Café Español

Café Español anchors one side of Melilla's historic Plaza de España, functioning as both a morning institution and an all-day meeting point for residents and visitors. Breakfast is the centrepiece: tostadas arrive with ripe crushed tomato and a drizzle of olive oil, café con leche comes in generous cups with just the right ratio of espresso to steamed milk, and churros are fried to order and dusted with sugar. The plaza-facing terrace is the most coveted position in the morning, when the Modernist civic buildings surrounding the square make an attractive backdrop. Bocadillos stuffed with jamón, cheese, and calamares anchor the midday menu, while simple platos combinados carry the café through the evening hours. A rotating selection of fresh-squeezed juices, including orange and pomegranate, is produced to order. The café occupies a building that dates to the early twentieth century, and although the interior has been updated, original tile work and a high ceiling lend it a particular character that newer coffee spots lack. Service is brisk and practical, reflecting the café's role as a workaday neighbourhood fixture rather than a destination dining experience.