Specialty Coffee near you in Gràcia, Barcelona
Why We Pour Cafés El Magnífico
At Oso Grizzly Bakery & Coffee Gràcia, we hold every ingredient that crosses our counter to the same standard: where does it come from, how precisely was it made, and can we count on it being exactly the same tomorrow.
That standard applies to our flour, our butter, and our coffee. It's why we partner exclusively with Cafés El Magnífico, our coffee roaster of choice since day one.
They Were Doing This Before 'Specialty Coffee' Was a Category
Cafés El Magnífico traces back to a family coffee roaster founded in 1919, with their shop and roastery in the Born neighborhood established decades later. They were building direct relationships with individual farmers and roasting their own beans well before "single-origin" was a term anyone used in Barcelona. A lot of the specialty coffee scene that exists in this city now was built on groundwork they laid first.
They don't rely on a scorecard number to sell you the coffee
Specialty coffee is graded on a 100-point scale by certified Q-Graders, a standard set by the Specialty Coffee Association (SCA). 80+ points with zero primary defects is the baseline to even be called "specialty." Most roasters print that score on the bag as a marketing hook.
El Magnífico doesn't. Their reasoning, and ours: coffee is a living product. A bean that scored 88 on a farm in Colombia can lose points sitting in a shipping container, or get ruined by a bad roast. A static number printed months ago doesn't tell you what's actually in the cup today. They work in quality brackets instead: Top Lots (90+), Microlots (86–89), and a solid Standard Selection (84–85), and they re-evaluate against what the coffee is doing right now, not what it did on a form once.
The people buying the beans are trained to judge coffee at the highest level
El Magnífico's tasting team evaluates hundreds of samples every year to build their selection, and members of their team hold International Judge certification for the Cup of Excellence (COE), the top global competition for coffee producers. Their team travels to origin countries to score micro-lots at that level. That's the same palate calibration they bring to selecting the lots that end up in your cup.
The roasting itself is controlled, not eyeballed
Direct-heat drum roasters can scorch the outside of a bean, which masks its natural flavor with bitter, ashy notes. El Magnífico, our coffee roaster, roasts on Loring Smart Roasters — closed-circuit hot-air convection roasters that heat the bean with hot air rather than direct metal contact, protecting the fruit, floral, or chocolate notes that came from the soil the coffee was grown in.
The Blend We Pour: Blend Armónico
Day to day, what we're pulling is El Magnífico's Blend Armónico, reportedly the personal favorite of Salvador Sans, the roaster's owner and master roaster since the 1960s. It's a mix of natural Brazilian, washed Nicaraguan, and washed Ethiopian beans, and the balance is deliberate: milk chocolate up front, soft fruit underneath, a sweet finish, and an acidity that's integrated rather than sharp. It's a silky, rounded cup, built to sit comfortably next to a pastry rather than compete with it.
Why this matters to you, the person in line
Practically, here's what all of that translates to in your cup and on your plate:
-
The coffee tastes the same on Tuesday as it does on Saturday. Controlled roasting and a selection process built on real-time quality, not a number printed once, means fewer surprises, no batch that's suddenly flat, over-roasted, or bitter.
-
The flavor complements what you're eating, instead of fighting it. A poorly roasted bean tends to taste ashy or scorched. A clean, well-controlled roast lets the natural notes of the coffee (fruit, floral, chocolate) sit alongside our breakfast pastries instead of competing with them.
-
You're getting the same standard of care twice. We proof our sourdough on a schedule, weigh our hydration to the gram, and track oven temperature because consistency is the whole job. We wanted a coffee partner who treats their craft with that same discipline, so the espresso next to your cinnamon roll is held to the same bar.
That's the short version of why El Magnífico is on our counter, and why we think it's worth the extra care.
Come back, and make every cup count
If El Magnífico has earned a regular spot in your routine, we want it to show. With our coffee loyalty card, digital or physical, whichever you prefer, your tenth cup is on us. The digital version lives in your Wallet app or is tracked just with your phone number, so there's nothing extra to carry.
Know someone who should try it? Our gift card is the perfect way to introduce a friend to El Magnífico, without having to choose for them.
What We Pour
Every drink on our menu, hot or iced, starts with El Magnífico's Blend Armónico:
-
Caffè Latte
-
Cappuccino
-
Flat White
-
Cortado
-
Iced Latte
-
Americano / Iced Americano
-
Matcha Latte / Iced Matcha Latte
-
Chai Latte / Iced Chai Latte
Made with your choice of whole milk, lactose-free milk, almond milk, or Oatly oat milk. See the full menu for prices and descriptions.
Frequently Asked Questions
What coffee blend do you use?
We pour El Magnífico's Blend Armónico, a mix of natural Brazilian, washed Nicaraguan, and washed Ethiopian beans, with milk chocolate notes, soft fruit, and a smooth, balanced finish.
Do you have oat milk or other milk alternatives?
Yes — every coffee drink can be made with whole milk, lactose-free milk, almond milk, or Oatly oat milk, at no extra charge.
Do you serve matcha or chai?
Yes, both are available hot or iced. Our matcha latte and chai latte mixes both already contain sugar.
Do you have iced coffee?
Yes — iced latte and iced americano are both on the menu, alongside iced matcha and iced chai.
How does the coffee loyalty card work?
Ask for a loyalty card, digital or physical. Every nine cups earns you one free. The digital version lives in your phone's Wallet app or is tracked with just your phone number, so there's nothing extra to carry.
Is there seating, or is it takeaway only?
We're a bakery with a takeaway license, so we only have a few stools available while you wait. Many people enjoy their coffee sitting on the public benches in the plaza right outside.
A Natural Stop on the Walking route Through Gràcia
Oso Grizzly sits on the charming Plaça del Sol, directly on the main walking route between Gràcia's famous squares and sights. If you're making your way through the neighborhood on foot, whether you're headed toward Plaça de la Vila de Gràcia, Casa Vicens or just wandering while looking for things to do in Gràcia, this is an easy place to pause: pick up a pastry, pair it with a cup of El Magnífico coffee, and sit on one of the public benches right outside before continuing on.