Hot chocolate and churros.
One of the things we most like doing here at home is going out for churros and hot chocolate. Now they’ve become very famous and they’ve travelled all the way to Asia, to countries like China, where they eat them in their own way. We, like good Madrid girls, go to Chocolatería San Ginés, in Pasadizo San Ginés, which is brilliant because it’s a pedestrian-only street. This means that going with children and walking around is actually a very pleasant experience.
San Ginés is a chocolate shop that’s been open since 1894. They’re open all day and all night. It’s in the perfect location, in a narrow street taking you from Calle Mayor to Calle Arenal, from where you can also get to the church of San Ginés de Arlés, which has a treasure in the shape of a crocodile, but I’ll tell you about that another day. As the weather in Madrid is so nice we decided to eat our churros outside on the terrace! It was a real treat to be able to sit in the open air and let the kids run around free.
Now for a few tips, so it looks as though you’ve been going to Chocolatería San Ginés all your life. You should go to the bar to order and pay for your food and drinks. They’ll give you two tickets, one for you and the other for the waiter who’ll be serving you. You can stay inside, in the main area at street level or the pretty tertulias room, or you can do what we did and sit outside in the street. One portion of churros just isn’t enough; the kids will scoff the lot! Finally, access to the loos is a bit steep for small children so it’s advisable for an adult to go with them.
Churros and chocolate for five hungry fiends + one Cola Cao: €15.65.
An afternoon well spent… priceless.
Have a happy afternoon of churros and chocolate everyone!
Laura Ceballos