Located in the charming Mariana Pineda Square, this is a traditional place to eat churros and chocolate (or churros and coffee as it is also traditional) all day long, as well as some simple traditional Spanish food and ice-cream cups in summer.
This café is really old, with a clear Art Deco that is actually original, not an imitation. The founder was Antonio Suárez Martin, the current owner's grandfather (the owner, an old man, seats everyday in a corner at the entrance these days) and this was a originally a door-to-door fresh milk delivery business turned into the café we know today in 1922. It was originally called Café Football.
This café is mostly known for his churros, but they are open from dawn to dusk and serve everything, Spanish breakfast, lunches, tapas and dinners, with a main focus on Spanish toasts, bocadillos (rolls), cold meat boards, traditional Spanish tapas and raciones(like tortilla de patatas, piquillo peppers filled with fresh cod, gazpacho, salmorejo, several types of paella, and many other local seasonal dishes that are little known outside Spain). You can also find cannelloni, pizza and crepes but I wouldn't go there for anything that is not traditional Spanish.
Their churros are among my favourites in the entire city, churros as churros should be, golden crispy outside, fluffy outside, crunchy but not too oily, which is what you find in other places. Their hot thick drinking chocolate is the traditional one, too sweet for my taste.
Their coffee is OK.
They have gorgeousice-cream cups in summer, but I am very picky with my ice-cream and I find them good, but a bit too sweet and thick.
The place can be extremely busy at rush coffee hours in Spain and on Sundays, and especially in winter, even the upperfloor, where a large seating area is located and open for those times is packed to the rafters.Their outdoor terrace is lovely, and it is always a favourite in summer and on any sunny day if you don't mind the smoke, as this is the café's smoking area.
The service is fast but the old staff, some of whom I have seen behind the bar since I was a teen, are totally unfriendly, with a funeral attendee's face, no smile, no niceties, nothing that acknowledges the visitor as a human being unless you are a regular.
I understand that sometimes they are so crowded that there is no time for anything that is not getting your order and delivering it to your table; however, the service varies little when the café is quiet and a few customers are in the café. If you are a foreigner, rest assured that is not you, or your Spanish accent or the fact that you speak no Spanish, they treat locals the same and are unwelcoming, something that greatly unnerves me. Yet, this is a classic café, and they do what they do well, how it should be, so you have to grant them that, something that explains that the business is never in decline or empty.
They open long hours and till late, so you can go there to end you drinking night and finish by putting something solid in your belly, churros and chocolate being the traditional way of ending your outing if you have a certain age and your outing ends around midnight. Most youngsters would bedrinking and partying until way later.
One of those places that I always visit when I'm in Granada.
Timetable: Mon to Fri 09:30 to 20:00 h. Sat 09:30 to 14:00 h. Sun Closed
I have visited this hairdresser salon twice during my visits to the city of Granada, and have been most satisfied with the friendliness of the staff, punctuality of the service, and quality of their work regarding colouring and management of my hair. Last time I visited I was suffering from a dreadful misscolouring due to a bad work in an Australian salon, and left Ganivet with my hair as new.
If you leave in Australia, given the ridiculous prices demanded by Australian hairdressers, this salon will be cheap to you, but the pricing is very high for the city standards and for most average wages, as the salon is located in an upmarket street in the city centre. Of course, you get top notch quality colour hairdresser. However, I found the highlights specially expensive compared to other colouring services in the same salon,although way less expensive than in other areas of the world.
The colouring products are from the brand Wella, which isn't my fav brand of colouring products, but I get good results nevertheless. Their treatments and masks are from the brands Sebastian and L'Oreal.
The hair salon is open all day without the traditional stop for lunch typical of Spain. So the early hours of the morning and Spanish meal hours are the best ones to be squeezed in if you are in a hurry. The salon is very small, with reduced capacity, so booking in advance is needed.
The main downside of the salon is the pricing. No wonder you find a bit of nose in the air ladies, part of the Granadabourgeoisie.
Although the hairdressers are very good, the salon is far from comfortable or convenient and, when full, they move clients around so that they can use some of the chairs to finish jobs. There is no specific place for pedicure or manicure and both services are very basic. If you are used to the nail salons in Australia, this will fall short. They use O.P.I. nail polish.
The staff are affable and very friendly, but have a tendency to push you into treatments, masks and other stuff for which you will be charged extra. Be firm at the beginning and tell them exactly what you DON'T want to avoid an inflated bill. If they push, softly tell them "No estoy interesada". Ask in advance for pricing and if the price includes washing and dry off or not.
I'm not sure whether thestaff speak English or not. If you speak little Spanish ask people in your hotel to write for you exactly what you want and what not. They are very good hairdressers, and will do their best .
Pricing Hair Wash and drying: 20 €. Ladies Cut: 19 €. Gents Cut: 14€ (includes washing and conditioning). Colour from 25 €. Highlights from 35 €. Asian strengthening: 190 €. Keratin treatment: 90 €. Beauty Manicure from 12,50 €. Pedicure from 22,50 €. Lip: 5 €. Eyebrows: 5 €. Make up 50 €.
