Serendipity in the true essence of the word.

We had just finished seeing Casa Mila and wanted to take a coffee break somewhere. Our first attempt at the in-house Café was thwarted by the lack of available seating, and even walking several blocks along Passeig de Gràcia proved futile as most shops, to our surprise and inconvenience, were closed on Sunday. When we reached Casa Batlló with its ever present humongous crowds, I hoped there was a place where we could cool our heels, which turned out to be prophetic because as we found out, Casa Amattler, its nextdoor neighbor, had its doors open – and it had a coffee shop that was like a mirage in the desert, beautiful and hidden inside the building courtyard. It was so unexpectedly nice I was surprised it wasn’t written up anywhere. It also seemed like Willy Wonka’s mini-factory – apparently the previous owner was a chocolate baron – as I saw a faucet with melted chocolate steaming out of it. The idea of coffee was very quickly replaced by a hot cup of coco goodness, enjoyed in the outdoor terrace at the back. The next hour or so went like a blissful blur.