Old-charm tapas bar loved by locals and tourists alike
The boulevard along Platja de Blanes, the beach between the port of Blanes and Sa Palomera (“the rock”), is lined not with hotels but with uninspired, semi-high-rise apartment buildings.
Here and there some of the town’s beautiful old-world architecture still holds out, but you’ll have to venture one block inland to get a taste of authentic Blanes. We’re talking about both architecture and food. Matter of fact, lets take care of the food first, and we’ll cover architecture in a later entry.
Parallel to the boulevard, but one block inland, lies Passeig de Dintre. Sundays excepted, each morning this is home of a fabulous fresh fruit and vegetables market
. When the market is over the place gets cleaned up and become the terrain of pedestrians and terraces.
Authentic Tapas Bar Els Terrassans
The most popular terrace is the one at Café Els Terrassans – an authentic tapas bar founded in 1962. By now well over 60 years old, it is a favorite spot for locals and tourists alike.
Calamares a la Romano is the most popular of its many specialities, but the tapas menu of over 50 items includes a wide range of seafood and non-seafood dishes. (You will know what you are ordering, as the menu is available in six languages.).
Relax – the waiters have already seen you
Service is efficient and friendly, though it can leave some first-time visitors feeling bewildered. It takes a while to understand the system, and this process offers both locals and tourists many enjoyable people-watching moments.
(Hint: the waiters have already noticed you. Simply relax and wait for one of them to come and take your order. There is no need to wave, call out, or otherwise draw attention to yourself.)
Inside, you will find a large, high-ceilinged dining hall that exudes history.
What does the name Els Terrassans mean?
The name of the cafe refers to a union of farm workers whose offices were once located in one of the rooms above the bar.1 While ‘Els Terrassans’ can have a number of meanings (including, ‘the terraces’) in this case it means “the workers”, particularly the agricultural workers who were members of the union of the agricultural union.2
The Union bought the building in 1929 from Andrés Bastard, a coffee trader. Can Bastard, the house of Bastard, already had a cafe of note. The importance of the Union for the further development of the coffee trade was so great that the cafe eventually became known in Blanes as the “Els Terrassans” coffee shop.
In its current form Els Terrassans opened in 1962. To date most of the features that give Terrassans its authentic atmosphere have fortunately been preserved.
Trivia: The ancient city wall underneath the cafe
Little known detail: during renovation work a part of the ancient city wall was discovered in the café’s cellar. No, you cannot view it. But realize that the history of Blanes stretches back to Roman times when it was known as Blanda or Blandae. Therefore some of the oldest remains would date back well over 1,000 years and possibly to Roman or early medieval times.
Blanes was historically a walled town. Els Terrassans stands in the old historic core, right next to City Hall. Sections of old walls have been found in the cellars and foundations of other locations in the old town center as well.
You can learn more about Blanes’ Roman history at the museum Centre d’Interpretació Blandae Ciutat Romana (Address on Google Maps)
Anyway, we highly recommend Cafe Els Terrassans for its food, drinks, service, and atmosphere. We’d wager that the coffee here beats the coffee in your hotel or apartment.
Address & Information
Els Terrassans
Passeig de Dintre 31
17300 Blanes
Catalonia, Spain
Website: https://elsterrassans.shop/
Tel: (0034) 972 330 081
Map to Cafe Terrassans in Blanes
Blanes Tourist Information
- Càmara Sindical Agrícola – the Agricultural Trade Union Chamber ↩︎
- The name Els Terrassans is a collective Catalan term referring to a group of people. In the context of Catalonia’s strong tradition of cooperatives and unions, and given the building’s ownership by an agricultural union, the name is best understood as referring to the workers or members who used and maintained the property. It reflects a period when buildings were often identified with the communities they served. ↩︎
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