Ultimate Guide to The Best Churros in Barcelona
Churros and chocolate – or, churros con chocolate – might be one of Spain’s best-known and most-loved treats, and a must for any visitor to Spain. While Madrid might be best known for the treat, Barcelona has its fair share of delicious churros and chocolate destinations.
Barcelona even has an entire street, known as Carrer de Petritxol, lined with some of the best Barcelona churros shops, and known for countless years as home to the city’s best chocolate and churros.
Keep reading for our ultimate guide to finding the best churros in Barcelona, from local haunts, historic churros cafes, and the churros Barcelona is best known for.
We’ve visited the cities best – from Granja Viader and Granja Dulcinea to Granja La Pallaresa and more – in search of churros in Barcelona, and we were not disappointed!
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Churros Barcelona
You’ll find plenty of places in Barcelona that serve churros and hot chocolate – it’s a staple! – and a handful of places that specialize in this must-try treat. In this article, we’re outlining the best of the places that specialize and dedicate themselves to creating the very best churros Barcelona has to offer.
Did you try some unforgettable churros in Barcelona you just can’t get out of your head? Let me know in the comments – we’re already working on our list of must-visit spots for our next trip!
Carrer de Petritxol
Carrer de Petritxol isn’t a specific chocolate and churros shop, but it is a Barcelona churros destination that can’t be missed. This tiny, one-block street in the heart of Barcelona’s Gothic Quarter is home to some of the best churros in Barcelona!
Three of the six of our top picks for best churros in Barcelona are located in this short one-block stretch, where some of the city’s most historic chocolate and sweets shops have called home for years.
Many churro shops were traditionally known as “granjas” – or “dairies,” due to their specialization in milk products – many of these historic shops now specialize in hot chocolate and the churros that so perfectly accompany them. Plus, you’ll also find a range of other pastries and drinks!
If you find yourself on the Carrer de Petritxol to visit one of the three churros Barcelona destinations on our list, plan to spend a little extra time exploring. You’ll want to spend time wandering up and down this beautiful and historic street, checking out the shops you’ll find, and dreaming of all the pastries in the shop windows.
Read More: Interesting Facts About Barcelona
In addition to the chocolate and churros Barcelona and this street are famous for, you’ll also find some modern art galleries, clothing and accessory shops, and other cool locations to explore.
Make sure you also visit Chocolataria Equador while you’re on Carrer de Petritxol. This modern chocolate shop is continuing to keep the traditions of chocolate making alive on this historical street.
Chocolataria Equador has an unmistakable and intoxicating aroma of chocolate beckoning you in from the entrance, so it’s hard to miss.
Here you’ll find beautifully packaged chocolate bars with gourmet mixtures and ethical sourcing. Plus, tons of samples of every kind of chocolate you can imagine, and a hot chocolate fountain at the entrance.
Granja Viader
While Granja Viader isn’t located on the famous Carrer de Petritxol, this old-world churros destination is easily a contender for the best place for churros in Barcelona. With over 150 years of churros-making experience, they are certainly doing something right!
Everything about Granja Viader feels old-world and historic, down to the ceramic tiles on the floor, photos of the family that has owned the business for generations, and more.
This place is a chocolate and churros Barcelona legend, and you can feel it from the second you walk in the door.
Granja Viader’s churros are freshly fried and come hot out of the oil, sprinkled in sugar – they’re a perfect mix of a crisp exterior and a soft center. I was pleasantly surprised to find that the churros weren’t overly sweet, with almost all the sweetness coming just from the sugar on top.
Portions are not overwhelming either – one serving of churros per person is the perfect amount for breakfast or an afternoon snack.
Definitely consider splitting a hot chocolate, as even the small size of hot chocolate is more than enough for dipping. Traditional hot chocolate for churros is almost pudding-like and isn’t sippable, just for dipping, and almost too bitter to eat alone.
In addition to having some of the best churros in Barcelona, visiting Granja Viader feels like a miniature tour of traditional Spanish and Catalan cuisine. Check out the well-stocked butcher’s counter here.
You’ll find everything from traditional ham and sausages local to the region, olives and olive oils, cheese, and much more. The staff was happy to walk me through their offerings and answer all my questions.
Granja Dulcinea
Granja Dulcinea is another mainstay of Barcelona churros shops, and another location that has lovingly preserved its history.
Open since the 1940s, the quaint dining room is complete with a wooden balcony (overflow seating for early morning churros rush!) and fireplace will make you feel like you’ve been invited feels into an old Spanish family’s living room.
Out of all the churros in Barcelona that we tried, Granja Dulcinea was by far our favorite, and my top recommendation if you just have time for one breakfast of churros in Barcelona. Nothing beats Granja Dulcinea’s old-world vibes and the best chocolate and churros Barcelona has to offer.
Granja Dulcinea’s hot chocolate and churros are the perfect level of sweet, crispy, and soft, which makes them by far the best in the city.
They’re served piping hot out of the cooking oil and are just thick enough to have the perfect combination of crispy outside and soft inside. The batter is slightly sweet, and with the sugar on top, they’re just sweet enough without overdoing it.
An individual portion of churros is perfect for one person, but you’ll want to split a hot chocolate – its dense and semi-sweet and the perfect combination of bitter and chocolate to accompany the hot churros.
If you have room to spare, try the hot chocolate with the whipped cream, or an order of the melindros, a spongey vanilla cake finger also perfect for dipping in hot chocolate.
