La Galena - Friendly Neighborhood Cafe

Poble Sec

May 7

Written By Maria

Poble Sec hasn’t exactly been booming with great cafes and brunch places, but La Galena has changed that. This adorable cafe has opened on Plaça Sortidor and has taken the neighborhood by storm.

La Galena Barcelona — *La Galena,* *Barcelona. Photo © Barcelona Food Experience.*

Their terrace spreads out on the plaça, but sitting inside isn’t a bad idea either, with cozy corners with cute seat cushions, surrounded by plants. There’s also a little mezzanine with a larger table.

So what is the menu like you ask? The cool thing about this place (or, rather, one of many) is that they have a great chef on location. She’s worked in top-notch restaurants, and as a private chef, so she knows what she is doing. And an in-house chef means daily and weekend specials: something not so common in cafes and brunch restaurants.

On the menu we first find some comforting breakfast items, such as yogurt, açai bowls, and porridge. One part is dedicated to eggs: scrambled ones, Eggs Benedict and Florentine, Turkish Eggs (poached and served with yogurt and pepper butter), and shakshuka.

There’s also a section dedicated to baked goods with delicious stuff on top, such as French Toast, filled croissant, two types of bruschetta, and more. And the thing is, when you look closer at the ingredients (and the execution), you quickly realize that there’s a talented chef in the kitchen. You are in good hands.

On our first visit, we had the wonderful Turkish Eggs served with pita bread and the French Toast with brioche from Pa de Kilo served with a citrusy creme fraiche, berries, and maple syrup. We also tried the beautiful Eudora Bruschetta, made with sourdough from Pa de Kilo, creme fraiche, confit cherry tomatoes, and citric vinegar. Everything was not only gorgeous to look at, but also really tasty.

In the drinks department, you have excellent specialty coffee, matcha, chai from Chy, juices, and smoothies, and the lovely lassi with cardamom and pistachio that we had. They also offer a lunch menu with dishes that change weekly.