Freddo's

Freddo's in Fuengirola, on the Costa del Sol, is all about the concept and marketing — iced coffee in a branded can, a prime spot on the pedestrian street and a wide choice of plant milks. The catch is in the cup: it's Illy at a price that feels like specialty.

Freddo's is hard to miss in Fuengirola — it sits in a lovely spot on the pedestrian street and the concept is genuinely well done. They serve your coffee in a branded can, and the upshot is that once people walk around the beach holding it, you instantly know where it's from. The marketing is spot on.

The service was great and friendly, and I was won over by the really wide choice of plant milks — coconut, oat, almond and hazelnut. I had a latte with coconut milk and an iced latte, both to-go.

Then there's the coffee itself. It's Illy — commercial, not specialty — which would be perfectly fine if the price matched. Instead it's set as if you were paying for specialty. And that's exactly what I have to mark down: the concept and the packaging are great, but what's in the cup is ordinary coffee at a premium price.

As a quick iced coffee to take on a stroll down the street or to the beach it's fine, and it looks fantastic. But if you're after a coffee experience, Freddo's isn't about that — it's about the concept. In my opinion it's the most photogenic coffee in Fuengirola, just not the best cup.