Granja Viader: time travel and hot chocolate
In a small, quiet street, just a stone’s throw from Las Ramblas, you’ll find the Granja Viader, a little café with a modernist frontage and a slightly old-fashioned look.
The place will appeal as much to those looking to immerse themselves in local life in a thoroughly laid-back way as to those looking to experience a touch of local colour before continuing on their merry way.
The Viader story
The first shop opened on the Viader site in 1870 was a dairy. In 1910, it changed to take its current form, taking the name of its owner, Marc Viader, and our story begins!
Focusing on the quality of his products, Marc Viader slowly built up a solid reputation and a faithful client base. The business soon became so successful that all 5 of Viader’s sons became involved.
Since then, the Granja Viader has diversified, and no longer simply creates and sells dairy products: it’s now a well-known and widely-appreciated café. The business has never been sold, and is currently run by the fifth generation of the Viader family.
Viader products and specialities
Hot chocolate: the star of the show
Viader’s hot chocolate is typical of what you’ll find in Barcelona: rich, thick and covered with cream. They’re known as suis.
This drink is the reason for Viader’s international renown. Pablo Picasso himself came to the Granja Viader for hot chocolate! The same experience will set you back less than 4 euros.
Cakes
A variety of cakes are made on site at the Granja Viader, including cheesecakes, apple tart and churros. They’re all based on the founder’s family recipes.
Try the melindros, flat, fluffy finger biscuits. Perfect with a hot chocolate! They’re also budget-friendly, at under 2 euros for a plate of four.
Cheese and dairy products
The Granja Viader continues to produce cheese, cream, yoghurt and a range of other dairy products, which are all available to take away or to taste in the café itself.
Another Catalan speciality which you can try at the Granja is mel i mató, a fromage frais – based dessert.
One of Barcelona’s most popular granjas
Despite the fact that it’s popular with tourists (it’s recommended in a lot of guides), locals in Barcelona still enjoy a trip to Viader just as much as in times gone by, and this plays an important part in the charm of the place.
The Granja Viader is authentic, popular and charming. Victim of its own success, it can fill up very quickly: to be sure of getting a table, it’s best to visit during the week at opening time, either around 9am or around 5pm.
Enjoy!
