Unless you are hungry, you would ignore this building housing a Burger King and Dunkin’ Donuts. Stop and look. This is the Old Café Granada. Café Suizo was a former haunt of the city’s intellectuals and artists. It was built in 1865 on the site of Alhóndiga Zaida, an Islamic marketplace. During the Muslim occupation, this intersection was a main gate into the city called Door of Bib-al-Rambla. It was designated the Royal Gate (Puerta Real) after King Philip IV walked through this portal in 1624. This event sparked centuries of neighborhood prosperity until it became a center of wealth during the 19th century. Puerta Real de España was the main esplanade.
