When you went to school snack time was the best time of the day. You looked forward to getting home for a ham sandwich or, on lucky days, a Nocilla sandwich. That doesn’t have to change over the years.
You grew up and the snack mutated into an afterwork, or directly, you eliminated it from your routine. Now you go through life as if there were no places to snack in Madrid, where this food is a must. But there are, and the best ones are gathered in this list to make it easy for you to recover this sweet tradition.
Watts Cantina
You know when you’re more into coffee and sweets in the afternoon, but your friend is more into wine? Well, Watts Cantina solves the dilemma. This all-day diner in La Latina looks like an American diner and in principle serves things that do not clash: specialty coffee and pancakes . The twist comes with the natural wines, the music at all hours and the dish of the day, if you are more of a savory type.
📍Location: Calle de Don Pedro, 4 (La Latina)
2. Religion Coffee
Religon Coffee is a place with a relaxing and modern atmosphere of this specialty coffee temple. Many go here to taste the blue latte, a blue coffee without roasts that is delicious and looks great on Instagram. Its bar always exhibits sweets to salivate without brakes.
📍Location: Calle de María de Molina, 2 (Salamanca neighborhood) and Calle Príncipe de Vergara, 16 (Salamanca neighborhood)
3. Aroma & Bread
The competition for the best cheesecake in Madrid is in vogue, but at Aroma & Bread they play in another league. Here hides the ultimate cheesecake , which you can also pair with good coffee or a fun pink latte.
📍Location:Calle Apodaca, 10 (Malasaña)
4. Adorado Bar
Adorado Bar is a hospitable Argentinean cafeteria that has conquered two neighborhoods in Madrid with its homemade pastries where alfajores, dulce de leche pancakes and cinnamon rolls shine. Time stands still inside here, and thank goodness nobody watches the clock, because they let us order their breakfasts all day long.
📍Location:Calle Mesón de Paredes, 22 (Lavapiés) and Calle Ferraz, 20 (Argüelles)
5. María Peperina Café
Few cafés in Madrid are as original as María Peperina, a family business that brings to the capital artisanal recipes with an Argentinean influence. From its small bakery, located at the back of the premises, come delicacies such as the Toasted Butter and Pistachio Cookies or, for those who prefer a salty snack, the focaccia bread sandwiches, among which the one with roast chicken and cabbage salad stands out.
The café is located in premises that house a tattoo studio and a center for cultural activities. It is a perfect place to spend the afternoon and let yourself be enveloped by the charm of Embajadores, one of the most cosmopolitan areas of Madrid.
📍Location: Santa María de la Cabeza, 80 (Embajadores)
6. Mür Café
The British character is present in every corner of Mür Café. We are in love with it because of its way of snacking on scones, a not-too-sweet English scone and cakes of all kinds, and simply because there are not many places like this where you can let your imagination run wild looking out the window at tea time.
📍Location:Plaza Cristino Martos, 2 (Conde Duque)
7. Rawcoco Green Bar
The snack is the healthy moment of the day for those who go to Rawcoco Green Bar. Smoothies, focaccias and healthy pastries with multiple vegan options for all tastes. You leave here with a satisfied stomach and renewed energy. In addition, the urban-tropical atmosphere of this place is like no other.
📍Location:Calle de Fernando el Santo, 4 (Chamberí) andCalle del General Pardiñas, 21 (Salamanca district).
8. Pavlov’s Dog
The secret of its success lies in the friendliness, the smell of freshly brewed coffee, the furniture like those of the village house (the decoration has been nourished from second-hand stores and Wallapop). It is that typical essence of small places that attracts its parishioners: the comfort of a stool in front of the bar and a “how are you?” as you stir your coffee.
Location: Costanilla de San Pedro, 5 (La Latina)
9. Casa Neutrale
Casa Neutrale is a Nordic-born coffee shop, serving specialty coffee (from Costa Rica, Ethiopia and Honduras), freshly made sandwiches, homemade pastries and a good assortment of savory options. Neighborhood favorites include sourdough toasts topped with wild tuna, with sobrasada and cheese or with figs, pear, cheese and walnuts or bocatines (also for vegans).
📍Location: Regueros street, 13 Madrid (Salesas) and Plaza Cataluña, 2 (Concha Espina)
10. Café del Art
Coffee, bohemia and inspiration merge in the most popular coffee shop in Embajadores: Café del Art. It’s hard to find a free seat, and it’s not only because of the warm decoration and the relaxing atmosphere: their Belem cakes are a well-deserved claim to fame, a Portuguese touch to have a snack in Madrid.
📍Location: Plaza de Cascorro, 9 (La Latina)
11. Hola Coffee
Hola Coffee is the favorite place for coffee addicts in Lavapiés. With its modern cups, high quality coffee and chill vibe, it is a full-fledged workplace , although you won’t always find a surface for your laptop, due to its influx of people.
📍Location:Calle del Dr. Fourquet, 33 (Lavapiés) and Calle Lagasca, 42 (Salamanca) and Calle de Sepúlveda, 109 (Latina).
12. Delish Vegan Doughnuts
Pioneers in establishing vegan gluttony in Madrid, Delish Vegan Doughnuts introduced us to huge, sweet and inimitable flavored doughnuts that change every so often. The alternative soul of the place gives us the feeling of having been transported to Brooklyn. One of the best vegan bakeries for a snack in Madrid.
📍Location:Calle corredera alta de San Pablo, 12 (Malasaña).
13. The secret garden
El jardín secreto is a hyper-decorated cafeteria, which also changes from time to time, with a specialty: chocolate. The menu offers suggestive names such as “Orgasm for chocolate”, “Whispers of the moon”, “Guateque loco” or “Dolce Vita”. The truth is that reservations are necessary (it is not as secret as we would like), but it is worth having a drink, if only to be amazed by the fantastic decoration.
📍Location:Calle Conde Duque, 2 (Conde Duque)
14. Kaldi Café
There is no better place to watch life go by than the windows of Kaldi Café. From here there is a panoramic view of the picturesque Embajadores street, border between Lavapiés and La Latina, and its unpretentious atmosphere gives way to a well-deserved break to rest body and mind.
📍Location:Embajadores Street, 17 (Lavapiés)
15. The place
The place has delicious crepes for snacking. Who could say no? You have options for all tastes: salty and sweet, with fruit, overflowing chocolate, with sugar, ham and cheese… To die of taste day after day. Because of this breadth of menu according to all ages, we say for sure that this place enters our personal ranking of nice places to have a snack with children in Madrid.
📍Location:Calle Fernández de los Ríos, 93 (Chamberí)
16. Golda
Golda is a coffee shop serving Argentine-Israeli pastries and coffee from Hola Coffee. It is not clear if the name refers to the first woman president of Israel, Golda Meir, but behind it are the same owners of restaurants like Fayer and Patio Siete, which follow the same Jewish gastronomic tradition. Between chocolate and pistachio Babkas and Rugelachs, they also serve açai bowls and matcha lattes throughout the day. At night it changes its name to Golfa and becomes a wine bar.
📍Location:Calle de Orellana, 19 (Salesas)
Recovering the snacks is not only a trend, but the best way to get to know many of the new specialty cafes and pastry shops with bakeries that are taking over the city, and also enjoy the company without rushing.