This spring I got to know Spain a bit better. First I was in Madrid. Here I was positively surprised by the flourishing energy, the plentiful plazas, the historic architecture and last but not least the individual cafés in Madrid’s creative neighborhoods.
Backing up a bit: For this trip, I had the choice between Lisbon, Porto and Madrid. I knew I would love Lisbon, because many like-minded bloggers told me so. I had similar impressions of Porto, only that it might be less touristy and thus more unique to discover. Well Madrid – I didn’t think of much of this city. I expected a big, hot and dirty mess of cars and run-down neighborhoods. However I did end up choosing the Spanish capital. I didn’t choose it for itself though, I chose it because it was feasible to commute to by train from Hamburg. Such a train ride (twice 10 hours) would allow me a layover in Bordeaux. You know I’d do anything to get back to Bordeaux. So long story short: I chose Madrid and prepared myself for a challenge, to make the best possible of the Spanish capital.
For Real: Flourishing Energy, Hilly Streets and Individual Cafés in Madrid
It turns out Madrid was the complete opposite of what I had expected. It took me a scarce few hours, hungrily walking through town at 28º with my suitcase, to fall in love with this town. Just five minutes away from the humongous intersection by the central station, I arrived at Hola Coffee for breakfast. A calm and relaxed place, with innovative refreshing drinks, specialty coffee in handmade ceramic cups, and simple yet tasty tostadas. (Read more on my second post coming in a few days here).
After spending a few hours there, completing my interactive Madrid Map, I continued trodding through Lavapiès and into Malasaña. Here I met some coffee locals and started realizing that this city had an own world behind all the 8-street intersections.
48 ++ Hours in Madrid
In total I spent four and a half days in Madrid. I would have loved to stay weeks longer and just alter my work space to the leftover dozens of cafés that I didn’t make it to. But if playing tourist, some couple days suffice to get to know the cultural monuments, modern art, local vibe and individual cafés in Madrid:
In these days I recommend to:
- try exclusive drinks in their individual coffee shops (more here)
- taste multiple tostadas,most importantly the classic con tomate (more here)
- admire the royals’ graveyard outside of town (San Lorenzo de el Escorial)
- scrutinize paintings in the Reina Sofia (and Prado if you take time for it too)
- and eventually end the days a tad too late, savouring octopus tentacles with chimichurri or artichoke hearts with stracciatella (Sala de Despiece)
Sala de Despiece
Allow me the short digression. Sala de Despiece. This fine-dining tapas bar brings tapas to a whole new level. Straight-forward, yet inventive; cold, yet full of life. They deserve an article for themselves one day, but for now you will have to satisfy yourself with the slideshow below:
All in all Madrid didn’t just have a lot to offer. Between cultural traditions and basic interpretations of modern-food trends, it also was refreshingly affordable. Even in the gentrifying districts of Malasaña and Lavapiès, you usually got an avocado toast for 4€ and flat whites for around 2€.
Past Malasaña and Lavapiès
It is true, that these two districts fulfilled me most. However verging off to the outskirts never disappointed either. In contrast, it just underlined my post-impression of Madrid. Here too, like in the district Salamanca, I found myself between parks, plazas and wrought iron balconies on calm residential streets.
An Overview of 23 Specialty Coffee Shops?!
Now it’s time for you to find your way through the city. Here is my interactive Madrid Map, which is what guided me through the neighbourhoods daily. We didn’t even come close to trying all of these places. They are just a collection of recommendations from friends and locals. But I will give you an overview of those 23 brown cups! Wait for my next posts where I will tell you, where to find scrumptious tostadas de aguacate, tingling Cup of Excellence espressos, bubbly fermented lemonades or the perfect freelancer conditions.
My next posts about Madrid’s cafés:
→ From Avocado Toast to Orange Cappuccino (Part 2/3)
→ My Five Favorite Cafés in Madrid (Part 3/3)
Sources I used for Specialty Coffee in Madrid:
- MAPA RUTA BARISTA: a local specialty coffee map
- “The Top Cafe” App: an app where you can leave coffee reviews and locate the next closest specialty coffee shop in Madrid
- Way To Coffee: coffee blogger from Berlin who writes specialty coffee shop reviews around the world
- European Coffee Trip: online magazine about specialty coffee in Europe
- Alexandra Müller Blog: blogger from Bordeaux who writes about vegan cafés, specialty coffee and artisan bakers (in French)
- Fräulein Anker Blog: a Hamburg based blogger who writes about specialty coffee and other local tips
The picture of the giant frog is great… your post and discoveries also helped me see Madrid in a different light as before somehow I never got out of the central, more touristy, district. Going a bit north was rewarding, and especially I am a fan of Sala de Despiece, but I keep wanting to call it Salad Espeice, which I guess means something else 🙂 Toma was also great and I went there again on my last trip, along with la colectiva where I had a great couscous salad and a new take on gazpacho… . me eating that, imagine …