After years of uncertainty and repeated closures, Barcelona’s century-old Granja Vendrell has reopened its doors, this time under the stewardship of local roasters Hidden Coffee. The café, founded in 1921 at number 59, Carrer de Girona, begins a new chapter under the name Granja Hidden.
Hidden Coffee, which launched in 2016 and already operates three venues in the city, has taken over the premises through a lease. The move follows several failed attempts to sustain the beloved café after the retirement of Demetri Vendrell in 2019, the third generation of the founding family.
In recent years, the site changed hands multiple times. Restaurateur Arianna Grau tried to modernise the space in 2021, keeping its signature interior décor and traditional desserts such as crema catalana and mató. However, the pandemic, local building works and shifting clientele forced its closure by mid-2023. Another local firm, Moltamà, reopened the site in 2024, blending traditional recipes with speciality coffee and carrying out a sensitive renovation of the protected interiors. Yet bureaucratic hurdles and the failure to restore its historic terrace licence meant the project lasted barely a year.
Unlike its predecessors, Hidden Coffee brings established expertise in high-quality, sustainable coffee, which could secure the venue’s future. While rebranded, the café retains much of its heritage charm, honouring its reputation as a cherished gathering spot while expanding to attract a modern audience.
For Barcelona’s Eixample, the reopening restores not just a café but a small piece of living history. Hidden Coffee hopes to balance tradition with innovation, ensuring the name Vendrell remains synonymous with local café culture.
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