowds in the city.

Best brunch in Barcelona @minkaguides Little Fern Breakfast Board

There’s something about this cafe that makes me think it was launched by an Australian (probably from Melbourne). It’s partially to do with the name and the interiors but mainly to do with the menu: kimchi pancakes and a breakfast board smack of an antipodean influence. Either way, I was loving everything this place had to offer.

The aforementioned dishes were both spot on: Robin loved the taster-style breakfast board, with a small serving on granola and smashed avo on toast. Meanwhile, I was only able to eat the kimchi pancakes that day as they were out of gluten-free bread. This probably isn’t a brunch dish I would usually have chosen, especially considering all the other delicious options, but oh my god if it was not the best brunch I have had in some time. Seriously, you must order these when you visit Little Fern – I was in serious foodie heaven with the combination of avocado, sweet chilli and kim chi. Highly recommended.

❌ Vegan options (not listed on the menu but I’m sure they would adapt a dish for you)
✔️ Gluten-free options
📍 Little Fern, Carrer de Pere IV, 168, 08005 Barcelona
➡️ facebook.com/littleferncafe

Can Dendê

Around the corner from Llacuna station is this fun little brunch hub. Can Dendê cafe was busy with a midweek brunch/lunch crowd when I visited but they still seated us quickly. I loved that our table came complete with a bunch of coloured pencils and a blank placemat, so you could doodle to your heart’s content while you waited for your food.

Best brunch in Barcelona @minkaguides Can Dendê ruffle chips

I opted for the omelette so that I could justify adding a side of “ruffle chips” to my order. The name made me giggle a bit, as these lattice-style fries are what we’d call waffle chips in the UK/USA, and I wondered if the name had been misheard in translation (I later realised that Ruffles is a brand of potato crips in Spain, so not actually that funny). Either way, the serving was so large that I ended up getting them to go and finishing them on the beach later.

❌ Vegan options (not listed on the menu but I’m sure they would adapt a dish for you)
✔️ Gluten-free options
📍 Can Dendê, Carrer de la Ciutat de Granada, 44, 08005 Barcelona
➡️ facebook.com/Can-Dende

You should also try:

  • SKYE Coffee Co.: if you just need a coffee fix, try this white-washed warehouse near Bogatell station. You caffeine fix is served from a converted 1972 Citoën van inside.

🍞

Brunch in El Born & Bari Gotic

Federal – Gotic

Federal levelled-up in 2015 by opening this larger and more central branch in the Bari Gotic area of Barcelona. It has ample seating both inside and out, which is probably why I actually prefer this newer branch because even when it’s busy I can still find a table. Plus, they still have those cute seats where you’re basically straddling the windowsill like their original spot.

Best brunch in Barcelona @minkaguides Federal Gotic eggs

The menu is the same as their Sant Antoni branch (see above) but it’ important to remember that they switch to a lunch menu with only a couple of brunch options around midday on weekdays. This fits with the more worky vibe of this cafe, where people were tapping away on laptops and having work meetings. Pretty casual work meetings, I should mention – this cafe definitely isn’t full of suits and considering it’s proximity to La Rambla, there were still plenty of other travellers brunching here as well. I opted for the baked eggs with mushrooms and spinach with gluten-free toast (with another vegan magic monkey smoothie of course) which was all delicious.

✔️ Vegan options
✔️ Gluten-free options
📍 Federal – Gotic, Passatge de la Pau, 11, 08002 Barcelona
➡️ federalcafe.es

Milk

I discovered this little gem on my 2012 trip to Barcelona. At the time, I was yet to discover Federal and Caravelle (who had just opened) so I went here for breakfast a lot. It’s still a great option if you’re in need of a big breakfast (or if you have an epic hangover as they call their menu the ‘Recovery Brunch’), so if you’re planning on doing a lot of walking around stop here first. However, this is definitely not the place to visit if you’re heading off to the beach later.

Best brunch in Barcelona @minkaguides Milk

The servings are HUGE & include lots of classic options like pancakes, eggs Benedict, & omelettes – all served with a side of spicy potatoes for an epic carb fest! Smoothies & cava are also on the menu, depending on how you like to start the day. Their menu is available online in English.

❌ Vegan options (but I’m sure they would adapt a dish for you)
❌ Gluten-free options
Milk Bar & Bistro, Carrer d’en Gignàs, 21, 08002 Barcelona
➡️ milkbarcelona.com

You should also try:

  • Elsa & Fred: this bistro is adorable and I had a lovely late-night supper here so I imagine it would be ideal for a special brunch
  • Satan’s Coffee Corner: they do incredible cold-brew coffee so it’s definitely worth staying for a bit of sustenance too. Their brunch menu includes some Japanese-inspired options.

🍊

Brunch in Eixample

Copasetic

Tucked just above Gran Via, this cafe is in the lower part of Eixample that really isn’t that far from Sant Antoni. It’s on quite a nice quiet street, so if you can manage to grab one of the two outdoor tables on a sunny day then go for it. Otherwise, it’s quite nice inside too.

Best brunch in Barcelona @minkaguides Copasetic brunch

Unlike most Barcelona brunch spots, I hadn’t read much about this cafe so I wasn’t sure what to expect – but I liked what they included on their breakfast menu and thought it was worth checking out. What I discovered was a really excellent cafe that wasn’t crowded with hipster tourists like other places like Federal and Tropico tend to attract. Instead, this cafe had more of a locals vibe about it.

I opted for the brunch plate (scrambled eggs, spinach, baked mushrooms and tomatoes) with smoked salmon, which was huge and delicious. However, I was disappointed I didn’t get to come back again and try the less healthy-sounding brunch options, like pancakes and French toast. I’ll just have to wait till my next Barcelona trip.

✔️ Vegan options
✔️ Gluten-free options
📍 Copasetic, Carrer de la Diputació, 55, 08015 Barcelona
➡️ facebook.com/copasetic.barcelona

You should also try:

  • Brunch and Cake: the most buzzed about brunch place in Barcelona. They have 3 branches in Eixample and are perfect if you’re looking for somewhere with very Instagrammable food. I’ve never made it here but maybe next time.
  • Cafè Bar Mostassa: housed in a former furniture store, this is a cute cafe for brunch in Eixample.

📌 On the go? Use my Barcelona map to locate all the places below.

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Best brunch in Barcelona | Minka Guides

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