Granja Dulcinea / Carrer de Petritxol, Barcelona

Carrer de Petritxol, one of Barcelona's most historically charming narrow streets, is the place to head to for a cup of creamy hot chocolate, with Granja Dulcinea (established in 1930) as the traditional choice. Among their other specialties are deep-fried, super-crispy churros that regulars flocking here love to dunk into their cups (it certainly doesn't hurt that the hot chocolate has the right amount of bitterness to balance the churros that reach the table warm with sugar falling off), and also the "Crema Catalana", which is like crème brûlée served cold in a largish dish – but with particularly good flavoring.

This is a bygone-era kind of place, all furnished in traditional old style with a fireplace and memorabilia throughout, and the service is quite attentive. It was and is very popular – even Dalí used to sit down in its chairs and enjoy some of their delicacies. While the café may appear small at first, there is an upstairs seating area that provides more space than you initially anticipate.