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 Café with charm |
Calle de Gravina 10 Madrid, Madrid 28004 Spain +34 91 522 2143 |
Despite the fact that it's small and the tables are squeezed close together, this café has a unique and attractive interior decor that creates an ideal environment for a quiet chat. If you're on your own, you can just sit in the pecera (fish bowl) and watch the world go by through the huge window. The wooden sculpture of gay icon San Sebastián takes centre stage and there's always an exhibition of paintings on the walls. Most of the clientele are gay and lesbian. Plaza de Chueca, the heart of Madrid's gay scene, is just around the corner. Review © 2007, Wcities |
 Photo: wcities |
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Variety of teas and cakes |
Calle del Conde de Aranda 11 Madrid, Madrid 28001 Spain +34 91 576 0641 |
Head straight through the main dining room serving vegetarian and Mediterranean fare to the annexe where you'll find this delightful tearoom. It's like walking into a child's playroom. Its walls are painted with blue and white squares and there are all sorts of ornaments and toys decorating every corner. The small tables are covered in spotless white tablecloths. You can choose from a great selection of standard, herbal, fruit and aromatic teas as well as homemade cakes and pastries. It's an intimate and special place where you can relax in peace and it attracts a varied clientele that includes students, young couples and famous socialites. Review © 2007, Wcities |
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Much more than just ice-cream |
Paseo del Pintor Rosales, 48 Madrid, Madrid 28008 Spain +34 91 541 5921 |
With over 20 different flavours of ice-cream, iced-drinks, cakes and horchata to choose from, you're spoiled for choice. What's more, you can sit in the attractive interior and watch all the action on the busy streets outside. In summer, you can sit outside on the terrace and enjoy the sun as well. Review © 2007, Wcities |
 Photo: mavanzini@gmail.com |
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Quiet and old-fashioned café |
Calle de Belén 5 Madrid, Madrid 28004 Spain +34 91 308 2747 |
Distinguished by its old wooden ceiling with exposed beams, antique furniture and marble-topped tables, this café has developed a character that only comes with age and long use. You can choose from a wide variety of coffees, wines, beers and spirits. The soft background music helps create a perfect setting for sitting around chatting with friends. Review © 2007, Wcities |
 Photo: wcities |
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A classic bar with a modern lease of life |
Glorieta de Bilbao 7 Madrid, Madrid 28004 Spain +34 (0)91 521 5655 |
Dating from 1887, this old-fashioned cafe continues to serve coffee and hot chocolate on marble-topped tables in its spacious lounge surrounded by faded mirrors and an air of by-gone splendor. You enter through one of those traditional old revolving doors and are met by waiters who still wear formal white jackets signifying their profession. The owners recently decided to enter the 21st century and have installed 12 PCs so clients can surf the net, at EUR 1.80 per hour. If you're hungry, choose from the wide assortment of sandwiches and limited range of more substantial dishes. It fills up at weekends when the party crowd meet up before heading out to the bars and clubs in the Bilbao and Malasaña neighborhoods. Review © 2007, Wcities |
 Photo: wcities |
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Like an English tearoom |
Ruiz de Alarcón, 27 Madrid 28014 Spain +34 91 4202342 |
With its enviable location between Prado Museum and the Jardín Botánico (Botanical Gardens), this café is an ideal place to stop in for breakfast before visiting either of these major attractions. Its attractive interior is decorated in dark wood and exposed brick, like a traditional English tearoom. You can choose from a wide range of pastries to accompany your coffee and freshly-squeezed orange juice at breakfast. The best on offer at lunchtime are their homemade specials and the grilled red meats from Ávila. The average price of a meal is EUR30.05 per person. Review © 2007, Wcities |
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Charming café with good coffee |
Unión, 1 Madrid, Madrid 28013 Spain +34 91 542 5563 |
As it's located next door to the Teatro Real (Opera House), it's not surprising that this café is popular with the musicians who play there. You can often walk in off the street and enjoy organized or spontaneous concerts here. Although it opened in 1981, it has an old-fashioned interior with a late 19th-century feel. There are regular art exhibitions on the walls, mainly photographs but also paintings and ceramics. The management organizes a photography competition in June every year. As for the clientele, you'll find young people here during the week and older people at weekends. It's an ideal venue for a coffee or a cocktail in relaxed and sophisticated surroundings before or after an opera performance. Review © 2007, Wcities |
 Photo: wcities |
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Café-restaurant with fantastic views |
Plaza de Oriente, 2 Madrid, Madrid 28013 Spain +34 (0)91 541 3974 / +34 (0)91 547 1564 http://www.grupolezama.es/ |
It is much more than a café. In fact, this is a restaurant that is good enough to have been awarded a Michelin star for its creative and modern style of cooking. The house specials are cod prepared in a variety of ways and duck liver paté. There is a gourmet menu and an excellent wine cellar. The restaurant is built on top of the ruins of an old convent close to the Teatro Real, and tends to fill up after performances and on Sunday afternoons when the outdoor terrace is very popular. Review © 2007, Wcities |
 Photo: caribb  |
 Photo: Eduardo Gómez Reb. |
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Peaceful atmosphere and a historic setting |
Nuncio 12 Madrid, Madrid 28005 Spain +34 91 366 0853 |
A relaxed café, decorated in different shades of red, where you can sit and listen to the soft music in peace. It fills up at weekends, especially the outdoor terrace in summer, even though you pay extra to sit there. You would never believe that terrible crimes were committed by the Inquisition in this very same square during Spain's Golden Age. Review © 2007, Wcities |
 Photo: wcities |
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Grappa, coffee and cakes |
Carrera de San Jerónimo 4 Madrid, Madrid 28014 Spain +34 91 521 4754 http://www.ilcaffediroma.com/ |
It's always busy, due to its city centre location and because it offers a great selection of grappa (strong Italian spirit), fresh coffee, tempting cakes and ice-creams. It's so comfortable and welcoming that you could easily make it into your local regular haunt. Green is the dominant colour scheme inside, the walls are exposed brick and the tables are wrought-iron with marble tops. It's one of a well-known chain of Catalan cafés with similar décor. Review © 2007, Wcities |
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Complete caterer |
Jorge Juan, 12 Madrid, Madrid 28001 Spain +34 91 577 1607 |
This is a spacious place that can cater for almost all your refreshment needs: you can come for a beer and a tapa, a sit-down meal, a hot chocolate, or tea and cakes. You can come with friends, or feel equally comfortable on your own reading the newspapers by the big front windows. Choose from the snacks of cured ham for EUR2.10, sausage, or cheese or a more substantial Racion of squid, prawns, or potato omelette starting at EUR6.10. You will find the restaurant located in an attractive upmarket area of the city. Its desserts and meat dishes are especially recommended. Review © 2007, Wcities |
 Photo: Recuerdos Desconcert |
 Photo: Gonzalo Alzamora |
 Photo: setapro |
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Romantic café & restaurant |
Paseo de Recoletos, 31 Madrid 28001 Spain +34 91 3082347 |
Located in a charming corner of Paseo de Recoletos, one of Madrid's smartest neighborhoods, this romantic café with its glass dome and early-20th century modernist interior decor is a work of art in its own right. There is extra seating on the terrace outside in summer. You can come for morning coffee, or later, for a full meal at lunch or dinner. The menu changes according to the season and only the freshest ingredients are used. A typical menu of the day would offer: Lobster and Fettuccini Salad to start, followed by Hake stuffed with Clams and Shrimp or Veal Meatballs, and Chocolate Cake with Coffee Sauce for dessert. Review © 2007, Wcities |
 Photo: wcities |
