Best coffee in San Sebastián
When I say coffee, I mean speciality coffee. High scoring stuff with a known provenance and maybe a good story. I work in importing coffee from Peruvian communities, so this is important to me.
The cafes in this list are all places that serve and stock excellent coffee, have well trained baristas and where you can sit and while away some time. Although there are more independent cafes in Spain than anywhere else in Europe, the speciality coffee scene is very small, there only being one speciality roastery in the entire city. You can get a reasonable cafe-con-leche anywhere in town but if you give a sh*t about the quality of the coffee you drink, pop into one of the places below. They’re properly rad.
1. Simona
location (Gros)
My favourite. Hands down. For a few reasons. First, they have a good selection of coffees, serving methods and friendly, knowledgeable baristas. Secondly, great vibe and location. It’s stylish, spacious and edgy without being pretentious. There’s even a dedicated ‘laptop area’ for the digital nomad crew. It’s located on the west-facing riverside near La Zurriola beach so you can soak up the midday and afternoon sun with a flat white; rare in a place full of high-rise blocks. Thirdly, the food is exceptional. Try the Turkish Eggs. Good pastries too. Fourthly, it was set up by a group of four friends and there’s always one of them in, like Alexis, who’s awesome. They really care about coffee and cafe culture. It’s truly independent and they supports local and regional artisanal roasteries. Convinced? Go forth.
2. Somos
location (Antiguo)
A really beautiful little spot with some inside seating but mostly a sidewalk-style cafe. They make sure they always have a good range of coffee from around the world; I had a great Ugandan brew when I was there last. The baristas are charming and knowledgable (Matti and Paola were lovely), good food is made to order, and the grey-themed design is consistent all the way down the painted stones weighing down the napkins.
3. Old Town
location (Centro)
This is the cafe that’s linked to the only roastery in town, so you’ll also see Old Town coffee being sold in other cafes too. The owner is my friend Riccardo, who’s mostly in the roastery on the edge of town, but ensures that all the coffee is ethically sourced and the crew in the cafe are super friendly and professional. It’s got a hipster vibe with fairly basic, rustic interior but Joao, the manager, is great, as is Aida, one of the baristas; either being happy to deep dive into coffee chat or shoot the breeze about anything else. Food is fantastic too; the best avocado-on-toast in town.
4. Driper
location (Gros)
A beautifully designed speciality coffee shop owned and run by Jhon from Colombia, a chef from one of the nearby Michelin-starred joints. Expect a retro-meets-hipster vibe, a marvellous selection of espresso, pour overs and cold brews, and, obviously, an exceptional brunch menu. Like all the listed cafes, there is a good selection of coffee beans to buy, but this is where Driper and Mariana (the lead barista) really stand out - they have an amazing range of differently processed coffee, from washed to honey-processed to natural to anaerobic and all sorts in between. You'll definitely find something to interest you. I’m currently working on a bag from Ethiopia, which I’m loving. Be mindful though, they close early, at 3pm.
5. Lurka
location (Centro)
Ok, this isn’t a proper speciality coffee spot, but it does serve great coffee. It is, however, a specialist cacao and chocolatery where they make a whole host of chocolatey goodies through the window you can look through while enjoying their wares. Classy, minimalist decor and amazing pastries. Pablo, the head pastry chef and chocolatier, came out with a taster when he saw us keenly watching the processing. Legend. Friendly and passionate. You’re obviously not going to find a better hot chocolate in town.