Coffee is literally the new black: how Aussie-style rebellion ARVO shook up Bilbao’s café scene
Author: Mariya Zantsevich
“If you are not going to sell beer, you’re gonna be broke by the end of the month” — the owners of ARVO Specialty Coffee on how they opened one of the pioneer specialty coffee spots in Bilbao and built up a vibrant community, not just a popular brand. At finals — a few practical hacks on how to brew your best coffee at home, plus a simple guide to decoding a specialty coffee label without getting lost.
On a narrow Bilbao street, ARVO Specialty Coffee stands out long before you step inside. The windows are framed by cascades of lush plants spilling from the ceiling, and outside, at the tall wooden tables more commonly reserved for wine and beer, people linger over cups of filter coffee — though the menu does offer a lovely organic wine or two. By late morning, a small crowd often gathers at the door, names added to a waiting list, the kind of queue that instantly sparks curiosity and makes you wonder what exactly is happening inside — and whether it’s truly worth the half-hour wait.
When I sat down with Matyas Szerb and Nuria Aria Lopez, the duo behind one of the first specialty coffee spots in Bilbao, it quickly became clear that ARVO didn’t arrive in tranquillo mode. In a landscape dominated by pintxos bars, long-standing strong espresso con leche habits, and a firmly traditional palate, they saw an opportunity — or maybe a challenge — to introduce a new culture of coffee. One that speaks the language of quality, intention, and inclusivity; one that doesn’t hesitate to break rules.
At the beginning they jokingly call themselves the punks of Bilbao’s coffee world — the people who dared to open a café without beer and, which is more crazy, suggested putting less sugar in your coffee or even skip this white tastekiller! The landlords were pretty sure the guys would be forced to close within a month because they definitely wouldn’t be able to pay the rent. And yet ARVO not only works — it has helped shift how the city thinks about coffee, about comfort-food options for people with dietary needs like lactose-free or sugar-free alternatives, and about the tiny rituals that shape everyday life.
We talked about what specialty coffee truly means, why this movement became global, and why Bilbao needed a little Australian daylight energy — a touch of arvo (it is Australian slang for “afternoon,” a casual, laid-back shorthand you’ll hear everywhere) — to wake up to something new.
Specialty coffee has become a global trend, but many people still don’t fully understand what makes a coffee “specialty.” How do you define it?
Matyas:
The official definition comes from the SCA scoring system. Q-graders evaluate coffees at origin on a 100-point scale, and anything above 80 points qualifies as specialty. But in practice, most specialty shops today only work with coffees above 85 points. Our roasters buy only coffees at that level, so that’s what we serve.
But honestly, I don’t check the scores anymore. Those systems have flaws, and the people giving the points can be biased. For us, it’s all about trust in the roasters we’ve built relationships with over the years. Whenever we consider a new coffee, we ask for trials and go through very rigorous tasting. Out of ten samples, maybe one-two make it to our menu. That selection process is what helps us to keep our quality consistently high.
There’s also a difference between “specialty coffee” as a definition and as a concept. What does that mean?
Nuria:
A café can technically sell specialty-grade beans, but that doesn’t mean the experience is special. The concept of specialty coffee includes care in every area — the preparation, the service, the atmosphere, the food, other products you offer.
You can also have the best beans in the world, but if the coffee is prepared poorly, the result isn’t special at all.
Specialty coffee, as we see it, is a whole philosophy of quality and intention.
How did ARVO begin? Was it passion, opportunity, or something accidental?
Matyas:
Completely accidental. We were living in Australia, working in hospitality. My long-term dream was to open a restaurant five or ten years later, after returning to Europe. But then COVID happened: borders closed, and suddenly we were stuck on opposite sides of the world.
Nuria:
Yeah, Australia allowed people to leave but not return. I tried three different flights before I finally managed to leave. Before coming back to Europe, I applied for jobs and received a six-month contract at a school in Bilbao. That’s how we ended up here — waiting to see if Australia would reopen. It didn’t. So we started to build our comfort here.
Matyas:
And coming from Australia — where the coffee culture is incredibly strong — the contrast in Bilbao was huge. There was almost no good coffee then, at least not in a ‘specialty’ way. You couldn’t just walk into a place, grab a cup, pair it with some all-day cozy brekkie, and chill for a while. So opening a specialty café suddenly felt obvious.
And the name — why ARVO?
Matyas:
“Arvo” is Australian slang for “afternoon.” None of us knew the word before living there. We liked how it sounded — relaxed, daytime-ish — not a bar, but a place to enjoy your day. Naming a business is hard; this one stuck.
What philosophy guides ARVO Specialty Coffee?
Matyas:
We wanted to bring the kind of hospitality we loved in Australia: high standards, great coffee, and warm, casual service. Here in Bilbao, service culture often swung between two extremes — pintxos bars with almost no service, or Michelin-level formality. Neither felt right for us.
