Churros, pastry and merienda in Madrid
What to order, where to go and the little things worth knowing.
- 01
Chocolatería San Ginés
Chocolate con churros in a green-and-mirrors parlour that has fed Madrid's night owls since 1894.
OrderChocolate con churros, or porras (the fat cousin) if the night was long. Dunk, don't sip.
- 02
La Mallorquina
The pastry shop right on Puerta del Sol, where Madrid grabs a napolitana on its way to everywhere.
OrderNapolitana de crema, palmera or ensaimada. For Reyes, order a roscón.
- 03
Antigua Pastelería del Pozo
Madrid's oldest pastry shop, a wood-and-glass time capsule where the hojaldre is still made by hand.
OrderBayonesa de crema or cabello de ángel, a palmera de chocolate and roscón, which they bake all year.
- 04
Santa Eulalia
A patisserie near Ópera for a classic croissant, chocolate pastry and a slower coffee stop.
OrderCroissant clásico, croissant de chocolate or a tostada with tomato and burrata.
- 05
Taberna de Antonio Sánchez
Wood-panelled bullfighters' taberna in Lavapiés, pouring wine since at least 1787. Come for the torrijas.
OrderA torrija (the house legend), rabo de toro if you're eating, and a glass of house wine at the old wooden bar.
- 06
HanSo Café
Family-run café with some of Madrid's best espresso and filter, plus Asian-leaning sweets.
OrderA flat white and the gofre de matcha.
- 07
La Duquesita
Gilded 1914 pastry shop, now in the hands of star pâtissier Oriol Balaguer, original counters intact.
OrderA croissant, a slice of whatever seasonal cake is in the window, and a box of bombones to take away.
- 08
La Gelateria di Angelo
Daily batches of Italian gelato give a walk along Madrid Río a very reasonable detour.
OrderHelado de tiramisú, stracciatella and helado de chocolate.
- 09
Bite Me Café
A vegan bakery in Legazpi for halos, their homemade doughnuts, and specialty coffee at merienda time.
OrderA halo de chocolate, a rollo de canela and a flat white with oat milk.
- 10
Cervecería La Chata
A churrería beside Vistalegre where breakfast comes with a proper cup of chocolate and a neighbourhood soundtrack.
OrderChurros and chocolate a la taza.
- 11
Pastelería Reyes
A neighbourhood pastry counter worth a detour for chocolate palmeras and a brioche to take home.
OrderPalmera de chocolate and brioche.
- 12
Maceta Café
Pradillo's small neighbourhood café pairs careful coffee with homemade cakes and unhurried chatter.
OrderCapuchino, tostada de masa madre con tomate and tarta de zanahoria.
- 13
La Dolce Fina
Italian gelato with an Argentine sweet tooth: a pistacho-and-dulce-de-leche detour off Ponzano.
OrderHelado de pistacho and dulce de leche granizado.
- 14
Panod
An open bakery on the Prim corner where buttery pastries make a convincing case for a second breakfast.
OrderPalmera de chocolate, croissant de gianduia and café con leche.
- 15
Alma Nomad Fábrica
Breakfast inside a working bakery, with skylights, serious croissants and plenty to watch beyond your coffee.
OrderCroissant de almendras, rollo de canela and café solo.
- 16
Pastelería Mifer
A family pastry shop from 1967 where buying one merienda can easily turn into taking home a box.
OrderOreja de crema con pistacho, milhoja de merengue and a porción de Selva Negra.
- 17
Frutas Prohibidas
Vegan brunch with runny plant eggs and mushroom bacon; the bakery does as much work as the kitchen.
OrderBenedict del Génesis, Sando Baconator and Cheesecake de Abel.
- 18
Sweet Studio
French pastry skills meet Japanese sweets in a café where matcha earns its place in the cake cabinet.
OrderMilhojas de crepes de matcha, cruasán de almendra and capuchino.
- 19
El Jardín Secreto
A gloriously overdecorated café for rose-scented chocolate and desserts with names longer than your order.
OrderChocolate Persa and Amor al primer mordisco, the tarta de queso with chocolate.
- 20
Moulin Chocolat
Ricardo Vélez turns a small pastry counter opposite the Retiro into a very good reason to abandon your walk.
OrderCroissant de mantequilla and éclair de chocolate.
- 21
Black Ristretto
Specialty coffee with an Argentine sweet tooth: the alfajor makes sense beside a short ristretto.
OrderCafé ristretto and an alfajor; capuchino if you prefer milk.
- 22
Horchatería Alboraya
Horchata and fartons on Felipe II: a Valencian answer to Madrid's hot pavements.
OrderHorchata de chufa, fartons and leche merengada.
- 23
Formentor
A Mallorcan family bakery where an ensaimada is a perfectly good reason to cross town.
OrderEnsaimada lisa and ensaimada de crema tostada; compare them before choosing a whole one.
