When the Brunells bakery closed down in 2018, it was a tough blow for Barcelona. The shop had been open since 1852, and was full of representatives of the city's edible identity. In 2020, big-name speciality shops – Pastelería Canal and El Magnífico Cafés among them – helped to reopen the local landmark in the best possible way. Brunells got a facelift, and its signature artisan line of baked goods boosted with the aid of 21st-century resources.
The structure of the premises remains the same, so once you make it past the bakery area with loads of local delights for sale, you enter the cafeteria, where you can take your time to enjoy them. Be sure to try the butter croissant. In a city with some sort of sad variety of the croissant in virtually every window, Brunells is a place where you're guaranteed a delicious, flaky, light and buttery treat. The gigantic three-by-six oven room (it takes two weeks to heat it!) is where they bake the bread for sandwiches. The baker and pastry chef explains that the uniqueness of the oven determines how the loaves come out. They make a rustic loaf that's made only with sourdough, prepared very slowly, and with all the proper setting times.