Nuria:
We also wanted inclusivity. In Australia, it’s normal to have options for vegans, lactose-free, gluten-free — everyone. Here, even being lactose-intolerant can feel like a struggle. That was a huge motivation: making people feel comfortable, offering diversity, giving Bilbao something it didn’t have. More to say, I have some food allergies and it was a big quest to find anything lactose- or gluten-free. So ARVO is not only about starting a business, it’s something much more personal.
Was it difficult to introduce a new concept in Bilbao?
Nuria:
Extremely. Locals told us straight out that our ideas wouldn’t work. Landlords refused to rent to us because we said we wouldn’t sell tortilla or beer. They told us we wouldn’t survive and wouldn’t be able to pay the rent.
Matyas:
At that time, “specialty coffee shop” was not a familiar concept here. People couldn’t visualize it. Now it’s different — you say you’re opening one, and people immediately understand. Back then, nobody could imagine it.
What was the specialty coffee scene in Bilbao like when you opened, and how has it changed?
Matyas:
When we arrived, there were maybe two places trying something different. One served craft beer and had limited daytime hours. Another takeaway spot in Casco Viejo eventually closed. That was it.
After we opened, things stayed quiet for about two years. Then suddenly the scene began to grow. People started attending coffee events, asking questions, thinking about opening their own places.
Nuria:
In the last year especially, many new cafés have appeared — and chains too. Syrah Coffee and East Crema Coffee, both Spanish chains, entered the Bilbao market fast; East Crema now has four locations here. So the scene is definitely developing.
Matyas:
It’s still growing. There’s more to come.
Hiring good baristas is notoriously hard. How do you choose your team?
Matyas:
Hiring is one of the biggest challenges in hospitality. For baristas, it’s even harder — it’s a specific skill. We go through CVs carefully, then do trials. Once someone is behind the machine for 20 minutes, we can usually tell if they’re a good fit.
We only hire people with solid experience. Even then, they need to adapt to our processes. Recipes are created together with our head barista and most experienced team members; everyone else follows them.
ARVO is known for creative drinks and special flavors. How do you develop new ideas?
Matyas:
We’ve worked in around ten restaurants worldwide and love exploring food and beverage wherever we travel. So ideas are never the problem — we have more than we could ever fit into this tiny space.
Nuria:
Space is the limitation. Some recipes require equipment we simply can’t fit here. Or they slow down service. Our challenge is selecting ideas we can actually execute at the pace quality service demands.
Purists often say specialty coffee should be black. I mean, no sugar, please. What’s your take on adding milk or sweeteners?
Matyas:
Milk and coffee can be a beautiful combination. We’re not against that at all. What we don’t align with are the really commercial and overly sweet syrups — vanilla, caramel, pumpkin spice, the YOU-KNOW-THE-CHAIN-style flavors.
Nuria:
At the beginning, our biggest challenge was sugar. People in Spain expect sugar beside the cup. When it wasn’t there, they thought we forgot it.
We even printed T-shirts saying “More coffee, less sugar.” We encouraged guests to try the coffee first. It was so punk-ish back in time.
Matyas:
If the coffee is well made, you don’t need sugar. And once people tried it, many agreed.
Many people still believe Italian espresso is the pinnacle of coffee. What’s your perspective?
Matyas:
Italian espresso was amazing in the 50s, 60s, 70s — much better than what most countries had. But coffee has evolved. The third wave changed everything. Now the best coffee shops are everywhere — this year’s best café in the world is in Australia. The idea that Italian espresso is “the best” is mostly nostalgia. People heard it as kids and never updated the software in their brains.
People often hear terms like robusta, arabica… but not everyone really understands them. Could you explain the basics?
Matyas:
Sure. Robusta and arabica are the two main species of the coffee plant. Robusta is much easier to grow — it thrives at lower altitudes, can be farmed on huge plantations, and is far more resilient. Brazil, for example, is the world’s largest coffee producer, and most of its production is robusta because it scales easily.
But robusta lacks the complexity and nuanced flavor you get from arabica. That’s why 99% of specialty coffee shops — including us — work mostly with arabica beans. Arabica plants grow at higher altitudes, usually on smaller farms, and they’re more sensitive. But higher elevation also means fewer insects, so farmers need fewer pesticides. All of that contributes to cleaner, more complex flavors.
And what about blends? Why do roasters mix different beans, and how do you approach your own blend at ARVO?
Matyas:
Blends exist mainly for one reason: consistency. A single farm only harvests once per year, so you can’t rely on one origin to taste the same all year long. By combining three coffees, for example, each one will run out at a different time. You can swap just that one component while keeping the overall flavor profile stable.