- 24
Panadarío
Guindalera’s serious bread habit comes with buttery pastry and an apple tart on croissant dough.
OrderCroissant de almendra, tarta de manzana and pan de centeno con miso.
- 25
La Raspa Golosa
Paula Beer's Numancia pastry stall makes torrijas a very good reason to cross the market.
OrderTorrija tradicional, tarta de queso con pistacho and palmeritas del Rayito.
- 26
Cafelito
Spiced coffees, mismatched furniture and a book swap make this little café feel happily lived in.
OrderCafé La Sombra and magdalena espresso.
- 27
Pum Pum Café
Good coffee and poached eggs in a brick-walled café where brunch can easily end in cake.
OrderBenedict Pum Pum, bizcocho de limón and a cortado.
- 28
Café Barbieri
A grand old mirrored café with a modern Italian appetite, just above the bustle of Plaza de Lavapiés.
OrderTortilla alla carbonara, alcachofas Barbieri and tiramisú.
- 29
Sani Sapori
Italian gelato with a tangy baobab detour and enough fruit sorbets to make dairy entirely optional.
OrderHelado de baobab and helado de pistacho; add a horchata if you're thirsty.
- 30
Madrid 1883 Churrería
Churros with a view of the frying: this little family institution makes breakfast worth getting up for.
OrderChurros, porras and chocolate a la taza; compare the two shapes before declaring your allegiance.
- 31
Lolina Café
A sixties living room where a slice of cake can quite reasonably turn into a vermut.
OrderVermut Lolina and tarta de zanahoria, depending on whether your afternoon needs an aperitivo or sugar.
- 32
La Cocina de mi Vecina
Tall slices and toasted meringue make this neighbourhood cake counter a very persuasive merienda stop.
OrderTarta cuatro leches and tarta muerte por chocolate, by the slice so you can compare.
- 33
Café Manuela
Marble tables, board games and café irlandés make this old literary café an easy place to lose an afternoon.
OrderCafé irlandés and tarta de queso con arándanos.
- 34
La Oriental
A gluten-free pastry counter on Ferraz where the petisús make the choice pleasantly difficult.
OrderPetisú de crema, tartita de manzana and palmera de chocolate.
- 35
Zúccaru
A tiny Sicilian sweet shop that makes a palace walk considerably stickier.
OrderHelado de pistacho, cannolo de ricotta and brioche con helado.
- 36
Horno San Onofre
The Mayor branch, known as La Santiaguesa, is a fine excuse to take almond cake home.
OrderTarta de Santiago and rosquillas de Alcalá.
- 37
Café de los Austrias
An old-fashioned café for a sweet pause on Ramales or a winter seat by the fireplace.
OrderCafé bombón and helado de turrón.
- 38
Maison Glacée
Violet sweets and leche merengada become ice cream at this little Bulbiza dessert stop.
OrderHelado de caramelo de violetas, helado de leche merengada y tocino del cielo, or a bamba de nata.
- 39
El Riojano
An old pastry shop with a tea room behind it and soletillas built for dunking in thick chocolate.
OrderChocolate a la taza, bizcochos de soletilla and pastas del Consejo.
- 40
Churrería Chocolatería 1902
A family churrería just off Arenal, making its own chocolate to go with the churros and porras.
OrderChocolate a la taza, churros and porras.
- 41
Hey My Coffee!
Specialty coffee on Tetuán with proper cake, useful when the Sol shopping circuit needs a pause.
OrderCafé con leche, bizcocho de zanahoria and tarta de almendra.
- 42
La Violeta
The tiny Canalejas sweet shop for violet sweets and the sort of Madrid souvenir that gets eaten.
OrderCaramelos de violeta and violetas escarchadas.
- 43
La Casa de las Torrijas
An old tavern where torrijas and a little sweet wine make Easter a year-round possibility.
OrderTorrija de leche, torrija de vino and a copa de vino dulce.
- 44
Churrería Pepita
A dawn stop for churros to take home and homemade crisps that may not survive the walk.
OrderChurros and patatas fritas caseras.
- 45
Churrería Márquez
Ventilla does breakfast properly here: freshly fried porras, churros and chocolate with no brunch ceremony.
OrderPorras, churros and chocolate a la taza.
- 46
Colette Bakery
An Almendrales bakery for croissant a la plancha, homemade cakes and breakfast that lasts until 13:00.
OrderCroissant a la plancha con mermelada casera, tarta de zanahoria (Zanahoriocake) and café con leche.
- 47
Mina Specialty Coffee
Artichokes, burrata and pistachio turn the house toast into a proper reason to stop on Príncipe de Vergara.
OrderEspecial Mina, alfajor de pistacho and flat white.
- 48
Doku Toku
Onigiris, strawberry shortcake and homemade yuzu soda make a fine double bill with the nearby cinemas.
OrderOnigiri de katsuobushi, tarta de fresas (shortcake) and soda de yuzu.
