The dark green facade of Chocolatería San Ginés stands out on the narrow Pasadizo de San Ginés, tucked away from the rush of the city center. Founded in eighteen ninety-four, it began as an inn before specializing in thick, dark chocolate…
Historic Madrid Pastry Shops
This self-guided walk leads you through Madrid's oldest and most beloved bakeries to sample time-honored Spanish treats. You will taste everything from crispy churros and cream-filled napolitanas to traditional turrón in centuries-old, wood-paneled salons.
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1. Chocolatería San Ginés
2. El Riojano
El Riojano displays a dark wood storefront with intricate gilded lettering that sets it apart from the surrounding modern shops on Calle Mayor. Founded in eighteen fifty-five by Dámaso de la Maza, a baker who served the royal household of…
3. La Mallorquina
The front window at La Mallorquina is crowded with napolitanas, trays of flaky pastry tubes filled with chocolate or cream. Founded in eighteen ninety-four, this bakery occupies the corner where the Puerta del Sol traffic flows thickest.…
4. Lhardy
A red velvet awning hangs over the entrance to Lhardy on Carrera de San Jeronimo. Inside, Emilio Huguenin opened this restaurant in eighteen thirty-nine to bring French-style dining to Madrid. Before then, eating out meant visiting common…
5. Antigua Pastelería del Pozo
A narrow, dark wood storefront with vintage gold lettering sits on Calle del Pozo. Inside, the ovens have been running since eighteen thirty. Julian Leal, a baker from a small village, first opened this shop to sell basic bread and typical…
6. La Violeta
La Violeta is a tiny shop in Plaza de Canalejas defined by its walls of purple tins and the heavy scent of candied violets. Mariano Gil opened the doors in nineteen fifteen after a customer asked him to source the flower-shaped candies…
7. Casa Mira
The Casa Mira storefront holds a distinctively narrow, dark wood facade with gold lettering that stands out against the surrounding stone buildings on Carrera de San Jeronimo. Carlos Mira founded this shop in eighteen fifty-five, initially…