The Best Cafés in Tarifa, Spain

Boasting a prime location on the surf-shop drag of Calle Batalla del Saldo, Café Azúl Bar does some of the best breakfast and brunches in Tarifa. In its cosy, vintage-style interior you can tuck into everything from fruit and milkshakes to the café’s legendary crepes, available with a selection of decadent toppings. The perfect start to a long day on the beach.

Another firm favourite for breakfast or brunch, Café 10 is found on a small side street in the centre of Tarifa’s old town. It offers a well-priced selection of fresh juices, sandwiches, crepes, coffees and teas with which to kick-off a day’s sightseeing or surfing. The café’s chilling spaces consist of a cute interior with a few tables and a small terrace equipped with quirky outdoor furniture.

Sought out for the variety and quality of its coffees, Bianco is firmly established on Tarifa’s café scene. Situated just off one of the old town’s principal thoroughfares, its quality juices, crepes and tostadas make it ideal for breakfast as well as for merienda, the Spanish equivalent of afternoon tea. Bianco is open until 10pm every night, so it’s also a good spot for early-evening beers or copas.

For a healthy start to a day in Tarifa, head to Andrea’s Brunch, a café known for its impressive range of gluten- and lactose-free options. You might have to fight for a table in the tiny interior, but it’ll be worth it: awaiting you is a delicious selection of homemade sweets, including a cheesecake to die for. Other favourites here are the fresh juices and the milkshakes. Payment is cash only.

Just down the road from Andrea’s is Bon di Café, a relaxed hangout that’s as suited to an afternoon beer as it is to morning coffee. The menu is eclectic, featuring breakfast tostadas as well as lunchtime dishes such as lasagne. What people really love here, though, are the sandwiches: try the one filled with celery, carrot, avocado, rocket and hummus to see what all the fuss is about.

Tarifa’s coolest late-night café-bar (it doesn’t open until 8.30pm) is set into the town’s medieval walls, right next to the 10th-century Guzman Castle. The centuries-old exposed brickwork and arched ceilings make for a great environment in which to enjoy a copa or glass of vino. Adding to Almedina’s offering is a weekly show of live flamenco (usually on Thursdays).

Manduka is one of the hippest hangouts on Calle Batalla del Saldo and a great place to head after a day on the beach. In its colourful interior you can enjoy dishes that range from tostadas to dulces (desserts), washed down with one of their superb fruit juices or milkshakes. Especially popular are the homemade burgers (try the ‘Manduka’ burger), the sandwiches and the enormous crepes.