Café Schallert: the Austrian café bringing a taste of home to Barcelona
For years, Hotel Brummell has been one of those places we always recommend whenever someone asks us where to stay in Barcelona. Not simply because of the building, its design or its location, but because of the feeling you get the moment you walk through the door. It is one of those rare hotels where everything seems to work effortlessly. Now, that same philosophy has taken another step forward with the opening of Café Schallert.
Back in 1976, Christian Schallert‘s parents opened a café in Höchst, a small village in western Austria. Christian grew up surrounded by pastry displays, the aroma of freshly brewed coffee and the familiar rhythm of a family-run business where hospitality was expressed in the simplest of ways: through generosity with time, genuine warmth and the feeling that everyone was welcome.
Nearly fifty years later, that story continues in Barcelona. Not as a replica of the original café, nor as an exercise in nostalgia, but as a contemporary interpretation that has found its place within Hotel Brummell, the project Christian has been carefully shaping in the Poble-sec neighbourhood for more than a decade.
A different way of understanding hospitality
Those of us who have known Hotel Brummell for years understand that it has never been a conventional hotel. From the very beginning, it has embodied a distinctive approach to hospitality.
The sensitively restored nineteenth-century building combines references to tropical modernism with contemporary furniture, antiques and locally sourced art, creating a calm and understated atmosphere that never feels overdesigned.
Yet what truly defines Hotel Brummell is not its interiors but the way it makes people feel. Over the years we have visited on many occasions, and we have always left with exactly the same impression: behind the project is a team that genuinely enjoys what they do.
Their warmth does not stem from scripted service or carefully crafted branding. It is simply part of the culture that Christian Schallert has nurtured over time—one that now defines every Brummell project.
Austria and the Mediterranean around the same table
The menu perfectly reflects this meeting point between Austria and the Mediterranean. In the hotel’s own bakery, Agus, who leads the bread and pastry production, prepares handmade classics every morning, including Sachertorte, apple strudel and Viennese cheesecake, all crafted from scratch.
Alongside these Austrian favourites, the kitchen draws inspiration from Catalonia, the Pyrenees and Marrakech—three places closely connected to the Brummell universe—while speciality coffee from Three Marks Coffee completes the experience.
There are also dishes that make you want to return at any time of day, from the brioche bikini (Barcelona’s beloved toasted ham and cheese sandwich) to pretzels—a nod to Christian‘s Austrian roots—slow-cooked eggs en cocotte and Moroccan-inspired pancakes.
If we had to choose just one recommendation, however, it would probably be something much simpler: an excellent cup of coffee accompanied by one of the freshly baked pastries, enjoyed slowly in the peaceful interior courtyard.
A café designed for the neighbourhood
One of Café Schallert‘s greatest strengths is that it does not revolve around the hotel. Although it occupies the ground floor of Hotel Brummell, it feels like a genuine neighbourhood café.
From early morning onwards, hotel guests mingle naturally with Poble-sec residents, freelancers working on their laptops and locals stopping by for breakfast before starting their day.
The courtyard offers an inviting place to linger, while the open kitchen and visible bakery allow visitors to watch the pastries being prepared throughout the day. The unhurried pace of the space stands in refreshing contrast to a city where it has become increasingly difficult to find places that do not encourage people to consume everything as quickly as possible.
People are at the heart of the experience
If there is one thing we have always admired about Hotel Brummell, it is that the design never overshadows the people who bring it to life.
Christian Schallert has assembled a team that shares the same understanding of hospitality. You notice it in the natural way they welcome every guest, in their attention to the smallest details and in a style of service that makes you feel less like a customer and more like someone who has been personally invited.
That same feeling defines Café Schallert, and perhaps that is why it feels so comfortable from the very first moment.
A new must-visit in Barcelona
Like many European cities, Barcelona has no shortage of speciality coffee shops. The scene has grown rapidly over recent years, making it easier than ever to find excellent coffee and outstanding artisan bakeries.
Yet Café Schallert offers something different. Not simply because of its menu—excellent though it is—but because of the story behind it and the remarkable consistency with which it fits into a project that has spent years championing a vision of hospitality built on thoughtful design, genuine warmth and meticulous attention to detail.
For anyone who enjoys discovering places with real character, Café Schallert deserves a place high on the list of Barcelona’s essential destinations.
(*) Photos provided by Hotel Brummell.
