The oldest pastry shops in Barcelona have been feeding the city for two centuries. La Estrella opened in 1825, and the youngest shop on this list, Mauri, began selling pastries in 1929. Several are still run by the families who founded them, a few by the fourth generation. Others passed to new owners who kept the recipes and the old counters.

Some of these shops stick closely to the sweets their founders made. Escribà built its name on invention. The seven entries below run in order of founding date, and each covers the shop’s history, what it’s known for, and what to see nearby, so you can plan a visit around a coffee and something sweet.

Related read: Things To Do in Barcelona When it Rains

Traditional Bakeries in Barcelona

1. La Colmena

The name is a small joke that has lasted more than 150 years. The shop began as Ca l’Abella, “the bee’s house,” and became La Colmena, “the beehive.”

La Colmena dates back to the 19th century. In 1849, Rosendo Abella ran a confectionery in the city center under the Ca l’Abella name. In 1868 the Costa family bought the business, renamed it La Colmena, and moved it to its current location. Ownership changed several more times until 1927, when the Roig family took over. They still run it today.

The shop keeps making traditional sweets and handmade candies. Its best-known product is the bolado, a hard-boiled sweet made to a century-old recipe in flavors such as fennel, pomegranate, toffee, and honey.

La Colmena sits on Plaça de l’Àngel, on the edge of the Gothic Quarter. Barcelona Cathedral is a short walk away, and from the cathedral square Portal de l’Àngel, one of the city’s busiest shopping streets, runs up toward Plaça de Catalunya.

Address:…

Read Full Article Source