Salamanca Coffee

Forgive me for this post in advance, but as a coffee lover, I just couldn’t miss it out.

I am sure you are all familiar with the picture of a university student going to school with a book, a folder or a bag in one hand and keeping a huge takeaway coffee cup in the other and looking like someone who has not been sleeping for days. Well, I used to be one of them when I was writing my bachelor thesis back in Budapest at Corvinus University, just about a year ago. However, unlike many of you, I really enjoyed going to the library almost every single day with my favourite Caramel Latte Macchiato and get one-hundred-percent occupied with the book I had to read. Because it was that type of a daily routine that combined a lot of different things that I loved: expanding my knowledge, reading, writing and coffee. I also used to spend a lot of time in the coffee shops themselves, either studying, meeting a friend or losing the time when it was necessary. Sitting on a big sofa with a cup of coffee, looking out of the window while it is raining outside and listening to the most relaxing music is something I enjoy very much.

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But unfortunately in Salamanca – being a small city – such well-known café chains as Starbucks, California Coffee Company, Costa ect. have not been spread. Furthermore, it really seems to me that in the Mediterranean countries coffee is more about its caffeine than its taste.

What I am just trying to say here is that there are not a lot of places which remind me of the ones I used to hang out in Budapest. If I want to be accurate, I have only come across one so far. But this one, I love it a lot! Let me present you the Spanish version of Starbucks: Salamanca Coffee.

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Location

Salamanca Coffee can be found halfway through the Plaza Mayor and the Cathedral, which – as I have mentioned it several times by now – is basically the centre of the city. You won’t miss the place, because a big red logo indicates that you have arrived. It is also very close to many faculties of the University of Salamanca and as a consequence, the majority of the consumers are tourists and students.

The address: Calle Meléndez, 6, 37002, Salamanca

The place

It is a small but sweet and comfy coffee shop, decorated with impressive photos of the Cathedral. The furniture are black and elegant and there is a “reading corner” as well. And while we are sipping our favourite coffee or hot chocolate, Ed Sheeran’s pleasant voice is making everything even better.

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What can you get?

The selection is comprised of a variety of coffees, teas and hot chocolates. Regarding the coffee, you can get it in three different sizes (however, I have to note that what is a middle size here, is a small size for me). Of course, besides drinks, you can choose from all the delicious sweet things the place can offer: croissants, muffins, cakes, cheesecakes, brownies and everything else you can imagine.

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Prices

I have to admit that it is quite an expensive place to pamper yourself. A medium Caramel Macchiato (let’s say 2 dl) costs 2 € and a cheesecake with some cranberry sauce costs 2. 60 €. Although this was one single example, this is the average price you pay if you want to have something to drink and eat as well. For this reason, I cannot afford visiting the place very often, but when I do, it really gives a good feeling, because it reminds me a little bit of the things that used to be a part of my everyday life back in Hungary. It might be silly but it is true.

Other important information

The Wi-Fi is for free and the place is open 8:00-24:00 from Monday to Friday and 10:00-24:00 at the weekend.

To sum up, Salamanca Coffee tries to be a copy of the big coffee store chains, but still it managed to adapt to the local needs. In my opinion, it is a really cool place, however the fact that it is expensive, prevents me to spend as much time there as I would otherwise do.

If you are planning to check out Salamanca and you are also a big fan of cafés, you should definitely stop by!