Federal Café
While foreign visitors in Madrid may marvel at their coffee’s potency, other important components such as the coffee grain, milk, and more importantly -flavour- sometimes leave a lot to be desired. Things are changing for the better though, and the economic crisis has spurred a new generation of enterprising cafés and innovative baristas. Looking to caffeinate that spring in your step before a hard day’s walk around the city? Here is a selection of Madrid’s best coffee spots.
Toma Café
Palma, 49. Metro: Noviciado / Tribunal.
Opening hours: 8am-8pm Mon-Fri, 10am-8pm Sat, 10am-8pm Sun.
Milk: Fresh Milk, Soy. Food Available: basic yet exotic lunch menu, selection of homemade cakes and cookies.
English Spoken: Yes.
The pioneers of Madrid’s new wave of quality-concerned coffee makers, owners Santiago Rigoni and Patricia Alda Díaz only opened their small espresso bar in the upbeat Malasaña district in 2011. Their team of friendly, informed baristas understand that people really want to enjoy their coffee, and the atmosphere resembles an informal lounge room where people from all over the world take time to catch up and recharge. The espresso bar has the most extensive range of coffee blends and brewing techniques of anywhere else in the capital. “Coffee is meant to make people happy”, says co-owner Santiago, and Toma Café’s unrivalled quality and trademark empathy has meant that customers are prepared to walk the extra distance for a simple espresso. Coffee aficionados should also enquire about the unique coffee tasting sessions. Make sure you try their delicious new lunch menu and the cakes from the in-house Persian pastry-chef.
Mama Framboise
Fernando VI, 23. Metro: Alonso Martínez. Opening hours: 8am-8pm Mon-Fri, 10am-8pm Sat-Sun.
Milk: Long Life Milk, Soy. Food: cakes, sandwiches, salads, selection of cheeses and meats.
English Spoken: Yes.
A Parisian-styled café in the city’s refined Salesas district, people flock to Mama Framboise for its delectable pastries, cakes, and requisite coffees. With a distinct air of French opulence the large café is persistently busy due to good service, warm interiors, and tempting macaroons. “We’ve tried to emulate that feeling of warmth and comfort you used to feel when your parents took you out for hot chocolate after school,” says the café’s manager with a sweet smile. The exquisite selection of cakes created by prestigious pastry chef Alejandro Montes mean that the grown-ups are kept happy too.
Federal Café
Plaza de las Comendadoras, 9. Metro: Noviciado / Plaza de España.
Opening hours: 9am-12am Mon-Sat, 9.00am-5.30pm Sun.
Milk: Fresh Milk, Soy. Food Available: Hearty breakfasts, Modern Lunch and dinner, Fresh cakes and pastries.
English Spoken: Yes.
This corner of the Plaza Comendadoras is one of the new hotspots reinvigorating the Conde Duque district. Home to one of the city’s best breakfasts, the coffee takes its cues from Australia’s dynamic coffee culture and, of course, Australia owners Tommy Tang and Crick King. Named after a small Australian town, Federal Café dishes up modern fusion cuisine with uninterrupted service (from 9am to 11pm) and an antipodean ethos that creates a relaxed, informal atmosphere. It’s the sort of place that suits Madrid perfectly.
La Bicicleta Café
Plaza de San Ildefonso, 9. Metro: Tribunal. Opening hours: 10am-2am Sun- Fri, 10.00am-2.30am Sat.
Milk: Fresh Milk, Soy. Food Available: Spanish Brunch, snacks, fresh cakes and pastries.
English Spoken: Yes.
The Bicycle Café made headlines recently after an impromptu visit by Spain’s Queen Letizia sent the media into a flurry. If this hub for the Malasaña creative class is good enough for a queen, then you might as well drop in for a drink. However, it’s not what you’re thinking – La Bicicleta is an informal, rustic-looking space that perfectly encapsulates the neighbourhood’s restless creativity. Owners Quique Arias and Tamara Marqués converted a derelict space on the picturesque Plaza San Ildefonso just two years ago and have channeled their love of cycling into the vibrant café. As all serious cyclists will know, a quality, strong cup of coffee is a must and Quique has ensured that the coffee is always top notch and his team of baristas is well-trained.
Monkee Kofee
Vallehermoso, 112. Metro: Islas Filipinas, Canal.
Opening hours: 9am-8.30pm Mon-Fri, 10.00am-9pm Sat-Sun.
Milk: Long life Milk, Soy. Food Available: Toasts and Cakes.
English Spoken: Yes
If you’re looking to venture a little further from the city centre (or are brave enough to walk back to your hotel after your visit to the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium), then pay a visit to Monkee Coffee in the Chamberí district. Friends Salvador Figueros, Oscar Gonzaléz and Luis Asenjo opened their bright red doors just last year in an old hardware workshop. This is a truly local café and proof that the coffee revolution is extending its reach beyond the busy city centre.
COFFEE TRANSLATED
Espresso: Café Solo / Espresso
Caffé Latte/Flat White: Café con Leche
Capuccino: Capuccino
Machiatto: Un cortado
Espresso with a little Milk: Un café solo con solo un pelín de leche
Long Black/Americano: Americano
Liam Aldous