La Fábrica
Café · Girona
Checked
La Fábrica has been a fixture of Girona's road-cycling scene since it opened in the old town in March 2015, and riders still gather here before heading out toward the Rocacorba and Els Àngels climbs. It was founded by Christian Meier, a Canadian professional cyclist who moved to Girona in 2008 and rode the 2014 Tour de France with Orica-GreenEdge, together with his wife Amber. The couple had long planned to open a café once Christian's career wound down, but after that first Tour de France they decided not to wait, and Christian retired from racing at 31 to make it happen. The café fills a former carpentry workshop, its stone walls now lined with antiques the couple collected on their travels through Bali, Japan and Australia, influences that also shaped the food menu. The espresso is pulled from beans roasted locally at the couple's own Espresso Mafia, and the menu spells out the exact recipe: 18 grams of coffee extracted for about 30 seconds to yield 36 grams of espresso.
La Fábrica is where Girona's resident peloton actually starts and ends its day: riders collect at the counter before heading out, then return hours later for a debrief over a second espresso, alongside the roughly 90 professional cyclists who call the city home. The café sits in a courtyard at the foot of a stone staircase on the edge of the old town, its outdoor tables spread across the landing steps between levels so the terrace catches both sun and shade through the day. Inside, bare stone walls carry sepia-toned race photography by Kristof Ramon and a backlit road bike mounted above the coffee machine, with Dali-moustache door handles on the way in. The floor is bare concrete, laid so cycling cleats can walk straight in without a change of shoes. A tire pump waits by the door and a basket of cable locks is free to borrow, on top of the bike racks out front. Open daily from 9am to 3pm, it has been called the gold standard among Europe's cycling cafés.
What you see
A courtyard terrace at the foot of a stone staircase, its tables spread across the landing steps, sits behind bare stone walls hung with sepia cycling photography and a backlit road bike mounted over the coffee machine.
Practical
Open daily 9am to 3pm. A tire pump and borrowable cable locks wait at the door, and the concrete floor is built for walking straight in on cycling cleats.
- Cuisine
- brunch
- Seating
- outdoor seating
cafespecialty coffeeterracepro connectionpart of: Cafés owned by pro cyclists
lafabricagirona.com ↗Google Maps ↗
Cafés nearby
Food nearby
History & landmarks nearby
Climbs nearby
Common questions
- Why stop at La Fábrica on a bike ride?
- La Fábrica has been a fixture of Girona's road-cycling scene since it opened in the old town in March 2015, and riders still gather here before heading out toward the Rocacorba and Els Àngels climbs. It was founded by Christian Meier, a Canadian professional cyclist who moved to Girona in 2008 and rode the 2014 Tour de France with Orica-GreenEdge, together with his wife Amber. The couple had long planned to open a café once Christian's career wound down, but after that first Tour de France they decided not to wait, and Christian retired from racing at 31 to make it happen. The café fills a former carpentry workshop, its stone walls now lined with antiques the couple collected on their travels through Bali, Japan and Australia, influences that also shaped the food menu. The espresso is pulled from beans roasted locally at the couple's own Espresso Mafia, and the menu spells out the exact recipe: 18 grams of coffee extracted for about 30 seconds to yield 36 grams of espresso.
- When is La Fábrica open?
- Open daily 9am to 3pm. A tire pump and borrowable cable locks wait at the door, and the concrete floor is built for walking straight in on cycling cleats.