Madrid Recommendations by Former Students
Looking for fun things to do in Madrid? Check out these recommendations by our former BU Madrid students!
Madrid Study Abroad: Guía de Café
By Sophia Glastein (BU Madrid Summer 2023 student)
Maybe you are a coffee addict, or maybe you just like the café atmosphere. Maybe you love those little “sweet treats” they sell in those very dangerous glass cases at cafes. Regardless of your status, you may want to take a look at this guide to cafés in Madrid. Of course, this does not include all the cafés. I do not have the money or time for that, and you probably don’t either. However, I have included a list below of a couple of café gems in the area that I highly recommend you pay a visit and sub 10 euros to (give or take).
Santa Kafeina – Calle de Viriato, 37
This was the very first coffee shop that I tried in Madrid this summer. It was conveniently located on my walk al Instituto. It was so much of a hole in the wall place that I walked right passed it at first. I would not plan on sitting down here with a group of people but if you are on your own and like to be in cozy and cramped places to read or journal, etc., this is for you.
Santa Eulalia – Calle del Espejo, 12
I wanted to try the croissants from this patisserie because the food blogger, Claire Dinhut had said she was so embarrassed that, as a French person, she enjoyed their croissants more than the ones in France. I would also say that it was one of the best croissants of my life. I ordered a café con leche and the toasted croissant that came with butter and jam. I didn’t think it needed either of the toppings and ended up eating most of the croissant by itself. I believe in total it was only about €6. You can also order a croissant at the register as is which is just as good.
Chocolatería San Ginés – Pasadizo de San Ginés, 5
This famous churros con chocolate café has over 50,000 reviews. I am, admittedly, addicted to churros although I don’t want to admit it. It is near Plaza Mayor so it can be very crowded and have long lines at times. My favorite thing about it was that it stays open 24 hours. I remember going around 7am with my family six years ago and seeing people coming from their night out. I also like how the chocolate that comes with the churros actually tastes like good quality chocolate. I find that many dipping chocolates can be too watered down.
Toma Café – Calle de Sta. Feliciana, 5
Toma is a chain cafeteria so there may be one located nearer to your homestay or wherever you are in the city. The address above is closest to el instituto. The staff here are super friendly and talkative in both Spanish and English. It is also a great spot to do work on a computer and many other international students from other schools enjoy this café. They serve food as well and their coffee is solid.
Cafeteando – Plaza de Olavide, 10
Another spot fairly close to el instituto. They sell a lot of specialty teas here so if you prefer tea to coffee, I would give it a shot. I would, personally, advise against the chai latte as it was too sweet and wasn’t made from true chai spices which I was hoping for.
Delish Vegan Doughnuts – Corre. Alta de San Pablo, 12
If you couldn’t tell from the name, this café sells vegan donuts. This was very convenient for me at the time as I had a vegan friend in the study abroad program. I am not vegan, but I thought the donut flavors were very interesting. We tried the raspberry (photo), pandan, and chocolate/banana donuts, all of which were extremely flavorful.
Café de la Luz – Calle de la Puebla, 8
This café was very quaint and looked like it could have been designed by three old ladies but in an ironic way because only young people were there. I got a tostada de ventre which had roasted peppers and tinned smoked cod. You might be thinking ‘Ew. WTF. Why are you getting tinned fish on toast?’ and to that I say: because it’s delicious, and it was. And since this is a guide about café, I should mention that they also have coffee, pastries, and other goodies.
Tipos Infames. Libros y vinos – Calle de San Joaquín, 3
I realize that this is primarily a bookstore. However, they sell coffee and wine and who wouldn’t want to chill in a cute little bookstore while drinking coffee or wine. The books are all in Spanish so it could also be a great opportunity to practice.
Alma Nomad Bakery – Calle de Sta. Feliciana, 10
I want so badly to not include this bakery on this list because I am obsessed with it and go there nearly every day. The selection of treats this place has… criminally good. I honestly think their croissant is even better than Eulalia’s and they have so many options. Their drinks are fairly priced as well. On an ideal trip, I would get a coffee, savory sandwich/focaccia, and a sweet treat.
Hansó Café – Calle de Pez, 20
While extremely overpriced for a café, they do serve an interesting Spanish fusion menu with Korean, Turkish, and other cuisine inspiration. Their list of specialty lattes is also very fun including their red velvet and black sesame lattes.