We’ve worked with Old Town Coffee Roasters in San Sebastián since day one of ARVO. They know our style, and with our feedback they adjust the blend as needed. The blend we use is designed to shine with milk — it’s the perfect base for flat whites, cappuccinos, and lattes.
For espresso, however, we offer a rotating single origin because those coffees tend to be fruitier, more exotic, and more expressive. I’m an espresso guy, so I love those surprising, bright flavor profiles.
When people read a specialty coffee label, they see words like “washed,” “natural,” “fermentation”. How should a beginner read these labels without feeling lost?
Matyas:
There are a few simple things to pay attention to.
First: altitude. Higher altitude generally means better-quality coffee — slower growth, fewer insects, cleaner flavors.
Second: processing method. Traditionally, there were two: washed and natural.
Washed coffees usually have a lighter body, cleaner and brighter notes.
Natural coffees are dried with the fruit still on, giving them more body and sometimes nuttier or wilder flavor notes.
Today, fermentation methods are extremely trendy — controlled fermentations, oxygen-free tanks, barrels, heat-shocks with ice water. Colombia is leading the world in these innovations. Every farm experiments, trying to create new flavor profiles each year. It’s one of the most exciting parts of specialty coffee right now.
Nuria:
And something funny — beginners often think the flavors on the bag, like “peach” or “cocoa,” are added artificially. They’re not. They’re natural characteristics created by origin, processing, and roasting.
If someone wants to learn more about reading labels and choosing coffee, where should they start?
Matyas:
The best thing is to ask your barista at a café you trust. They’ll guide you through the shelf. Or take a short intro course. And honestly, YouTube is incredible — there’s so much free, high-quality content about specialty coffee. You can learn a lot from your coach.
Cafés offer batch brew, hand-brew V60 or filter coffee.Can you explain the difference?
Matyas:
Batch brew is simply filter coffee brewed in larger volumes — like a 900 ml batch. It’s fast, consistent, and perfect for busy mornings.
Hand-brewed V60 is brewed cup by cup by a barista. Same method (paper filter), but with more control: tiny tweaks in pouring, timing, agitation.
Are hand brews always better? Not necessarily. A great barista can make a stunning V60 — but they can also make mistakes. Batch brew is consistent, reliable, and realistic in a high-volume café. You can’t make a hundred hand brews in a day, but you can make ten big batches.
And coffee tastings? Is food pairing becoming a thing?
Matyas:
Coffee-and-food pairing is starting to trend, but it works better in tasting environments, not at breakfast. Pairing one coffee with macadamia nuts and another with cashews is fun — but people don’t come for a five-course tasting at 10 AM. We sometimes organize tasting events where people try five to ten coffees side by side. That’s when you really feel how dramatically different coffees can taste.
Nuria:
We are planning to organize these events during the school year from September to June. It will also be announced on ARVO’s instagram and our website arvobilbao.es
What about coffee events in Spain in general?
Matyas:
The biggest one is the Coffee Fest in Madrid every February https://coffee-fest.com/ — an expo with all the top roasters, machine makers, and the Spanish Barista Championship. There’s also the Aeropress Championship, which is huge for home-brewers. They run regional rounds and a national final. One of our baristas qualified for this year’s final in Barcelona.
And preparing coffee at home — where should beginners start?
Matyas:
Everyone makes coffee at home, but most people use a moka pot. Even that can make excellent coffee. The key — the number one most important thing — is to buy whole beans and a grinder. Freshly ground coffee makes more difference than any gadget.
Nuria:
You need different grind sizes for different brewing methods, so grinding at home is essential. A grinder and a simple scale — that’s the real starting kit.
For beginners:
V60 is the most affordable option (€5 for the cone, €5 for filters).
An Aeropress is versatile and can mimic both espresso-like strength and long brews.
A very general recipe: 18 g of ground coffee per cup for paper-filter methods. Grind size depends on method and personal experimentation. And yes — you will adjust your grinder constantly. Even cafés do.
You’ve built ARVO from scratch, with high standards and little compromise. What sacrifices come with opening a specialty café? And what would you tell someone who wants to open their own?
Nuria:
It changes your life completely. When you build a small business from zero — especially one you love — the emotional investment is huge. Every day is different, unpredictable. You need to be present.
Matyas:
And it’s time-consuming. Not like a regular job. Unexpected things happen all the time — equipment issues, staff challenges, rushes you didn’t plan for. And yes — the balancing act becomes a wave you need to ride every day. Yeah, we are also surfers (laughing).
Nuria:
But personal growth is incredible. It teaches you so much, gives you skills you never expected to learn.
Finally — what would you say to someone thinking of opening their own specialty café?
Matyas:
Be ready for long, rigorous selection processes — for coffee, for staff, for everything. Consistency is the hardest part. But if you care deeply about quality and hospitality, it’s worth it.
Nuria:
And bring something new. Even big cities need some fresh ideas.
