Granada restaurant’s prices go viral on X
X (formerly Twitter) user @Mr_Abraham_ made a post about El Huerto de Juan Ranas restaurant, sharing his bill with what he felt were unjustified high prices. That post instantly went viral, leading to the restaurant owner defending his high prices, saying, “We are in a unique place in the world.” Moreover, according to the restaurant owner, they offer “a global experience” at his restaurant that justifies the price of the drinks.According to the bill, a coffee, bottle of sparkling water or beer costs more than €5.00 ($5.40), while a gluten-free beer is priced at €8.00 ($8.64). In many other areas of the world, these prices might sound fair, but it should be noted that the average cup of coffee costs anything from €0.60 ($0.65) to €2.50 ($2.70) in Spain.
Meanwhile, the X post went viral, attracting more than 300,000 views in one day. Why does this restaurant charge higher prices than most in the country? The X user did note, “It’s on a terrace in the Albaicín with views of the Alhambra. But still.”
El Huerto de Juan Ranas and its position in Granada
It is those incredible views that have led the restaurant owner to charge higher prices as having a terrace with direct views of the Alhambra is rare. While many X users agreed that the prices were too high, one did note that he had been to Granada a thousand times and “I’ve never seen anything like this.Manuel del Castillo, the owner of El Huerto de Juan Ranas told the IDEAL newspaper:
We are in a unique place in the world and we offer the client a global experience with a moment of contemplation of the Alhambra… And that costs money.
The owner compares the location of his restaurant to St. Mark’s Square in Venice, or in front of the Eiffel Tower in Paris. Due to this, he claims that having a coffee or a beer on his terrace isn’t the same as in a bar located in the city’s narrow alleys, adding:
We are in a unique place in the world and we offer a global experience with a moment of contemplation of the Alhambra.
Meanwhile, he noted that the prices of drinks are posted at the door, so if anyone finds them too expensive, they can go elsewhere, saying, “Nobody is cheated here and we offer an impeccable experience and service.”
Moreover, the prices are also about “optimizing” resources at the bar, as some patrons come in, order a drink or a coffee and hog the table for an hour and a half while watching the sunset while others are waiting to have snacks or eat dinner. “This is a business and what cannot be is that people come to the magic moment and stay for two hours with a coffee.”
Getting bad reviews
De Castillo notes that these days, it is so easy to publish reviews of this kind on social media, saying:Nowadays it is published mercilessly and people have the power to do you a lot of harm and that is quite serious. I have a clear conscience because I know that we do it very well and that we offer something unique.
Readers, having seen the amazing views from the terrace of El Huerto de Juan Ranas, do you agree that having a few drinks or a meal there would be totally worth it? Visit the restaurant’s website to see more.