ARCA

It opened in autumn 2025 on Plaça de Barcelona in Ponent, well away from the café circuit of the centre, and within months it had become the neighbourhood's breakfast spot. The owners serve you themselves, and the idea goes beyond coffee: incense burning, carefully chosen music, very considered décor and their own programme of winter film nights and brunch clubs. At the counter there's specialty coffee (the espresso tonic and the cold brew are among the most ordered), matcha, Peruvian cacao, ginger shots and their elixirs, house drinks that change with the season. The cooking is homemade and light, with vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free options: toasts are the big sellers, alongside a masala chai porridge they make themselves, yoghurt with compote and house granola, and sandwiches such as pastrami or tamago. Everything is made to order, and when the place fills up you'll feel it in the wait. Dogs are allowed inside, and it's a good spot to work on a laptop on a weekday morning.

Reviewed in November 2026