On a mission to find the best brunch spot in Madrid, Fiona Govan discovered there is now a lot more to Spanish breakfast than tortilla or tostada con tomate.
There was a time when breakfast in Spain meant little more than a coffee, a fresh orange juice and a sugary glazed croissant. Nowadays brunch is big business with queues forming outside the most popular spots at weekends across the capital.
Whether you make brunch an opportunity to catch up with friends in a Sex in the City style weekend meet up or want to splash out for a special occasion, here’s a look at some of my top spots.
Carmencita
One of the first places to do a proper American style brunch in Madrid, Carmencita on Calle Vicente Ferrer fast became a firm favourite among Auxiliares (language teaching assistants) when it first opened in 2010. Now with four branches across Madrid (Two in Malasaña and one each in La Latina and Lavapies), it’s hands down the best place to get an eggs Benedict – choose whether it comes with avocado, salmon or crispy bacon, slathered in a creamy hollandaise sauce and with a side of fries or hash browns.
The brunch deal (from €18.50) comes with coffee, mimosa or fresh orange juice and includes dessert. I always go for the divine carrot cake. It’s generally booked out at weekends so make a reservation to avoid disappointment.
Alma Nomad
TheAlma Nomad Fabrica bakery is almost a destination in itself. Behind an orange door on Calle Urquiza in the Quintana neighbourhood you’ll find the welcoming space created by Joaquim and Timi, modern alchemists of the baking world. For true pastry aficionados, this place is worth the trek outside the M-30. Find a table with a view of the open kitchen and watch the magic happen.
Feast on sourdough toasts, pastries filled with seasonal fruits, plump cinnamon rolls oozing frosting, flaky pistachio croissants and a pomme tarte tatin to die for. They don’t take reservations which means you may have to queue up outside to get a table, but it’s worth the wait. Pastries from €2.95.
Federal Cafe
The Australian pair Tommy and Crick are behind Federal Café and the ones responsible for first bringing the Flat White to Madrid. Their original cafe is found in the Conde Duque and there are few better places to while away a Sunday morning than with brunch on their terrace in the corner of Plaza Comendadores.
Here you can find healthy options like Lizzie’s muesli with poached apple and saffron (€6.80) Chia pudding coconut milk filled with banana and a scattering of hemp seeds (€7.90) or a nutrition-packed Açaí bowl (€9). There’s also pancakes, sandwiches with the sort of fillings that are rare to find in Spain – like pastrami – or the Magrebi dish baked eggs with shakshuka (€12).
The Palace Hotel
For a really special start to the day, head to the legendary Palace Hotel for a buffet breakfast (served between 7am and 11am and open to non-guests for €35). Allow plenty of time to make sure you can fully enjoy all they have to offer while you are served by staff in white linen. Start with a bowl of Bercher yogurt and a selection of seasonal fresh fruits, before making your way through the savory options which include the elements required for a full English (Including baked beans) as well as American style pancakes, waffles and maple syrup and lest you forget you are in one of the prestigious hotels in Spain – a dedicated ham cutter to provide melt-in-the-mouth slices of jamon iberico.
Enjoy the grandeur and elegance of breakfasting beneath the stained-class glass dome of the Belle Epoque era in a hotel which has been the lodging of choice for touring stars including Michael Jackson, Madonna and the Rolling Stones.
It’s a great place to fuel up before a day spent touring the galleries of the Museo del Prado, the Reina Sofía or the Thyssen-Bornemisza which are all within easy walking distance.
Chocolate con churros
At the other end of the scale and if you want something more traditionally Madrileño for a morning snack, then seek out one of the capital’s churrerias for a cup of hot chocolate and a plate of churros. Guidebooks will send you to the iconic San Gines, a famed institution just off Plaza Mayor but if you want to avoid a tourist trap head for a traditional hole in the wall or kiosk for a more authentic experience at a third of the price.
La Churrería Santa Ana has been serving Rastro goers since 1898, it’s only open mornings and only for takeaway. For just €2.90 you can sit at a table with a serving of churros or porras and a cup of thick chocolate to dunk them into at La Antigua (Calle Apodaca, 11 in Chueca) or pass by the kiosk in Plaza Manuel Bercera and you’ll be met by the tempting aroma of fresh churros as they sizzle in a vat of hot oil.
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