Lavazza

Gate-side caffeine at NAT before security lines build

Lavazza sits in Alicante’s NAT terminal, airside, close enough to several Schengen gates that you can watch boarding start while you finish an espresso. It’s a basic Italian-style coffee bar, not a long sit-down meal. Think quick shot at the counter, grab-and-go pastry, and back to gate B in under 10 minutes if you’re in a rush.

The draw here is the coffee. A standard espresso runs around the same price you’d pay in town, and the bar pulls it properly short and strong. You’ll see the usual suspects: espresso, macchiato, cappuccino, and larger milk drinks served in paper cups for takeout. If you like it sweet, the baristas don’t blink at an extra sugar or syrup request; they deal with hundreds of orders every morning from 6:00 to about 11:00.

Food is simple: pre-made sandwiches, croissants, and packaged snacks in the €3–€7 range. It’s fine if your last meal was back in Madrid or Barcelona and you just need something before a 2.5-hour hop to London or Frankfurt. This isn’t a place for a long lunch; seating is limited to a few small tables and counter stools right in the NAT concourse flow.

Service pace depends on bank times. During the morning wave of Ryanair and easyJet departures, you might see 10–15 people in line and wait five minutes. Midday, you can walk up, pay, and get your drink in under two. Staff know the routine: quick ticket, quick pull, change handed back, you’re gone.

One practical tip: order and pay first, then step clearly to the pickup side of the counter. With several flights boarding from NAT within the same 20–30 minutes, cups stack up fast, and standing right at the handoff point makes it less likely your cappuccino gets orphaned on the back edge of the machine.