Calle Veronica de la Virgen, 1 18005 GranadaSpain +34 958 536 811 Website
I had a terrible experience with these guys. To be fair, the guys at the office were lovely, but the service and information was not.
Due to my long trip, I had to post a big box with clothes from Perth to my parents, as I was travelling with little luggage due do the requirements of the trips before and after.
As I was not heading home directly, I thought that it would be better using a courier. I saw the UPS sign at the door of this franchised office, and a few days after my arrival I went in to ask for info.
I talked to the manager directly, and I told him about sending the parcel back to Australia, the contents being mostly clothes and personal items that I could not fit in my luggage, and I asked for a quote, timing, packing requirements, if they were working with Australia, etc. The guy told me that no problem, yes, they work with Australia, yes, they could pick up the parcel from my parents in case of need, yes I could delay the delivery until I was back in Perth and so forth. I left with his card and a quote at the back.
That very day, I checked the company's website. There, it is clearly stated that you can send your suitcase, if you want or need, around the world. The website looks serious and professional.
To make sure that I was right re the packaging, I visited this office for a second time. I spoke to another guy, who made the same questions as the manager did, and with whom I discussed the packaging of my parcel/s.
The day before my departure, I took a taxi to carry the two parcels myself, as one of them was +10 Kgs. I arrived there, and as soon as I said Australia, the manager told me that unless the contents were new with the shop sale's target attached, I could not send the parcel to Australia due to the Australian Customs requirements and limitations. I told him that I do live in Australia, that I have sent things back and forth many times and that there is no problem unless you pack some illegal items or products in the no list. I told him about their website. He said that this for the rest of the world, not for Australia. He told me that I should have asked him in advance. I told him that yes, I DID CHECK WITH HIM SPECIFICALLY, IN ADVANCE and that he had said yes to everything, he was arrogant enough to say that he did not remember the conversation. Unfortunately, I do. I had to take another taxi to my parents' and leave the parcel with one of my brothers so he could post it to my place.
I cannot forget the trouble and money of taking my parcel back and forth to my parents, mostly because this was my third visit to the office, and I had clearly mentioned everything during my first visit, The apology the manager gave me was so lame and unapologetic that I have decided to post this review.
Calle Montereros, 10 18001 Granada Spain Phone: +34 677 470 582 Facebook Knitting an crochet are very much back and in vogue nowadays, and Lola & Punto has done a terrific job at making of a tiny space a paradise for knitting lovers and hand made nuts. The shop is very small, but it has very catchy windows and a lovely fully packed interior. It is a welcoming colourful place. I love their walled asymmetrical shelves packed with colourful wool and cotton hanks. Their selection of crocheted dolls is just lovable. I bought the bunny in my photo for my niece, and a crocheted hat. They are not only pretty and catchy, but also made with very good cotton, so they can be washed safely in the washing machine. If you want the same item in another size, the owner will make it for you quite fast and give you a ring to let you know that it is ready. She did that with the hat I bought for my niece and had it ready in 3-4 days.
I loved their bead necklaces, made with Indian wooden hand-painted beads. The ones already made are fabulous but they might be too expensive for your budget, as they were about 30-40 Euro, which is about Au 50$. However, they have a good amount of individual beads for sale, so you can get and mix the ones you like, buy leather thread (so many colours to choose from!), as well as other little things to make your own unique piece of jewellery for little money.
The owner holds regular workshops, inside the shop, to teach you knitting and crocheting some of the wonderful things she has on display. Customer service was great. You can browse around unmolested or just ask the owner for help and assistance. Handmade items are pricey (for Spanish standards) but affordable for foreigners, and you know that your are buying handmade good quality stuff, not a mass produced item.
UPDATE 2016 Most of the jewellery making stuff they had for sale in the past is gone, and the service is not as friendly.
Paseo del Salon, s/n 18009 Granada Spain Facebook If you are a fan of Etsy handmade handicrafts and clothing, you will love the Zoco del Salon - a handmade & handicrafts market. It is held the first Saturday of every month (weather permitting), at the bottom end of the Paseo del Salón, in the area by the Placeta del Humilladero. In the summer months, the market changes its opening hours to avoid the heat of the hot Granada summer.
The white stalls are full of wonderful handmade stuff at terrific prices and customer service is excellent. You will find children clothes, adults T-shirts, home decor items, natural cosmetics and soaps, among many other things. Most of the vendors are also the makers of the stuff they sell, so they are really happy when you choose them.
I was in my personal heaven there. It reminded me of the Made in the Left markets in Perth WA regarding philosophy, atmosphere and sort of products you can find, but the one in Granada is a bit smaller. I loved many things, but I found the stalls selling toddlers and baby clothing and accessories among my favourite, due to the cuteness of the items and their good prices. Kids clothing is ridiculously expensive everywhere, but here you can find wonderful stuff for little money. I bought a couple of things for my cute niece. If you are a foreigner and don't like traditional souvenirs, and you happen to be here when the market is held, this might be your place! My fav stalls were the ones by Yomiss, Las Cosas de Mama, Degue, Periponte, Artsany, and Borstylus, but you will certainly find your own favourite items and stalls. Prices were cheap or very affordable and strolling along the white tents a pure pleasure.
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