- 49
Muá! Specialty Coffee & Brunch
A proper breakfast on Ronda de Segovia, with scrambled-egg toast, pistachio croissants and V60 on the menu.
OrderTostada de aguacate y revueltos del brunch, croissant de pistacho and café de filtro V60.
- 50
Bardo Café
An Argentine chipá, a brownie with dulce de leche and an armchair grand enough to have its own nickname.
OrderChipá con jamón a la plancha, brownie con dulce de leche and americano.
- 51
Acid Café
The original Acid café pairs bright filter coffee with the sort of cardamom bun that rearranges your breakfast plans.
OrderNudo de cardamomo and café de filtro.
- 52
Ambu Coffee
Ambu's first shop is a small Pez coffee stop where choosing the beans is half the pleasure of a flat white.
OrderRollo de canela and flat white.
- 53
Umami Specialty Coffee
Pistachio cheesecake and açaí bowls give this Alameda coffee stop two quite different answers to breakfast.
OrderTarta de queso de pistacho y chocolate blanco, bol de açaí and capuchino.
- 54
RUDA Café de Altura
A tiny Rastro-side coffee room where the carrot cake and carefully made coffee earn those few precious seats.
OrderTarta de zanahoria, pastitas Rudas de limón and capuchino.
- 55
Café del Art
Portuguese pastéis de nata meet reina pepiada toast at this Cascorro coffee stop with a very busy Sunday doorstep.
OrderTostada reina pepiada, pastel de nata and latte con canela.
- 56
Churrería La Mejor
Six in the morning in Adelfas, and someone has already put the chocolate on.
OrderPorras, churros and chocolate a la taza; the porras deserve first dibs.
- 57
Churrería Bernabé
A Vallecas takeaway churrería for porras at six, before most breakfast counters have stirred.
OrderPorras, churros and chocolate a la taza.
- 58
Churrería La Olla del Chocolate
This tiny Opañel churrería starts frying at five, when breakfast still feels like part of the night.
OrderPorras, churros and chocolate a la taza.
- 59
Churrería Siglo XIX
Long churros and hefty porras on the Albufera, ready when a night out runs into breakfast.
OrderChurros alargados, porras and chocolate a la taza.
- 60
Patuchurro
Proper porras beside Méndez Álvaro's coach station, for departures too early to be civilised.
OrderPorras, churros and café con leche.
- 61
Churrería Quinta Generación
Antonio de Leyva's early chocolate stop, where the morning revolves around churros and porras.
OrderChurros, porras and chocolate a la taza.
- 62
Helados Calero
A neighbourhood ice cream shop where guayaba and lime give the usual chocolate crowd some competition.
OrderHelado de guayaba, helado de lima con hierbabuena and helado de pistacho.
- 63
Pastelería El Soto
An old-school obrador for tejas and petisús: buy a box and make somebody's afternoon.
OrderPastel francés, tejas de almendra and profiteroles «petisú».
- 64
Pastelería Lyon
A Chamartín pastry counter where classic petisús share the bill with mango and maracuyá truffle pastries.
OrderPetisú de crema and pastel de trufa de mango y maracuyá.
- 65
Churrería La Andaluza
The breakfast detour beside Maravillas: hand-shaped porras and the buñuelos many churrerías have forgotten.
OrderBuñuelos, porras and chocolate a la taza.
- 66
Heladería Capri
Vallecas has its own ice cream flavour here, and regulars keep coming back for it.
OrderHelado Cielo de Vallecas and helado de dulce de leche.
- 67
Joy Bakery
A tiny Filipino bakery whose purple ube sponge gives the neighbourhood cake run a very good twist.
OrderBizcocho de ube and tarta de queso.
- 68
La Suegra
Colombian bakery comfort in Vista Alegre, with tres leches and a hot Milo for an unapologetically sweet break.
OrderTarta tres leches, brazo de reina and Milo caliente.
- 69
La Petite Sara
A neighbourhood cake café where pistachio and raspberry make a convincing case for a second slice.
OrderTarta de pistacho y frambuesa, macarons and café con leche.
- 70
Pastelería Longinos
A family pastry name with nearly a century behind it and a wonderfully excessive choice of palmeritas.
OrderPalmera de dos chocolates and longinitos artesanos.
- 71
Doble Uve Obrador
An obrador café where cardamom rolls and pistachio spirals make a morning off feel properly earned.
OrderRoll de cardamomo, roll de pistacho and café de especialidad.
- 72
Bibì e Bibò
Italian ice cream gets tucked into warm brioche here, which is a very good reason to forget the cone.
OrderPanino de helado and tiramisú de mascarpone y café.
- 73
Panadería Ciento Treinta Grados
Caramelised pastry, plenty of butter and their own coffee make this a very persuasive takeaway breakfast.
OrderKouign-amann, palmera de chocolate and café con leche.