Granja Dulcinea is also one of the best spots in the city to try the traditional Spanish horchata, a sweet, milky drink made from tiger nuts grown in Valencia, Spain. If you’ve ever tried Mexican horchata, made with cinnamon and rice milk, this is a completely different experience – definitely worth a try!
When we visited Granja Dulcinea for churros as a late afternoon snack, many of the local visitors were ordering horchata, which is perfect for an afternoon pick-me-up on a hot day.
Best Hotels & Hostels in Barcelona
- Safestay Barcelona Gothic Hostel ($)
- Musik Boutique Hotel ($ – $$)
- Hotel España Ramblas ($$)
- Ohla Hotel ($$ – $$$)
- The Barcelona Edition ($$$)
Forn D’En Pau
Located slightly off the beaten path in the Sant Antoni neighborhood, Forn D’en Pau is an excellent spot for delicious churros con chocolate, pastries, croissants – pretty much anything you can think of for a pick-me-up in the middle of a day of touring Barcelona.
While the classic churros and hot chocolate is the star at Forn D’En Pau, they have a wide range of other delicious options like chocolate-covered churros, and churros filled with dulce de leche, chocolate, and more.
Just a glimpse at the counter will leave you wishing you’d saved more room before dropping by.
Forn D’En Pau also serves great savory breakfast options if you’re looking for a more substantial breakfast. We found the entire menu quite affordable and everything we tried was delicious – this is one of the benefits of getting a bit off the beaten path to visit!
Petritxol Xocoa
Petritxol Xocoa also known as Petritxol Cafe or simply Petritxol, is another Carrer de Petritxol destination and well worth a stop on your self-guided chocolate and churros tour of Barcelona. This modern-looking destination on the Carrer de Petritxol is located directly next to Granja La Pallaresa and across the street from Granja Dulcinea.
The second you step inside Petritxol Xocoa you’ll be hit with the smell of chocolate, and overwhelmed with the number of pastry options to choose from. While we came on the hunt for the best place for churros in Barcelona, we were immediately drawn to the chocolate-covered melindros, and ended up having a much larger afternoon snack than planned.
Order your chocolate and churros up front at the counter and head to one of the several Petritxol Xocoa back dining rooms, where you’ll find patrons enjoying the cafe’s most famous treat at all hours of the day.
Their churros are just slightly sweet, but the hot chocolate here was sweeter than it was at many other famous Barcelona churros locations.
Petritxol Xocoa also has its own pre-packaged and specialty branded boxed chocolates, cookies, and cakes for sale in their storefront. These are the perfect way to bring some of your Barcelona favorites home as a souvenir for yourself or a loved one.
Skip the Lines in Barcelona
Don’t forget to book your tickets in advance for Barcelona’s favorite must-see attractions in order to skip the lines!
Granja La Pallaresa
Located in the middle of Carrer de Petritxol, Granja La Pallaresa has the feeling of an old-world, local bar, with simple tables and decorations. Despite the basic decor, this place is known for having some of the best churros in Barcelona, and they’ve mastered the recipe after decades in business.
The best time to visit is for breakfast, when churros are prepared hot and served fresh – when we passed by later in the afternoon, there was a plate of pre-prepared churros sitting up front near the window. However, make sure to get here with time to spare in the morning – you’ll usually find a line out front, which gives away just how good La Pallaresa is!
Granja La Pallaresa follows the classic chocolate and churros Barcelona recipe and traditions, but here you’ll find churros made into a longer (and thicker) finger shape rather than folded into a teardrop shape, as you’ll find at other traditional granja cafes.
Granja La Pallaresa is also known for its version of chocolate caliente suizo – or, “Swiss” hot chocolate – which comes with a giant serving of unsweetened whipped cream on top. This is the perfect place to try this traditional addition to churros in Barcelona.
Granja La Pallaresa is also the perfect place to come to try some of Barcelona’s other iconic desserts – the front window advertises their excellent Crema Catalana, a classic Catalan dish similar to creme brulee.
This is also the place to try an ensaïmada, a sweet spiral bread originally from Mallorca, Spain. This is a must-try pastry while in Barcelona – they’re flaky and delicious.
Churreria Laietana
Another best place for churros in Barcelona, though not on the famed Carrer de Petritxol, Churreria Laietana is just around the corner in the historic El Born neighborhood. This local favorite spot is well worth a visit for its cakier and fluffier churros.
Just a small bar and little room to sit, Churreria Laietana is definitely a hole in the wall, but certainly well worth its reputation for having some of the best churros in Barcelona. Most patrons take their chocolate and churros to go.
Here you’ll find churros that are a bit cakier and fluffier than you’ll find at other spots like Granja Dulcinea or Granja Viader, though just as traditional and delicious.
They’re made fresh to order and are sprinkled with sugar, and aren’t the least bit oily or overly crispy.
At Churreria Laietana you’ll also find chocolate-covered churros, another popular take on the traditional churros Barcelona style, plus the cakier porras. These are similar to donuts in texture, though shaped like a churro and therefore still perfect for dipping in hot chocolate or coffee.
Carley Rojas Avila is a bilingual New York-based travel writer, editor, content marketer, and the founder of the digital travel publications Explorers Away and Home to Havana. Carley is an expert on all things Latin America, the Caribbean, and Cuba, having lived and worked in four different countries in the region. Her writing has appeared on the Associated Press wires and in Travel + Leisure, Yahoo, MSN, Euronews, The Weather Channel, and more. When she's not writing about her travels, find her front row at a Bad Bunny concert, befriending street cats, and taste-testing every pizza in Havana.