Chueca & Malasaña – Local tips (coffee & tea)

Chocolate lovers will have a place to go to have the Spanish hot chocolate, much thicker than in other countries…but so tasty!

The establishment uses only the finest cacao available, a mind-boggling selection of sweetmeats is categorized into “collections”: “flowers and herbs,” “liquors and digestives,” “gastronomic innovations,” and “spices of the Americas” to name just a few.

Aside from the coffee you have a store that sells all kinds of products made out of the best chocolate you can find… People who suffer from diabetes can also enjoy some products made sugar-free. They have new varieties of chocolates which have weird flavours!

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Cacao Sampaka | Coffee & tea | Hot chocolate € 4.00
C/ Orellana, 4 | Chueca & Malasaña | +34913195840
Mon – Fri 10:00 – 21:00, Sat – Sun 10:00 – 14:00 & 15:30 – 21:00

The busy Cafe Comercial is just off the Bilbao metro stop and by Madrid standards, huge. It’s central location makes it a great meeting place while the uniformed waiters are attentive.

You can feel the history of the cafe that has been around since 1887 – it was a meeting place for literary and artistic gatherings after the civil war (1939) and the second floor is still home to the Cafe Comercial Chess Club.

On nice days, they put tables out on the sidewalk. They have an extensive snack menu with sandwiches, and sliced ham and cheese, not to mention the variety of beverages to choose from. The prices vary from outdoor terrace to bar to tables.

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Café Comercial | Bars, Coffee & tea | Sandwiches € 2.50
Glorieta Bilbao 7 | Chueca & Malasaña | +34915215655
Mon 07:30 – 00:00, Tue – Thu 07:30 – 01:00, Fri 07:30 – 02:00, Sat 08:30 – 02:00, Sun 09:00 – 00:00

Madrid’s best second-hand English bookstore also has beer, coffee, quiz nights, snacks and great company.

J&J Books and Coffee is a well-known local haven for expats to collapse into friendly English conversations (Spanish is also spoken!) and to buy second-hand books. Wednesday and Thursday nights are “intercambio” nights to chat alternatively in Spanish and English, while Friday night turns into the rowdiest collection of intellectuals competing at trivia.

During the day the upstairs bar ranges from mellow to lively for coffee drinkers and book perusers, while the downstairs is full of thousands of books.

Details about this spot (Show on map)
J&J Books and Coffee | Art & culture, Bars, Coffee & tea, Shopping | Coffee € 1.25
Espiritu Santo, 47 | Chueca & Malasaña | +34915218576
Mon – Thu & Sat 11:00 – 00:00, Fri 11:00 – 02:00, Sun 16:00 – 22:00